Strasbourg Cathedral - Quiz
Strasbourg Cathedral
  • 1. In what century did Strasbourg become a Free Imperial City?
A) 14th century
B) 17th century
C) 16th century
D) 15th century
  • 2. Which Protestant figure was associated with Strasbourg?
A) Francis of Assisi
B) Thomas Aquinas
C) John Calvin
D) Ignatius of Loyola
  • 3. In what year was the cathedral assigned to the Protestant faith?
A) 1524
B) 1681
C) 1789
D) 1801
  • 4. Who annexed Strasbourg in 1681?
A) Napoleon Bonaparte
B) Francis I
C) Charles V
D) Louis XIV
  • 5. When was the choir screen of the cathedral broken out?
A) 1744
B) 1879
C) 1524
D) 1682
  • 6. Where can remains of the choir screen be seen today?
A) The British Museum
B) The Louvre
C) Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame
D) The Vatican Museums
  • 7. Who added a Baroque sacristy to the cathedral in 1744?
A) Gustave Klotz
B) Robert de Cotte
C) Joseph Massol
D) Jean-Laurent Goetz
  • 8. Between 1772 and 1778, what was added to the cathedral to reorganize merchants' shops?
A) A gallery
B) A new steeple
C) A library
D) A garden
  • 9. Which group vandalized the cathedral during the French Revolution?
A) The Royalists
B) The Jacobins
C) The Enragés
D) The Huguenots
  • 10. How were the sculptures over the central tympanum saved from the revolutionaries?
A) Painted over
B) Moved to Paris
C) Hidden in the crypt
D) Covered with wooden planks
  • 11. Why did the Enragés plan to tear down the cathedral spire in 1794?
A) It was structurally unsafe
B) It blocked the view of the palace
C) It was too expensive to maintain
D) It hurt the principle of equality
  • 12. What object did citizens place on the spire to save it from demolition?
A) A wooden crucifix
B) A large French flag
C) A tin Phrygian cap
D) A statue of Liberty
  • 13. In November 1793, what was the cathedral proclaimed to be?
A) A Temple of Reason
B) A civic warehouse
C) A revolutionary barracks
D) A Museum of Arts
  • 14. Who officially owns the cathedral today?
A) The City of Strasbourg
B) The French state
C) The Catholic Church
D) The European Union
  • 15. Who is responsible for administering the cathedral today?
A) The French Ministry of Culture
B) The Mayor of Strasbourg
C) The President of France
D) The Bishop of Strasbourg
  • 16. Which architect carried out major restorations between 1837 and 1888?
A) Robert de Cotte
B) Joseph Massol
C) Jean-Laurent Goetz
D) Gustave Klotz
  • 17. What happened to the cross at the top of the spire during the Franco-Prussian War?
A) It was replaced
B) It was stolen
C) It was destroyed
D) It was bent
  • 18. To which empire was Alsace ceded after the Franco-Prussian War?
A) Russian Empire
B) Austrian Empire
C) British Empire
D) German Empire
  • 19. What style was used to reconstruct the dome over the transept after the war?
A) Romanesque Revival
B) Neoclassical
C) Modernist
D) Baroque
  • 20. When was the cathedral returned to church control after the French Revolution?
A) 1801
B) 1789
C) 1794
D) 1811
  • 21. On what date was the first stone of the west front placed?
A) 25 May 1377
B) 12 May 1277
C) 25 May 1277
D) 25 June 1277
  • 22. What is the intended height of the two planned spires?
A) 110 meters
B) 122 meters
C) 100 meters
D) 142 meters
  • 23. Who served as chief architect from at least 1332 until 1341?
A) Ulrich Ensingen
B) Erwin von Steinbach
C) Johannes von Steinbach
D) Claus von Lohre
  • 24. Who completed the installation of the rose window and the statues of the apostles?
A) Michael von Freiburg
B) Jakob von Landshut
C) Johannes Gerlach von Steinbach
D) Johannes Hültz
  • 25. Which architect succeeded Michael von Freiburg?
