Historic Türmerstube accessible again during the Museumsuferfest
Since the Middle Ages, the Frankfurt Cathedral tower was inhabited by a Türmer. His main task was to look out for fires and report them. In addition, the Türmer warned of approaching enemies, announced the arrival of market ships and received tourists on the tower. The Türmerstube served as his and his family's living quarters until 1942. Now, the room 66 meters up under the spire has been restored by the city of Frankfurt and shines in its historic color scheme. The Türmerstube is now open to the public on guided tours. To celebrate the reopening, the Dommuseum is giving away ten times two tickets to participate in a guided tour of the cathedral tower.
"I am very pleased that locals and visitors now have the opportunity to visit the historic Türmerstube and combine the view from the cathedral tower with a look at history", says City Treasurer Bastian Bergerhoff, who is also responsible for the cathedral churches.
On the history of the cathedral tower: the foundation stone of the cathedral tower was laid in 1415, after the dilapidated Romanesque double towers of the cathedral were demolished. The construction of the tower simultaneously led to an enlargement of the church, which meant that the city's town hall, which had originally stood on this site, also had to be demolished and the city council moved to the Römer. The city architect Madern Gerthener, who had been involved in the construction of the cathedral since 1404, was commissioned to build the tower. The building plan, which has been preserved to this day, goes back to him. However, as in many other cities, the construction of the Gothic tower remained unfinished. In 1514, the construction was finished with the completion of the dome. The decorative spire was added much later, after the cathedral fire of 1867. In August 1867, a fire destroyed the entire roof truss of the church and also severely damaged the tower. The cause was a fire in an inn in Fahrgasse. Flying sparks also caused the cathedral to catch fire. The bells melted, the organ and parts of the interior burned, and four people lost their lives. The reconstruction was led by cathedral master builder Franz Josef Denzinger from Würzburg and was based on Gerthener's original plans. Now the tower measures 95 meters from the ground to the top. The platform, on which visitors climb, is after all at a height of 66 meters and exactly there is also the now newly opened Türmerstube.
Since 2022, the cathedral tower belongs to the Dommuseum Frankfurt. Here is already working on a small exhibition about the history of the cathedral tower and the Türmer, which will be shown in the Türmerstube in the future. However, the renovated room is already part of the cathedral tower tour.
The tower tours take place every first Wednesday of the month at 5 pm. Registrations are possible at fuehrungen@dommuseum-frankfurt.de or by phone at 069/8008718-290. Guided tours for groups can also be booked through the Cathedral Museum, and events and workshops for children are also held. Guided tours are also available during the Museumsuferfest (Aug. 26-27, 2023). For more information, visit www.dommuseum-frankfurt.de.
Opening hours of the Cathedral Tower: April-September: Tuesday to Friday from 10 am - 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 6 pm; October-March: Tuesday to Friday from 10 am - 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 10 am. The last ascent is always possible half an hour before closing.
