On the west bank of the Rhine River is one of Germany’s oldest cities: Worms. And this year, the city is celebrating the 1,000th birthday of its oldest cathedral – a historic building that has shaped the city’s history like none other.
The St. Peter’s Dom stands on the highest point of the inner city of Worms. The historic cathedral was consecrated in the year 1018 and it has been the site of many important events in German history.
Worms is prominently featured in the famous epic poem The Nibelungenlied (in English: “The Song of the Nibelungs”) – and one scene takes place at the portal of the cathedral.
But the Worms Cathedral became even more well-known during the Martin Luther era. In 1521, the Diet of Worms (an imperial council presided over by Emperor Charles V) was held in the cathedral and Luther was ordered to appear there and respond to charges of heresy. Luther spent 10 days in Worms and refused to recant – and this changed the course of history.
“Here I stand, I can do no other,” Luther said before the Diet of Worms.
Centuries later, the St. Peter’s Dom is a popular tourist attraction. As the city celebrates its 1,000th birthday, former German President Joachim Gauck delivered a ceremonial speech on Saturday.
“The people of Worms identify with their cathedral, whether they’re Catholic, Lutheran or not religious at all,” Tobias Schafer, a provost at the cathedral, told Deutsche Welle.
