St. Patrokli provost church

The provost church of St. Patrokli, also known as the "cathedral" in Soest, together with St. Peter's Church, characterizes the historic center of the town. Archbishop Bruno of Cologne had the relics of St. Patroclus of Troyes transferred to Soest in 954 and laid the foundation stone for a collegiate foundation in his will in 965. The church, the cloister, the remter and the collegiate curia remain from the original foundation of the monastery. The three-aisled pillar basilica (11th/12th century) was elevated to provost church status in 1859; its construction sequence is documented by excavations (1970s). The main consecration took place on July 5, 1166 by Archbishop Rainald von Dassel.

The monumental westwork with its 77-metre-high "Tower of Westfalen" is considered a European monument, completed in the 12th and 13th centuries. This tower served as a municipal armory in the Middle Ages. The interior of the church is characterized by simple austerity. The relic of St. Patroclus forms the centerpiece of the furnishings. The original shrine (1313) was sold in 1848; the current reliquary (1871), a donation from Soest families, is present.

The Cathedral Museum houses the Wurzel-Jesse window and original medieval stained glass in the west nave. The apse painting from 1200 in St. Mary's choir complements the decor. During the Christmas season, the "Westfalen Nativity" is presented, which depicts the Christmas events in a Westphalian farmhouse landscape. St. Patrokli is considered to be the most extensive Romanesque complex of its kind in Westfalen.