Bern had expanded and become a major…

Bern had expanded and become a major city-state north of the Alps by the fifteenth Century.

To celebrate the city’s growing power and wealth, plans have been made to build a new and larger church.

On March 11, 1421 construction begins on the cathedral under the direction of the Strasbourg master builder Matthäus Ensinger, who has already built three other cathedrals.

During construction, services will be held in the old chapel while the new cathedral is built up around it.

The first church on the site of the present Bern Minster probably was a small chapel built during the founding of Bern (1191).

The first church of Bern was a romanesque building which was probably built between 1155-1160, but is first mentioned in 1224.

This church is outside the city walls, near what is now Kreuzgasse.

The nave of this first church was about 16.5 meters (fifty-four feet) long by six meters (twenty feet) wide.

Bern had broken away from the parish of Köniz in 1276 to become an independent parish.

For this new role, a larger church would have been necessary.

It appears likely that construction on the second church began immediately.

However, it isn't mentioned until 1289 in writings of Bishop Benvenutus von Eugubio.

This new church was a three nave building, with a length of 29.5 meters (ninety-seven feet), a width of 24.5 m (eighty feet) of which the middle nave was 11.1 m (thirty-six feet) wide.

The bell tower was located in the middle of the northern side nave, and filled part of the central nave.

An earthquake on October 18, 1356, caused extensive damage to the church walls, arches and tower.

Repairs proceeded slowly.

The choir was rebuilt in 1359 and the roof was rebuilt in 1378-80.

During the early stages of construction of the Minster, this church is still being used.

The nave will finally be demolished between 1449–51 and the tower will remain until 1493.