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Why did Christians start building cathedrals that reach up to heaven 1,000 years ago? Did they want to demonstrate their power or to be close to God? In any case, architecture still inspires fascination to this day. Romanesque remains an era full of unsolved mysteries. What prompted people at the turn of the millennium to build churches that reached up to heaven, as powerful as castles for God, and to spark a race for cathedral size and splendour? The example of the cathedrals in Mainz, Worms and Speyer illustrates the fascination with these constructions. In the Church of St. John in Mainz, a sarcophagus that had been closed for 1,000 years has been opened. Archbishop Erkanbald is buried there. He had the cathedral built in Mainz, the largest church building in the West at that time, because Mainz was to become a second Rome with this iconic building, and its archbishop was to be the Pope's representative. Shortly afterwards, Emperor Conrad designed a cathedral in Speyer to create a burial place for the Salian family, the dimensions of which would correspond to the claim that God himself had established the Salian dynasty as the imperial family and supreme rulers of the world. Conflict with the ambitions of the clergy was inevitable. In Worms, on the other hand, another power player established itself in the 12th century: the emerging bourgeoisie. A new era began in which the rigid power structure of the Romanesque style, which was also reflected in its huge buildings, gradually crumbled and made way for an architectural style that paid homage to openness and light: Gothic. ـــــ DW Documentary provides you with information beyond the headlines. Marvel at the best documentaries from German channels and international production companies. Meet enigmatic people, travel to far-off lands and understand the complexities of modern life - all while keeping abreast of global events and current affairs. Subscribe to DW Documentary and discover the world around you. Subscribe to DW Documentary: /dwdocumentary Our other YouTube channels: DW Documentary (in English): /dwdocumentary DW Documentary Arabic: /dwdocarabia For more information, please visit: http://www.dw.com/zonadocu http://www.dw.com/primerplano http://www.dw.com/español Instagram (in English): /dwdocumentary Facebook (in English): /dw.stories DW Netiquette: http://p.dw.com/p/14KkY