{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox church | name = St. Stephen's Cathedral | full_name = | other_name = | native_name = Stephansdom | native_name_lang = German | image = Passauer Dom.jpg | image_size = 250px | imagelink = | alt = | landscape = | caption = St. Stephen's Cathedral
| pushpin_map = Bavaria#Germany | pushpin_label_position = Passau | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_mapsize = | relief = | map_caption = | coordinates = {{coord|48.5742|13.4653|format=dms|type:landmark_region:DE-BY|display=inline,title}} | osgraw = <!-- TEXT --> | location = Passau | country = Germany
| denomination = Roman Catholic | previous_denomination = | churchmanship = | website = <!-- {{URL| example.com}} -->
| former_name = | founded = 1668 | founder = | dedication = | dedicated = | consecrated = | events = | status = Active | functional_status = Cathedral | heritage_designation = | designated = | architect = Carlo Lurago | architectural_type = Church | style = Baroque | groundbreaking = | completed = 1693 | construction_cost = | closed = | demolished =
| capacity = | length = {{convert|100|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | width = <!-- {{convert| }} --> | height = <!-- {{convert| }} --> | materials =
| parish = | deanery = | archdeaconry = | archdiocese = | metropolis = | diocese = Diocese of Passau | province = | district = | division =
| archbishop = | bishop = | dean = | succentor = | rector = | vicar = | priest = | pastor = | abbot = }}
'''St. Stephen's Cathedral''' ({{langx|de|Dom St. Stephan}}) is a baroque church from 1688 in Passau, Germany, dedicated to Saint Stephen.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shrock |first=Dennis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTElDwAAQBAJ&dq=St.+Stephen's+Cathedral+Passau&pg=PA171 |title=Choral Monuments: Studies of Eleven Choral Masterworks |date=2017-06-01 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-046904-7 |language=en}}</ref> It is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Passau and the main church of his diocese.
== History == Since 730, there have been many churches built on the site of the current cathedral. The current church, a baroque building around {{convert|100|m|ft|0}} long, was built from 1668 to 1693 after a fire in 1662 destroyed its predecessor, of which only the late gothic eastern side remains.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Oulíková |first=Petra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=awR9AAAAMAAJ&q=Carlo+Lurago+passau+st+Stephen |title=The Klementinum: A Guide |date=2006 |publisher=National Library of the Czech Republic |isbn=978-80-7050-492-5 |language=en}}</ref> The cathedral's overall plan was made by Carlo Lurago, its interior decoration by Giovanni Battista Carlone, and its frescos by Carpoforo Tencalla.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fulco |first=Daniel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=in0JDAAAQBAJ&dq=Carlo+Lurago+passau+st+Stephen&pg=PA66 |title=Exuberant Apotheoses: Italian Frescoes in the Holy Roman Empire: Visual Culture and Princely Power in the Age of Enlightenment |date=2016-04-01 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-30805-3 |language=en}}</ref>
== Bells == The cathedral has eight large bells in the bell rooms in the north and south towers. The largest bell or bourdon is named,"Pummerin" at {{Convert|7550|kg|abbr=on}} cast in 1952. It alongside "Sturmerin" weighing {{Convert|5300|kg|abbr=on}} cast in 1733 hang in the south tower. The other six bells hang in the north tower. They include: the second bourdon "Misericordia" weighing {{Convert|6000|kg|abbr=on}}, the Angelus bell, "Predigtglocke", "Elfuhrglocken", the Choir bell, and "Dignitar". A ninth bell, the "Zeichenglocke" hangs near the sacristy door. 3 of the 8 bells serve as clock bells; the Elfuhrglocken chimes every quarter hour while Predigtglocke and Stürmerin in succession chime each the number of a full hour. In Germany, the bells are always numbered from largest to smallest, Bell 1 is always the tenor or bourdon.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Bell || Name (German) !Name (English) ! Year of casting || Founder, place of casting || Mass || Tower |- | 1 || colspan="2" align="left" | Pummerin (Bourdon Bell) || 1952 || rowspan="2" | Rudolf Perner Bell Foundry, Passau || {{Convert|7850|kg|abbr=on}} || South |- | 2 || colspan="2" align="left" | Misericordia (2nd Bourdon) || 1999 || {{Convert|5950|kg|abbr=on}} || North |- | 3 || align=left | Stürmerin |Striker|| 1733 || Nikolaus Drackh, Passau || {{Convert|5600|kg|abbr=on}} || South |- | 4 || align=left | Dignitär |Dignified|| 1897 || rowspan="4" | Lorenz Bell Foundry, Passau || {{Convert|3375|kg|abbr=on}} || rowspan="5" | North |- | 5 || align=left | Predigtglocke |Preacher Bell|| 1896 || {{Convert|2400|kg|abbr=on}} |- | 6 || Angelusglocke |Angelus bell|| 1897 || {{Convert|1250|kg|abbr=on}} |- | 7 || align=left | Elfuhrglocke |Eleven o'clock bell|| 1896 || {{Convert|800|kg|abbr=on}} |- | 8 || align=left | Chorglocke |Choir bell|| 1951 || Rudolf Perner Bell Foundry, Passau || {{Convert|552|kg|abbr=on}} |}
== Pipe organ == Once the largest organ in the world, Passau Cathedral's pipe organ has been surpassed by more recent instruments, including Wanamaker's organ in the U.S. It remains the largest church organ outside of the U.S.
The organ currently has 17,774 pipes and 233 registers, all of which can be played with the five-manual general console in the gallery.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} Portions of the organ have their own mechanical-action or electric-action consoles, for a total of six consoles.
The organs at this cathedral have continually been added to over the years. The "organ" is really several separate organs of different tonal styles, all accessible from one or more consoles. The organs of the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, California, U.S. have also grown over the years and play from twin consoles; together, the two organs have 346 ranks and over 20,000 pipes.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} By contrast, the Cadet Chapel Organ of the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York is a single organ. It has also been added to continuously over the years and is larger still with more than 23,500 pipes. It plays from a single console.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}
In 2017, Arnold Schwarzenegger was allowed to play the cathedral's pipe organ, a "childhood dream" according to the actor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clamann |first=Aaron |date=2017-09-21 |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger spielt Orgel in Dom St. Stephan in Passau |url=https://www.morgenpost.de/vermischtes/stars-und-promis/article211987215/Schwarzenegger-erfuellt-sich-Kindheitstraum-in-Deutschland.html |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=www.morgenpost.de |language=de}}</ref>
<gallery> File:Passau st stephan kanzel.jpg|Chancel File:St. Stephen's Cathedral Central Organ.jpg|Main west Organ in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau File:Dome paintings.jpg|Dome paintings </gallery>
==Recordings (selection)== * Die Passauer Domorgel : The most beautiful organ in the world '''Passau Cathedral''' Helga Schauerte-Maubouet, (Syrius, 141310) 1995.
== See also ==
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|St. Stephen's Cathedral (Passau)|St. Stephen's Cathedral, Passau}} *{{in lang|en}} [http://www.theatreorgans.com/laird/Passau.html Passau Cathedral Organ] *{{in lang|de}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20081221025141/http://www.bistum-passau.de/site.phtml?page=knkl_dom St. Stephen's Cathedral] *{{in lang|de}} [http://www.eberhard-geier.de/padomorgel.htm Eisenbarth organ at St. Stephen's Cathedral] *{{in lang|fr|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20110604163707/http://infopuq.uquebec.ca/~uss1010/orgues/allemagne/passau.html Cathédrale Saint-Étienne / St. Stephen's Cathedral / St. Stephanus Dom]
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Passau Cathedral Passau Cathedral