St George's Cathedral, Southwark

The St. George's Cathedral (St. George 's Cathedral) is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark in the London Borough of Southwark and the parish church of a multi-ethnic community on the south side of the Thames. It was built in 1841-1848, designed by Augustus Pugin in the Gothic Revival style. Until the opening of Westminster Cathedral 1903, she was the center of Catholic life in London. In the air raids of the German Wehrmacht in 1941, it was heavily damaged and restored from 1953 to 1958 with some changes.

History and Architecture

St. George 's Chapel

Since the 16th century in the United Kingdom, the Catholic worship was forbidden. Also, the Kingdom of Ireland, whose population remained Catholic majority was affected by the repression. Only at the end of the 18th century, the Catholic Emancipation, in the wake driven by the Act of Union in 1800 and the immigration of Irish industrial workers began to England in the early 19th century, legally completed with the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829th 1790 built the Catholic community of London on the London Road in Southwark a modest chapel under the patronage of the patron saint of England St. George, which was too small soon. The emerging church, and in view of the imminent restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in England ( Universalis Ecclesiae 1850) began in the 1830s, plans for a prestigious new building.

Planning

Renowned architect Pugin learned at an early stage of the project and made it with great ambitions to his cause. He designed an elaborate basilica with chapter house, cloister and convent buildings. However, the plan exceeded the financial capabilities. From a new tender under four architects, this time with a cost ceiling of £ 20,000 for a church with 2,500 seats, a parsonage for four clergymen and a school for 300 boys and 200 girls, Pugin came out with a reduced design as the winner. New difficulties brought the acquisition of the land and the building permit with them, in which the city authorities ruled strict limitations. On April 26, 1841 without public ceremony the cornerstone was laid, and after several Bauunterbrechungen for lack of funds St. George was put into liturgical use on 4 July 1848.

The Cathedral

Pugin's Basilica was 73 m long and 23 m wide. The walls of the tower substructure were performed 2.44 m thick; the planned monumental tower was realized, however, only up to 19.50 m height. The choir just closed was relatively short. The three ships of the nave were approximately equal high and individually covered with gable roofs; thus there was no clerestory.

In the following decades developed various extensions and alterations. 1889 Pugin's rood screen was removed. It was not until 1894, the solemn consecration of the church was committed.

In the reconstruction after the war destroyed the building structure was included. However, the nave was higher and the side aisles running with flat pitch roofs, allowing space for clerestory window was created. From the original interior Pugin significant parts were rescued, including the Hochaltarretabel and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

The organ was built in 1958 by organ builder J. Compton, and revised and restored in 2000 by organ builder Ellis Scothon. The instrument has 72 registers on three manuals and pedal. The play and Registertrakturen are electro.

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