ARCHITECT, Swiss
(active around 1430 in Basel)

Exterior view

1430
Photo
Minster, Basel

The Basel Minster, originally a Catholic cathedral and today a Reformed Protestant church, was built between 1019 and 1500 in Romanesque and Gothic styles. The late Romanesque building was destroyed by the 1356 Basel earthquake. It was rebuilt and extended by Ulrich von Ensingen, architect of the cathedral towers at Ulm and Strasbourg. The southern tower was completed in 1500 by Hans von Nußdorf.

The upper stories of the church are of importance for the spread of German spires in western Europe, they served as a model for Spanish cathedrals. The northern tower (St George's Tower) was completed in 1430. The extension of the tower began in 1421 above a watchtower with square windows which rises up between two tracery parapets.

The photo shows the upper part of the St George's Tower.