A) Conrad/Kuntze
B) Claus von Lohre
C) Johannes Hültz
D) Ulrich Ensingen
  • 26. Who was responsible for the shaft of the octagonal north tower?
A) Johannes Hültz
B) Michael von Gmünd
C) Ulrich Ensingen
D) Claus von Lohre
  • 27. Who completed the top of the north tower?
A) Michael Parler
B) Jakob von Landshut
C) Johannes Hültz
D) Ulrich Ensingen
  • 28. When was the north tower completed?
A) 1419
B) 1439
C) 1399
D) 1505
  • 29. Between which years was the north tower the world's tallest building?
A) 1439 to 1647
B) 1647 to 1784
C) 1647 to 1874
D) 1500 to 1800
  • 30. What is the maximum visibility distance from the cathedral's observation level?
A) 100 kilometers
B) 30 kilometers
C) 50 kilometers
D) 15 kilometers
  • 31. Which portal was rebuilt in a post-Gothic, early-Renaissance style in 1505?
A) The north transept portal
B) The south transept portal
C) The main west portal
D) Saint-Lawrence portal
  • 32. According to Professor Robert O. Bork, the facade design can be constructed using what?
A) Rotated octagons
B) Parallel squares
C) Intersecting circles
D) Golden ratio triangles
  • 33. Which family of architects did Michael von Freiburg belong to?
A) Lohre
B) Parler
C) Ensingen
D) Steinbach
  • 34. What architectural feature allowed the interior to have more light?
A) Large windows in the inner wall
B) Removal of the rose window
C) Lack of buttresses
D) Glass ceiling
  • 35. In what year was the first stone of the Romanesque cathedral laid by Bishop Werner?
A) 1015
B) 1181
C) 1002
D) 1136
  • 36. In which years did the Romanesque cathedral suffer from fires?
A) 1250, 1255, and 1274
B) 1002, 1015, and 1181
C) 1136, 1140, 1150, and 1176
D) 1200, 1228, and 1240
  • 37. What architectural feature in the transepts replaced the Romanesque vaults to allow for more space and lighter walls?
A) Massive Romanesque arches
B) Pointed Gothic rib vaults
C) Flat ceiling beams
D) Wooden barrel vaults
  • 38. Between which years did the reconstruction of the nave take place?
A) 1181 and 1190
B) 1240 and 1274
C) 1200 and 1228
D) 1250 and 1255
  • 39. What was the final height of the nave vaults following the shift to the Rayonnant style?
A) 27 metres
B) 10 metres
C) 55 metres
D) 32 metres
  • 40. In which country is Strasbourg Cathedral located?
A) Germany
B) Switzerland
C) Belgium
D) France
  • 41. Which material gives the cathedral its distinctive reddish-brown colour?
A) Sandstone from the Vosges mountains
B) Red granite
C) Limestone from local quarries
D) Terracotta bricks
  • 42. Who described the cathedral as a "gigantic and delicate marvel"?
A) Erwin von Steinbach
B) Victor Hugo
C) Goethe
D) Saint Arbogast
  • 43. How many years was Strasbourg Cathedral the world's tallest building?
A) 50 years
B) 227 years
C) 100 years
D) 300 years
  • 44. In what year was the cathedral inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List?
A) 2000
B) 1995
C) 1972
D) 1988
  • 45. What was the name of the Roman settlement that existed on the site?
A) Gaul
B) Argentoratum
C) Strasbourg
D) Alsace
  • 46. The cathedral was surpassed as the world's tallest building in 1874 by which structure?
A) St. Nikolai's Church, Hamburg
B) The Eiffel Tower
C) Notre-Dame de Paris
D) Cologne Cathedral
  • 47. What is the name of the historic centre of Strasbourg included in the UNESCO inscription?
A) Vosges Centre
B) Place de la Cathédrale
C) Grande Île
D) Petite France
  • 48. In what year did Johann Knauth discover cracks on the first pillar of the nave?
