The dome church of St. Blasien was constructed after a fire destroyed its predecessor, a two-towered baroque church, in 1768. The then reigning Prince Abbot, Martin II. Gerbert, was able to realise his idea of a dome church despite a lot of resistance.
History
In 1770, Gerbert had the remains of 14 Habsburgs transferred from Switzerland to St. Blasien, making the new dome church the Habsburg burial church. In 1783, the new church was consecrated. During the following years, the church was faced with great misfortune. After the abolition of the monastery, known as secularization, the church was desecrated. All the furnishings, including the organ made by the great organ builder Andreas Silbermann, were torn out and destroyed.The dead Habsburgs were also taken from the crypt and transferred to Austria. In 1874, the church was destroyed by a fire. Rebuilt with simple means, it was consecrated for a second time in 1913. In a large-scale renovation in the years 1981-1983, the church was restored, with considerable compromises, to how Prince Abbot Martin Gerbert once envisioned it.
The dome church today
The church is the parish church of the Catholic parish of St. Blasius. Guided tours of St. Blasius Cathedral take place regularly.Dates can be found in the tourist information program. Every summer, the 'International Cathedral Concerts' take place with performers from all over the world - a top-class cultural experience.
The cathedral is barrier-free, a suitable entrance is available on the left-hand side.
Cathedral tours
Information and dates can be found under Events. Registration required on 07652/1206-0. Meeting point for the cathedral tours is at the Tourist Information.