Hello again, friends! We are now inside the the cathedral.... Meissen was not only a center of political and military strongness, it was a religious center from the beginning - and before. When king Henry I. the Fowler decided to establish the center of the Margraviate Meissen here on top of the castle hill in 929, they built a first little church. Maybe there stood a slavish temple here at the same place; the slavs of this time praised their god Svantewit, a wooden figure with three heads. So from here the missionary of the slavs began. In 968 A.D. under king Otto I. Meissen became a catholic diocese and a bishop seat, and a first cathedral was constructed in old romanic style with strong walls and only small windows. This fact shows how important the hill here must be in the early day: A stronghold for margraves and bishops.... In around 1250 A.D. the construction of the recent dome began. It is built in a most pure gothic style. This cathedral is one of the smallest in Europe, here on the castle mount isn´t enough room. Castle, dome, bishop`s palace and a few more buildings on top here formed a sort of armed ensemble, protected by walls and doors. In 1457 the whole western front of the dome with the towers crashed down after a lightning had hit them. In 1581 the diocese of Meissen accepted the protestantic reformation and the bishop had to leave. In its origin the towers were not so high as recent. In 1909 they were reconstructed and got some "upgrade" in "neo-gothic" style.... (to be continued) Dear friends, many many thanks for your nice comments for my last pic. A special thanks for the fellow who took it as a fav. Please feel free to send new ones, they are always appreciated.. Have a nice day and some happy holidays!