Zeitz Cathedral St. Peter and Paul

The origins of the cathedral lie in a royal palatinate established by the Ottonians in Zeitz in the early 10th century, which included an initial church. In 968, with the founding of the Diocese of Zeitz by Emperor Otto I and Empress Adelheid, construction of the first cathedral church began. After 1028, a new building was commenced, completed around 1100, and significant parts of this structure remain to this day. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Romanesque basilica underwent extensive modifications, transforming it into a Gothic hall church. With the Reformation, the church adopted Lutheranism. When Zeitz became the residential city of Saxony-Zeitz in 1656, Duke Moritz had the cathedral converted into the castle chapel of Moritzburg and the crypt prepared as a burial site for his family. In the 19th century, the cathedral lost its former significance and was temporarily used for secular purposes, including as a military hospital and horse stable. After World War II, on January 1, 1946, it was leased to the growing Catholic community as a parish church. A severe collapse in 1982 significantly damaged the Gothic vault. Only after German reunification could comprehensive renovation take place, completed for the State Garden Show in 2004, returning the cathedral to use as a Catholic parish church. Since 1666, the hall crypt has housed the princely tomb of the Wettin secundogeniture of Saxony-Zeitz, an important testament to Baroque burial culture with 13 coffins.

The Zeitz Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is located in the city of Zeitz, within the Burgenlandkreis, a region in southern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

Today, the Zeitz Cathedral serves as the Catholic parish church of the city and is an important stop on the Romanesque Road. The extensively renovated complex is an active place of faith and culture.

• Moritzburg Castle (Castle, approx. 65 m away)
• Albrecht's Palais (Residence, approx. 235 m away)
• Seckendorff's Palais (Residence, approx. 276 m away)
• Posa Monastery (Zeitz) (Sacred building, approx. 1961 m away)