A) 1915
B) 1926
C) 1903
D) 1905
  • 49. When was the project to replace the cathedral's foundation with concrete completed?
A) 1915
B) 1905
C) 1926
D) 1944
  • 50. Which political figure intended to transform the cathedral into a 'national sanctuary of the German people'?
A) Johann Knauth
B) Adolf Hitler
C) General Leclerc
D) John Paul II
  • 51. Where was the cathedral's stained glass stored during World War II?
A) A salt mine near Heilbronn
B) A basement in Paris
C) The Strasbourg city library
D) The Palais Rohan
  • 52. Who made the 'Oath of Kufra' regarding the cathedral?
A) Max Ingrand
B) Johann Knauth
C) Adolf Hitler
D) General Leclerc
  • 53. When did air raids cause damage to the cathedral and the Palais Rohan?
A) October 1988
B) 28 June 1940
C) 11 August 1944
D) 1 March 1941
  • 54. When were repairs to the World War II damage finally completed?
A) 2006
B) 1945
C) 1956
D) Early 1990s
  • 55. What is the unique visual characteristic of the stone used for the facade?
A) Grey granite
B) Yellow sandstone
C) Darkish red
D) Pure white marble
  • 56. How many portals does the cathedral have?
A) Two
B) Four
C) Six
D) Three
  • 57. What is the theme of the central portal?
A) Infancy of Christ
B) Redemption
C) The Last Judgement
D) Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence
  • 58. What is the theme of the right portal?
A) The Last Judgement
B) Redemption
C) Infancy of Christ
D) The Passion of Christ
  • 59. To which cathedral's sculpture style is the Strasbourg sculpture compared?
A) Chartres Cathedral
B) Notre-Dame de Paris
C) Cologne Cathedral
D) Reims Cathedral
  • 60. Who created the replacement tympanum for the Portal of Saint Lawrence?
A) Jacob von Landshut
B) Conrad Sifer
C) Hans von Aachen
D) Jean Vallastre
  • 61. What do the figures representing the virtues carry in the infancy portal?
A) Shields
B) Swords
C) Crosses
D) Spears
  • 62. What does the central tympanum depict regarding Christ?
A) The Ascension
B) The Transfiguration
C) The entry into Jerusalem
D) The Baptism
  • 63. How are the Virgins described in the Last Judgement portal?
A) Angry
B) Frivolous
C) Serene
D) Severe
  • 64. When does the Portal of the Virgin date to?
A) 1399
B) 1493
C) 1220s
D) 1439
  • 65. What is depicted in the tympanum of the south portal?
A) The Crucifixion
B) The Virgin Mary dying
C) The Nativity
D) The Last Judgment
  • 66. What happened to the original statue-columns of the Apostles in 1793?
A) They were stolen
B) They were moved to the museum
C) They were painted
D) They were smashed
  • 67. What does the octagon tower contain to support it?
A) Four more slender towers
B) External flying buttresses
C) Heavy stone columns
D) Reinforced steel beams
  • 68. What replaced the statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of the lantern in 1488?
A) A gold cross
B) A fleuron
C) A bell
D) A sundial
  • 69. How many stages make up the structure of the spire?
A) Eight
B) Four
C) Twelve
D) Six
  • 70. What is the spire's cross surrounded by?
A) Four smaller crosses
B) Four angels
C) Images of the saints
D) Eight fleurons
  • 71. When did the construction of the original crossing dome begin?
A) About 1530
B) About 1230
C) About 1430
D) About 1330
  • 72. What caused the damage to the original crossing dome?
A) A lightning strike
B) An earthquake
C) A fire
D) Prussian shelling
  • 73. Where is the chevet located in the cathedral?
A) Southwest end
B) Directly above the entrance
C) Northeast end
D) In the center of the nave
  • 74. What feature is found in the triangular gable of the chevet?
A) A clock face
B) A small circular oculus window
C) A statue of a saint
D) A large rose window
  • 75. Which part of the cathedral is described as the least decorated?
