St. Peter's Cathedral was founded by Charlemagne. It has been the spiritual center of the diocese of Osnabrück for over twelve centuries. Its current appearance dates mainly from the late Romanesque period in the 13th century. Particularly noteworthy are the bronze baptismal font, the Romanesque triumphal cross and the tranquil 12th century cloister as well as the high altar.
In the course of missionizing and subjugating the Saxons, Emperor Charlemagne set up a missionary station at a ford near today's cathedral area around 780. Bishop Agilfred of Liège consecrated the first church. The Frisian Wiho was appointed as the first bishop. The diocese of Osnabrück has existed since this time. The diocese survived difficult times during the Reformation and the Thirty Years' War. The decades following secularization in 1802 also posed a threat to the independence of the diocese.
Since 1995, Dr. Franz-Josef Bode has been the 76th head shepherd of the diocese; he is assisted by the canons, also known as the cathedral chapter. In the early Middle Ages, the bishop and cathedral chapter lived together in a monastic community. The cloister on the south side still bears witness to this today.
The cathedral is the cathedral of the bishop, seat of the cathedral chapter, mother church of the diocese and parish church of the old town parish. Over the centuries, many bishops and countless deacons and priests have been ordained here. From the very beginning, St. Peter the Apostle has been the cathedral's main patron saint and St. Crispin and St. Crispinian its secondary patrons. Charlemagne donated the relics of these martyrs to the newly founded church. The noble, native Romans had lived in Soissons (northern France) and worked as shoemakers to preach the Christian doctrine. The relics were buried under the altar in a low tunnel, which still exists today. In the 13th century, a precious shrine was made for them, which can be found in the cathedral treasury.
A large new building was probably erected in the 11th century. This new, large church was a basilica on a cruciform ground plan with a multi-storey porch to the west, accompanied by two towers. The lower part of the castle-like west façade dates from this time. Under Bishop Udo, the west building was remodeled into a west choir (1137 - 1141) and was given a groined vault. The crossing tower was probably built in that century. In 1218, under Bishop Adolf von Tecklenburg, a major conversion began to create the late Romanesque basilica that still exists today. The transept was built first. Then a nave was built between the west building and the crossing. It consists of three bays, which correspond to two bays in each of the side aisles. After a fire in 1254, the crossing had to be vaulted again under the tower, with the crossing pillars being reinforced. Finally, the rectangular choir was built, which is higher and wider than the central nave.
The dominant impression that greets the visitor is the monumentality and dignity of the clearly and powerfully structured central nave. The deep, dome-like vaults - domical vaults resting on mighty pillars - create an unusual spatial effect emphasized by yokes, which develops into the light-filled choir via the vaulted crossing. Only at second glance do you notice the side aisles, which are separated from the nave by extremely wide pillars. The choir is the architectural highlight of the cathedral, not only because of its balanced proportions, but also because of its more advanced wall design compared to the central nave. On all three sides, tripartite windows almost completely dissolve the wall on the upper floor, as do the free-standing, gracefully designed bundle pillars in front of the ambulatory.
In 1305, the large rose window with high Gothic tracery was installed in the west front, a technical masterpiece! The current glazing was created after the Second World War, as were all the other windows in the cathedral. In the first half of the 15th century, a gallery was built around the choir. The late Gothic portal in the west wall was built in 1531. It replaced the beautiful late Romanesque north portal - the bridal portal - as the main portal. (On the outside center of the portal: the statue of St. Bishop Wiho, 15th century, on the sides St. Crispin and Crispinian by Willi Witte, 1980). From 1502 to 1543, the south-western tower was doubled in size; a bell that was too large for the old tower supposedly made this necessary.
Until its destruction in the Second World War, the small tower was covered with a Renaissance dome and the larger one with a Baroque dome. In 1946, the towers were given simple pyramid-shaped roofs.
After the Second World War, the interior of the cathedral underwent a thorough renovation, which still defines its appearance today. The entire neo-Romanesque painting and most of the furnishings were removed. Since then, the wall structures have been stone-faced and the wall surfaces have been light-colored plastered.
