Dom St. Bartholomäus (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)

Frankfurt Cathedral (German: Frankfurter Dom), officially Imperial Dome of Saint Bartholomew (German: Kaiserdom Sankt Bartholomäus), is a Roman Catholic Gothic church located in the heart of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew. It is the largest religious building in the city and a former collegiate church. Despite its common English name, it has never been an actual cathedral (episcopal see). Still, it is called the Kaiserdom (an "imperial great church" or imperial cathedral) or simply the Dom due to its importance as former election and coronation church of the Holy Roman Empire. As one of the significant buildings of the Empire's history, it was a symbol of national unity, especially in the 19th century. The present church is the third church on the same site. Since the late 19th century, excavations have revealed buildings that can be traced back to the seventh century. The cathedral's history is closely linked with the general history of Frankfurt and Frankfurt's old town because it was associated with the religious counterpart of the Royal Palace in Frankfurt.