Welcome to the so-called “Heidenhof” (heathen courtyard)! Before constructions on the gothic part of the building came to a standstill in 1490, the plan was to locate the church’s main entrance where you are right now. The baptised, as well as those who had not yet been baptized were to enter Wetzlar Cathedral through the so-called “Heidenportal” (heathen portal). A baptismal font from 1200 was located by the entrance. Here, those who had not yet been baptised, could receive the sacrament of baptism before entering the church. To your left, you can see it a Romanesque bell tower from 1180, which derives its name "Heidenturm" (heathen tower) from the same origin as the portal and the courtyard.
The Romanesque baptismal font is still in use today. Its location is directly in front of the “Nikolauskapelle” (St. Nicholas Chapel).
In the “Heathen courtyard” you can find something unique for a church in Germany: The Romanesque bell tower still preserved in its origins from the 12th century. Usually, Gothic churches were built around the smaller Romanesque predecessor churches and demolished upon completion of the new church. Due to a lack of funding at the time of construction, one can still see the first floor of the unfinished north tower of the Gothic church. At the same time, the Romanesque heathen tower gives you a vivid impression of the predecessor church in all its splendour.
To your right, you can see the imposing 51-metre-high Gothic bell tower. Construction work on it was stopped before its final completion. As a result, the inner, unfinished part of the tower remains visible. Above the wooden floor, which can be seen at a height of 25 metres are 4 of a total of 8 cathedral bells. At the top of the Gothic bell tower, a “Türmerwohnung” (watchman’s flat) has been preserved, which was occupied until 1902 by a “Türmer” who kept watch over Wetzlar. The original spire was damaged by a lightning strike in 1561 and was given a baroque tower dome.
Several memorial plaques, also known as epitaphs, are placed on the walls of the “Heathen courtyard”. These memorial plaques were originally grave slabs that decorated the graves of the late Wetzlar citizens.
The “heathen portal” is still an imposing Romanesque entrance portal, decorated at the centre with a distinctive Attic column. In the centre above the “heathen portal”, there is said to have been a bull's skull, the symbol of St. Luke the Evangelist. The bull's skull is believed to have been lost during the Thirty Years’ War.
When you enter the Gothic Wetzlar Cathedral through the “heathen portal”, you put yourself in the place of the numerous visitors who entered the church over centuries until the middle of the 19th century via a floor one metre below. This way, the intention of the Gothic architects to create buildings that would reach up to the heavens.