Details of the Baroque Episcopal Church Cathedral of St. Stephen in city of Passau, Germany.

Details of the Baroque Episcopal Church Cathedral of St. Stephen in city of Passau, Germany.

The Baroque Episcopal Church Cathedral of St. Stephen, commonly known as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, is a landmark of the city of Passau, Germany. It is one of the largest Baroque churches in the country and is famous for its impressive architecture and its world-renowned organ.

The cathedral is located in the historic center of Passau, a city in southeastern Germany near the Austrian border. It is situated on a hill overlooking the Danube, Ilz, and Inn rivers, which meet at Passau.

The cathedral was built between 1668 and 1693, during the Baroque era, by the Italian architect Carlo Lurago, who was commissioned by the Prince-Bishop of Passau, Johann Philipp von Schönborn. The cathedral’s interior was decorated by many well-known artists, including the Italian painter Carlo Innocenzo Carlone and the Austrian sculptor Giovanni Battista Carlone.

The construction of St. Stephen’s Cathedral was a massive undertaking and took over 20 years to complete. The cathedral’s location on a steep hill posed significant challenges for the builders, who had to level the ground and construct a massive retaining wall to support the weight of the building.

The cost of construction was significant, and the Prince-Bishop of Passau had to borrow money to finance the project. The cathedral’s construction was so expensive that it contributed to the financial collapse of the Prince-Bishopric of Passau in the early 18th century.

Despite the challenges and expense of its construction, St. Stephen’s Cathedral remains one of the most magnificent examples of Baroque architecture in Europe.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral has a length of 101 meters (331 feet), a width of 48 meters (157 feet), and a height of 70 meters (229 feet) at its highest point. Its impressive dome, which is one of the largest in the world, has a diameter of 33 meters (108 feet) and is adorned with colorful frescoes.

The cathedral’s interior is richly decorated with stucco work, marble, and gold leaf. The high altar, which is the focal point of the cathedral, is a masterpiece of Baroque art and features a painting of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, the cathedral’s patron saint.

The cathedral’s treasury contains many valuable items, including liturgical objects made of gold, silver, and precious stones, as well as historical documents and relics.

The organ of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the largest cathedral organ in the world, with 17,774 pipes and 233 registers. It was built by the German organ builder, Johann Baptist Allgaeuer, between 1924 and 1930. The organ was destroyed during a bombing raid in 1945, but was rebuilt in the 1950s by the organ builder Steinmeyer.

The organ of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is not only the largest cathedral organ in the world but also one of the most famous. It has been played by many renowned organists, including Johann Sebastian Bach, who gave a concert on the organ in 1717.

Over the centuries, many bishops served at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, including Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp von Schönborn, who commissioned the cathedral’s construction, and Prince-Bishop Leopold Ernst von Firmian, who ordered the reconstruction of the organ in the 18th century.

At the time of construction, Passau was a small city with a population of around 10,000 people. The construction of the cathedral was a massive undertaking and was extremely expensive, costing the Prince-Bishop around 1 million florins, which was a considerable sum of money at the time.

The builders of the cathedral came from all over Europe, including Italy, Austria, and Germany.

Overall, St. Stephen’s Cathedral is an impressive example of Baroque architecture and is known worldwide for its magnificent organ.

A list of all bishops in chronological order of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

