the north aisle, and scenes from the lives of the Virgin and Christ in the south aisle. The
main addition to the nave was the mid-14th-century chapel of Sainte-Catherine.
The final phase of construction was the west façade, begun ca. 1275, purportedly
under Erwin de Steinbach, and completed in the 15th century. It is famous for its “harp
string” effect of vertical lines and pointed gables in a Rhenish Gothic style. The lower
story with three sculpted portals, whose tympana represent Christ’s infancy, Passion, and
the Last Judgment in a French Gothic style, was completed before a fire in 1296. On the
gable of the central portal is the throne of Solomon, surrounded by a dozen lions
representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel; the whole is surmounted by a statue of the
Virgin and Child. The sculptures show an expressive combination of French Gothic and
Germanic mannerist styles. Surviving drawings for the façade show that two towers of
equal height were planned; however, only the north tower, completed in the 15th century,
was built.
Four other medieval churches attesting to the economic prosperity of Strasbourg merit
notice. Of Sainte-Aurélie, founded in the 8th century, there remains only the 12th-century
tower of the west façade. The collegial church of Saint-Thomas, constructed in the 13th
and 14th centuries, betrays the influence of the cathedral in its capitals and façade. The
church of Saint-Étienne was largely destroyed during World War II; the medieval
transept and choir have been restored, but the nave is modern. The Protestant church
Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune was founded in the
Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), Notre-Dame,
plan. After Walter.
11th century as an abbey church in Romanesque style. Rebuilt in Gothic style in the late
13th and early 14th centuries, it retains its Romanesque tower (lower three levels),
cloister, and conventual buildings.
Karen Gould
[See also: ERWIN DE STEINBACH; GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE]
Beyer, Victor, Christiane Wild-Block, and Fridtjof Zschokke. Les vitraux de la cathédrale Notre-
Dame de Strasbourg (Corpus Vitrearum...., France IX-1). Paris: CNRS, 1986.
Haug, Hans. La cathédrale de Strasbourg. Strasbourg: Dernières Nouvelles, 1957.
Reinhardt, Hans. La cathédrale de Strasbourg. Paris: Arthaud, 1972.
Schmitt, Otto. Gotische Skulpturen des Strasburger Münsters. 2 vols. Frankfurt, 1924.
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