A) The bell tower
B) The crossing dome
C) The main facade
D) The chevet
  • 76. What is the location of the narthex in Strasbourg Cathedral?
A) At the very top of the highest tower
B) Between the nave and the choir
C) Inside the west front, beneath the tower
D) In the underground crypt
  • 77. How many smaller columns are bundled into each pillar in the nave?
A) Twelve
B) Eight
C) Sixteen
D) Twenty
  • 78. What do the Emperors hold in their left hand in the stained glass windows?
A) A cross
B) A sword
C) A book
D) An orb
  • 79. How many saints are depicted in the upper windows of the nave?
A) Twelve
B) Nine
C) Eighty-four
D) Fifty
  • 80. In what year was the pulpit of Strasbourg Cathedral sculpted?
A) 1453
B) 1716
C) 1485
D) 1327
  • 81. Who designed the pulpit of Strasbourg Cathedral?
A) Nicolas Roder
B) André Silbermann
C) Hans Hammer
D) Jost Dotzinger
  • 82. What is the name of the sculpted design of the pulpit's stairway?
A) dragon scales
B) lion paws
C) butterfly wings
D) angel feathers
  • 83. What animal is depicted in a small sculpture along the pulpit's railing?
A) a lion
B) a dragon
C) Geiler's dog
D) a cat
  • 84. In what year was the grand organ first recorded as existing?
A) 1489
B) 1260
C) 1716
D) 1327
  • 85. Who rebuilt the grand organ in 1716?
A) André Silbermann
B) Nicolas Roder
C) Joseph Merklin
D) Jost Dotzinger
  • 86. How many pipes did the Silbermann organ have originally?
A) Three thousand
B) Two thousand, two hundred forty-two
C) One thousand, five hundred
D) Two thousand
  • 87. Who painted the 19th-century Last Judgement vault painting?
A) Martin Schongauer
B) Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
C) Albrecht Dürer
D) Charles Auguste Steinheil
  • 88. Who created the two baptismal fonts in the north transept?
A) Jost Dotzinger
B) Hans Hammer
C) André Silbermann
D) Nicolas Roder
  • 89. What is the subject of the central artwork in the North Transept?
A) The Tree of Jesse
B) The Last Judgement
C) The Adoration of the Magi
D) Christ on the cross
  • 90. Which artist made the Mount of Olives sculpture?
A) Hans Hammer
B) Jost Dotzinger
C) Charles Auguste Steinheil
D) Nicolas Roder
  • 91. What style is the vault painting of the Last Judgement?
A) Romanesque
B) Gothic Flamboyant
C) Baroque
D) Neo-Byzantine
  • 92. When were the lancet and oculus windows in the south transept built?
A) 1547–1571
B) 1220–1227
C) 1352–1354
D) 1837–1842
  • 93. What is depicted in the 15th-century wood painting located under the balustrade?
A) The Crucifixion
B) The Last Judgement
C) The Nativity
D) The Resurrection
  • 94. What are the supports in the form of human figures called?
A) Gargoyles
B) Atlantes
C) Buttresses
D) Caryatids
  • 95. When were the rose windows of the west transept facade made?
A) 1230–1235
B) 1352–1354
C) 1571–1580
D) 1220–1227
  • 96. What was the name of the first astronomical clock in the cathedral?
A) The Schwilgué Clock
B) The Celestial Clock
C) The Dasypodius Clock
D) Dreikönigsuhr
  • 97. Who built the present astronomical clock between 1837 and 1842?
A) Conrad Dasypodius
B) Tobias Stimmer
C) Christian Herlin
D) Jean-Baptiste Schwilgué
  • 98. What is the total height of the current astronomical clock?
A) 30 m
B) 12 m
C) 18 m
D) 25 m
  • 99. How many stars identified by Ptolemy are shown on the celestial globe?
A) 500
B) 1,500
C) 1,022
D) 2,000
  • 100. Which day of the week are the clock automata NOT operated?
A) Saturdays
B) Sundays
C) Fridays
D) Mondays
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