• Saint Maximilian (c. 470–476)
• Saint Severinus (c. 470–482)
• Saint Eusebius (c. 482–495)
• Saint Valentin (c. 495–512)
• Saint Vivilo (c. 512–537)
• Saint Lupus I (c. 537–560)
• Saint Eustachius (c. 560–580)
• Saint Maximus I (c. 580–600)
• Saint Victor I (c. 600–610)
• Saint Fidelis (c. 610–625)
• Saint Numerianus (c. 625–643)
• Saint Rupert (c. 643–660)
• Saint Vitalis (c. 660–675)
• Saint Quirinus (c. 675–689)
• Saint Theodo (c. 689–717)
• Saint Agilus (c. 717–738)
• Saint Vivilo II (c. 738–743)
• Saint Piligrim (c. 743–753)
• Saint Gumbertus (c. 753–788)
• Saint Arno (c. 788–821)
• Saint Erhard I (c. 821–836)
• Saint Gotthard (c. 836–855)
• Saint Cunibert (c. 855–871)
• Saint Sigo (c. 871–876)
• Saint Adalwin (c. 876–903)
• Saint Reginmar (c. 903–915)
• Saint Piligrim II (c. 915–923)
• Saint Balderich (c. 923–947)
• Saint Wolfgang I (c. 947–972)
• Saint Abraham (c. 972–991)
• Saint Hartwig (c. 991–1000)
• Saint Megingaud (c. 1000–1012)
• Saint Dietmar (c. 1012–1022)
• Saint Wolfgang II (c. 1022–1031)
• Saint Altmann (c. 1031–1052)
• Saint Gebhard (c. 1052–1060)
• Saint Ulrich I (c. 1060–1065)
• Saint Gebhard II (c. 1065–1088)
• Saint Altmann II (c. 1088–1091)
• Saint Konrad I (c. 1091–1104)
• Saint Reginbert (c. 1104–1125)
• Saint Ulrich II (c. 1125–1127)
• Saint Gottfried I (c. 1127–1147)
• Saint Konrad II (c. 1147–1164)
• Saint Adalbert I (c. 1164–1184)
• Saint Konrad III (c. 1184–1204)
• Saint Wolfger von Erla (c. 1204–1218)
• Saint Bernhard I (c. 1218–1258)
• Saint Heinrich I (c. 1258–1278)
• Saint Gottfried I (c. 1127–1147)
• Saint Konrad II (c. 1147–1164)
• Saint Adalbert I (c. 1164–1184)
• Saint Konrad III (c. 1184–1204)
• Saint Wolfger von Erla (c. 1204–1218)
• Saint Bernhard I (c. 1218–1258)
• Saint Heinrich II (c. 1258–1273)
• Saint Gottfried II (c. 1273–1278)
• Saint Heinrich III (c. 1278–1284)
• Heinrich IV von Kalden (c. 1284–1295)
• Gottfried III von Hohenlohe (c. 1296–1313)
• Heinrich V von Katzburg (c. 1314–1335)
• Heinrich VI von Windeck (c. 1336–1351)
• Heinrich VII von Pirnbrunn (c. 1351–1363)
• Ulrich von Nuenegg (c. 1363–1364)
• Albrecht von Hohenberg (c. 1364–1371)
• Gottfried IV von Weissenbach (c. 1371–1399)
• Paul von Jägerndorf (c. 1399–1418)
• Ulrich II von Nuennberg (c. 1418–1422)
• Leonhard von Laiming (c. 1422–1443)
• Heinrich VIII von Grumbach (c. 1443–1447)
• Friedrich I von Pettendorf-Lengenfeld-Hopfenohe (c. 1447–1451)
• Sixtus von Tannberg (c. 1451–1465)
• Friedrich II von Zollern (c. 1465–1486)
• Philipp von der Pfalz (c. 1486–1503)
• Sixtus von Tannberg (c. 1503–1507) (second term)
• Otto von Sonnenberg (c. 1507–1517)
• Christoph von Scheidt (c. 1517–1522)
• Urban von Trennbach (c. 1522–1537)
• Leonhard von Eck (c. 1537–1543)
• Johann von Säben (c. 1543–1551)
• Wolfgang von Salm (c. 1551–1555)
• Michael von Kuenburg (c. 1555–1571)
• Urban von Trennbach (c. 1571–1573) (second term)
• Georg von Hofkirchen (c. 1573–1598)
• Christoph von Stadion (c. 1598–1613)
• Leopold von Passau-Neuburg (c. 1613–1625)
• Wenzeslaus von Thun (c. 1625–1634)
• Leopold Wilhelm von Österreich (c. 1634–1662)
• Johann Philipp von Lamberg (c. 1662–1678)
• Johann Philipp von Schönborn (c. 1679–1724)
• Johann Franz Eckher von Kapfing und Liechteneck (c. 1724–1727)
• Franz Ferdinand von Rummel (c. 1727–1732)
• Leopold Ernst von Firmian (c. 1732–1744)
• Joseph Dominikus von Lamberg (c. 1744–1761)
• Leopold Leonhard Raymund von Thun und Hohenstein (c. 1761–1773)
• Joseph Konrad von Schroffenberg-Mös (c. 1773–1789)
• Leopold Maximilian von Firmian (c. 1789–1795)
• Joseph Franz von Auersperg (c. 1795–1803)
• Karl von Drechsel (c. 1803–1827)
• Simon Konrad Landersdorfer (c. 1827–1845)
• Heinrich von Hofstätter (c. 1845–1853)
• Franz Xaver von Linsenmann (c. 1853–1862)
• Franz Maria Doppelbauer (c. 1862–1879)
• Ignatius von Senestrey (c. 1879–1895)
• Heinrich von Thun (c. 1895–1900)
• Franz von Bettinger (c. 1900–1917)
• Sigismund Felix von Ow-Felldorf (c. 1917–1935)
• Simon Konrad Landersdorfer (c. 1935–1952) (second term)
• Joseph Maria von Radowitz (c. 1952–1961)
• Simon Konrad Landersdorfer (c. 1961–1971) (third term)
• Antonius Hofmann (c. 1971–1985)
• Franz Xaver Eder (c. 1985–2002)
• Wilhelm Schraml (c. 2002–2012)
• Stefan Oster (c. 2014–present)