Basel Minster

The Basel Minster Hill was already settled in the late Celtic period (1st century BC): a rampart (the so-called Murus Gallicus) in the south and a northern route crossed the area where the Minster would later be built. Between the 1st century BC and the 4th century AD, the Romans established military posts on the elevation flanked by the Rhine and the Birsig.

In the 9th century, the Carolingian Minster was built—the first bishop’s church in Basel—under Bishop Haito (in office 805–823). In 917, the Hungarians destroyed the city during a raid and damaged Haito’s Minster. Nevertheless, this building likely stood for nearly 100 more years until construction began on the early Romanesque Minster. Emperor Henry II supported Basel and this new church named after him, which was consecrated on October 11, 1019, by Bishop Adalbero II. The Henry Minster largely matched the dimensions of its Carolingian predecessor.

The late Romanesque Minster was built from around 1070 to about 1220/30, again as a three-aisled basilica: a new transept, a polygonal choir, four façade towers, and a crossing tower now defined its appearance. About five decades later, burial chapels were added to the side façades, and a Gothic main portal was built between the western towers. On October 18, 1356, an earthquake shook Basel; the Minster also suffered severe damage. Reconstruction began immediately, proceeding from east to west, and was completed on July 23, 1500, with the finishing of the southern Martin Tower.

In the mid-16th century, Basel’s medieval Minster workshop was dissolved, and maintenance work was entrusted to local construction and stonemasonry businesses for about 450 years. On the initiative of those responsible for the building, the Minster workshop was re-established as a foundation in 1985. Its sponsors are the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the Evangelical Reformed Church of Basel-Stadt, and the Christoph Merian Foundation. Since January 2, 1986, a team of eight to ten employees—stonemasons, sculptors, and restorers—has been continuously restoring Basel’s landmark. For specialized tasks, additional experts are brought in, and jobs such as scaffolding, roofing, plumbing, and metalwork are contracted out to private companies. Overall project management for all construction measures lies with the Minster master builder.