Minister of the Holy Cross Schwäbisch-Gmünd

The Minster of the Holy Cross is the oldest Gothic hall church in South Germany. Built between 1315 and 1521 on the site of a previous Romanesque church, it is essentially a Parler construction (the Parlers were a prominent family of master builders in the 14th century.)

Worthy of note in the radial chapels round the choir: the Holy Sepulchre (c. 1350) and the Sebaldus Altar in the baptistry (1510). The architectural stonework is, both in quantity and quality, among the most magnificent to be found in Gothic parish churches. Particularly outstanding are the two choir portals, dating from 1351 onwards, with their wealth of stone carvings.