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Tomb of Henry II and Kunigunde, Jura marble. https://www.flickr.com/photos/hen-magonza/4186700933
Top of Tomb of Henry II and Kunigunde
Bernhard Schüz, Great Cathedrals (New York: Henry N. Abrams, Inc., 2002), 177.
The tomb of Henry II and Kunigunde was sculpted by Tilman Riemenschneider over a period of 14 years (1499-1513), which is not surprising given its size and detail. Tilman was the premier German sculptor of his time and truly a master of his materials, so it makes sense that he was given the task of sculpting the tomb of the cathedral's most important figures. Only the best German sculptor for Germany's most iconic Medieval duo!
At the couple's feet, there are two lions with the coats of arms from Luxembourg (Kunigunde's home country) and Bavaria. The reliefs on the sides of the tomb show scenes and miracles from their lives. For example, there is a scene where Kunigunde personally pays the cathedral builders, but a greedy builder took more than he deserved and the coin burned his hand. In another scene, Henry is healed from his recurring kidney stone problem. (Yet more miracles and stories surrounding the couple).
The decoration on the top slab of the tomb reflects the growing prominence of the Gothic style, with thin and delicate bar tracery above the couple. The sharp angles of their drapes give the figures a sense of energy, correlating with the energy they had for founding the Cathedral.
The tomb of Pope Clement II houses the only Pope to be buried north of the Alps. The Pope loved Bamberg and called it his "sweetest bride", so he wanted his physical remains to belong in the city. The reliefs on the tomb date back to the mid 13th century and were also carved by the younger workshop from Reims.
The reliefs depict female personifications of the 4 cardinal virtues of justice, temperance, fortitude, and prudence, as well as a nude male river god. The four cardinal virtues are very important in theology, and served as basic guidelines to live by, an appropriate decoration to be found on a pope's tomb. On one short end is a relief of Clement on his deathbed with the archangel Michael and on the other end is John the Baptist.
Bailey McCulloch // Bibliography
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