With a moving celebratory service on today’s Epiphany, the anniversary year “Geweiht für die Ewigkeit. 1,000 years of Merseburg Cathedral’s consecration” has been started. Under strict hygiene guidelines, the service was held with the parish, the bishop and the cathedral chapter of Vereinigte Domstifter.

The anniversary year stands under the patronage of Friedrich Kramer, Bishop of the Protestand Church of Central Germany, who also gave today’s sermon, and Dr Gerhard Feige, Bishop of the diocese Magdeburg.

Prof Dr Karin von Welck, dean of Vereinigte Domstifter, emphasised at the beginning of the anniversary year, "I am thankful that we can hold this service in humbleness despite the not yet defeated COVID-pandemic, and in reflection of what our cathedral has witnessed in its long history. The cathedral has withstood the plague, wars and many political changes and has always been the clearly visible sign of faith in this city. The Domstifter, the parish and the pastor have tried their best to care for the cathedral in all centuries in order to carry out the message of the Christian faith to the region and into the hearts of the people. That this will be possible in the coming centuries, for that we hope."