Museum at the Cathedral - Trier

The Museum am Dom Trier is a fascinating museum exhibiting Christian art and archaeological finds from the region . Situated next to the Trier Cathedral, the museum offers a unique insight into the religious and cultural history of Trier.

The museum's origins lie in the efforts of cathedral captain Johann Nikolaus von Wilmowsky, who around 1850 came up with the idea of a "Christian Museum" in the vicinity of the cathedral. During World War II, the museum was badly damaged by bombing in 1944, during which much of the collection was lost . After the war, the museum was re-established in the former boarding school building of the Ursulines. In 1982, Bishop Dr. Hermann Josef Spital decided to move the museum to new premises: a former prison on Windstraße, built in 1832/33. This classicist prison had a turbulent history, including use as a barracks and as a transit station for political prisoners during the Nazi regime. After extensive renovations by diocesan architect Alois Peitz, the museum was reopened on 10 June 1988 under the name Museum am Dom Trier.

Highlights of the collection:

Constantine ceiling painting : A unique late antique work of art, composed of more than 30,000 fragments, discovered under the Trier Cathedral. It shows, among other things, flying Erotes and portraits of women, possibly members of the imperial family.

Archaeological finds : Models from excavations of the Cathedral and the Liebfrauenkirche, early Christian barrier systems and original portal figures.

Tomb of Archbishop Jakob von Sierck : An impressive medieval tomb.

Contemporary Art : Modern representations of Christ and Mary that raise existential questions about human existence.

Willem Vandenameele