The Cathedral of Bamberg is part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage of the old, picturesque town of Bamberg. It puts up the only grave of a pope (Clemens II. who kept his Bamberger bishopric while being pope; a nice source of income) north of the Alpine Mountains and carries the title Basilica Minor. It is one of the 4 emperor’s cathedrals of the Holy Roman Empire, 3 of them at the Rhine (Worms, Speyer, Mainz). Interred is also the canonized emperor couple Heinrich II. (pie rex Heinrice, pious Heinrich) and Kunigunde. The construction of the cathedral was started by Heinrich in 1004 and it was ordinated 1012 which means that the cathedral is now more than 1000 years old.

The couple died without having children which ended the dynasty of the Ottonen (Liudolfinger) making big donation to the church. The dynasty of the Salier with Konrad II. followed him on the emperors throne.

Some of the last remains of the old cathedral which over the 1000 years burned down several times are the “Bamberger Kröten” (toads) which used to look like lions but over the years changed their appearance. ( sand stone )

Louis-Alexandre Berthier, one of Napoleons marshals, died here 1815 by in the event of the “Bamberger Fenstersturz” (probably in an event following the good old Prag’ian tradition of “Defenestration”). That was after Franconia was forced to become part of Bavaria 1803 under Napoleon and Wittelsbacher Maximilan I. king of Bavaria.

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