The Diocese of Speyer

The Diocese of Speyer covers an area of approx. 5,900 square km in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. It is located in the south-west of Germany on the border to France. The landscape is marked by the Rhine lowlands, the Wine Route which is lined with numerous vineyards, the Palatinate Forest with its romantic castle ruins and the Palatinate Hills, the Western and Saar Palatinate. The region’s main industry, besides wine, is the chemical industry. Once in the centre of the medieval Empire, since 1817 the Diocese of Speyer has been a small diocese near the border of Germany. The old sovereign diocese disappeared during the turbulent wars of the Revolution. Speyer Cathedral is the world's largest Roman church building. Erected by the Salians, it became the final resting place for several medieval ruling dynasties and is hence a symbol of the Christian imperial era. Some 620,000 of its population of approx. 1.5 million are Catholic. The diocese is subdivided into ten deaneries and 350 parishes. Dr. Anton Schlembach has been Bishop of Speyer since 1983.

Youth ministry activities in the diocese are organised by the Association of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ). Together, young people strive to strengthen their faith and help shape the Church and the world at large. Under the motto ‘Spirit'n’Fun’ the BDKJ has organised several large-scale events in recent years. In 1998, 1,600 young people took part in a diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes. On Whitsunday in 2000, more than 4,000 young people joined young Protestants from the Palatinate in celebrating ‘The Great Ding Dong’ festival in Speyer Cathedral. In the spring of 2003, over 3,000 young people took part in the 'Open Church Night' that was organised by the deaneries.

Contact:
Bistum Speyer
Kleine Pfaffengasse 16
D-67346 Speyer
Postal address:
Bischöfliches Ordinariat
D-67343 Speyer
Phone: +49 (0) 6232-102-0
Fax: +49 (0) 6232-102-300
e-mail: pressestelle@bistum-speyer.de
The diocese’s Web address is: www.bistum-speyer.de

Speyer Cathedral: A pilgrimage site

The most important pilgrimage church in the Diocese of Speyer is the Imperial Cathedral of Saint Mary in the bishop’s seat of Speyer. It was built by the Salian emperors during the 11th century and is perceived as one of the most magnificent examples of Roman architecture. After the destruction of Cluny it became the world’s largest preserved Roman church. The burial place of Salian, Staufer and Habsburg rulers, it is a prime symbol of the empires of the Middle Ages. In 1061 the Salian cathedral was dedicated to the same patron as its Merowingian predecessor building had been: Mary Mother of God. The original picture of grace was a gilded Madonna on a throne. In the early 14th century the Roman image was replaced by a standing Madonna in the Gothic style. Miraculously, the statue survived a fire that swept through the Cathedral in 1689. However, a century later, in January 1794, it went up in flames together with the entire contents of the Cathedral as a result of an arson attack by French revolutionary troops. Pilgrimages to the Cathedral ceased. Pope Pius XI personally consecrated today’s picture of grace of the Speyer Mother of God in Rome. In 1930, to mark the 900th anniversary of the laying of the Imperial Cathedral’s foundation stone the picture was ceremoniously installed in the Cathedral. From that moment onwards, the traditional pilgrimages to the ‘Patrona Spirensis’ on August 15 were once again revived.

Inquiries:
Dombauamt
Edith-Stein-Platz 8
D-67346 Speyer
Phone: +49 (0) 62 32-1 00 92- 0
e-mail: dombauamt-speyer@t-online.de
www.speyer-dom.de