Strasbourg Cathedral

Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, or Cathédrale de Strasbourg, German: Liebfrauenmünster zu Straßburg), also known as Strasbourg Minster (German: Straßburger Münster), is a Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely considered to be among the finest examples of Rayonnant Gothic architecture. Architect Erwin von Steinbach is credited for major contributions from 1277 to his death in 1318, and beyond through his son Johannes von Steinbach, and his grandson Gerlach von Steinbach, who succeeded him as chief architects.

Quotes

 * In Strasbourg itself there were no gaps between past and present. Romanesque and Gothic Middle Ages, Baroque and the most recent constructions after 1871, all stood on top of each other, constituting, not exactly a harmonious unity, but nevertheless that unity and continuity of historical life which overcomes even the most enormous tensions and recalls the continuous struggle and the changing fortunes of the people. Strasbourg Cathedral constitutes the most powerful center of this unit. It often seemed to us that it had been built not by the hand of man, but by eternity, as a warning to the fleeting generations of men, to serve the eternal with their weak strength, and in particular to serve the Germans to show themselves worthy of this cathedral. [...] And in looking at the marvelous Romanesque apse, I had the feeling that a supreme and impenetrable mystery was still hidden here. (Friedrich Meinecke)