Which church is the best example of a German Romanesque church with apses at both the east and west ends?

Which church is the best example of a German Romanesque church with apses at both the east and west ends?

• A. Worms Cathedral
• B. Speyer Cathedral
• C. Cologne Cathedral
• D. Constantinople Cathedral

Answer: (A)

In German Romanesque church design, a double-apse plan—an apse at the eastern end and another at the western end—is a distinctive feature that sets certain buildings apart from the usual single eastern apse. Worms Cathedral is a prime example of this approach: built in the 11th–12th centuries, it showcases a double-apse arrangement within its robust Romanesque form, with massive stone walls, rounded arches, and strong towers that typify the style. This juxtaposition of two apses highlights regional experimentation with basilica plans characteristic of the period in the Rhineland. Speyer Cathedral, while monumental and Romanesque, has a single eastern apse; Cologne Cathedral is Gothic, and Constantinople Cathedral is not German. So Worms Cathedral best fits the description of a German Romanesque church with apses at both ends.

In German Romanesque church design, a double-apse plan—an apse at the eastern end and another at the western end—is a distinctive feature that sets certain buildings apart from the usual single eastern apse. Worms Cathedral is a prime example of this approach: built in the 11th–12th centuries, it showcases a double-apse arrangement within its robust Romanesque form, with massive stone walls, rounded arches, and strong towers that typify the style. This juxtaposition of two apses highlights regional experimentation with basilica plans characteristic of the period in the Rhineland. Speyer Cathedral, while monumental and Romanesque, has a single eastern apse; Cologne Cathedral is Gothic, and Constantinople Cathedral is not German. So Worms Cathedral best fits the description of a German Romanesque church with apses at both ends.