Visitor numbers to Merseburg Imperial Cathedral continued to rise in 2022

2022 came 27.720 guests to the Merseburg Imperial Cathedral. "With the visitor numbers from 2022, we are almost approaching the figures before the coronavirus pandemic," says Dr Holger Kunde, Director of the United Cathedral Foundations, looking back on the past year. "This is mainly due to the consecration anniversary 'Consecrated for eternity. 1000 years of the consecration of Merseburg Cathedral' in 2021, which shone far beyond Merseburg and the state borders and helped to draw more attention to Merseburg Cathedral and its city," continued Dr Holger Kunde.

This year, too, there is a special Special exhibition in the cathedral, which is embedded in a major anniversary of the state of Saxony-Anhalt:

THE EMPEROR'S LAST JOURNEY - CLIMAX AND END OF THE REIGN OF OTTO THE GREAT IN 973

7 May 2023 marks the 1050th anniversary of the death of Otto the Great. This anniversary offers the opportunity to take a closer look at the Roman-German emperor's last journey from Italy back to his family's homeland, today's Saxony-Anhalt, and to thematise it.

Visitors can look forward to a varied programme of exhibitions, festivities and cultural events in the anniversary year 2023 in Magdeburg, Quedlinburg, Memleben and Merseburg:

Otto the Great, St Laurentius and the foundation of the diocese of Merseburg - searching for clues in Merseburg's imperial cathedral

Special exhibition 18 May - 5 November 2023

On the basis of selected documents and manuscripts from the cathedral archives and
-Merseburg Library illustrates Otto I's special relationship with Merseburg. The date of his death, 7 May 973, was entered in the Merseburg calendar. Documents document extensive donations to endow the diocese founded in 968. Valuable manuscripts illustrate Merseburg's special relationship with Laurentius and his early veneration in the episcopal city.

The exhibition is accompanied by numerous special themed tours, creative projects and lectures.

Anniversary partners are the Museum of Cultural History Magdeburg and the Ottonianum Cathedral Museum in Magdeburg, the Quedlinburg Cathedral and the Cathedral Treasure and the Castle Museum of the World Heritage City of Quedlinburgwhich City of Merseburgthat Cultural History Museum Merseburg Castlethe United Cathedral Foundations with Merseburg Cathedral.

With the tried-and-tested and always grandiose Merseburg Organ Days there is an innovation:

At the end of 2022, a long-standing, very successful tradition came to an end in Merseburg: after 28 years, the "Friends of Music and Monument Preservation in Churches of the Merseburg Region" handed over the "baton" in the form of an organ pipe to the United Cathedral Foundations of Merseburg, Naumburg and the Collegiate Abbey of Zeitz at the opening of the 52nd Merseburg Organ Festival, which will now be responsible for this important music festival from 2023.

"Together with the city of Merseburg, we would of course like to continue the success story of the traditional organ festival on the world's most famous romantic organ. The musical direction will continue to be in the hands of the Gewandhaus organist in Leipzig and cathedral organist in Merseburg, Michael Schönheit," says Kristina Schwarz, coordinator of the Organ Festival at the Vereinigte Domstifter.

In 2023, the Organ Days from 9-17 September 2023 will follow in the footsteps of the German composer of the late Romantic period, Max Reger (1873-1916), under the motto "AppetitAnReger - Max Reger on his 150th birthday".

Development of visitor numbers