Editing Mainz Cathedral (section)

===Henry IV's eastern chancel===

In 1081, fire once again struck the cathedral, and the appearance of the Salian western end is not known. In 1100, [[Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry IV]] ordered reconstruction in the old [[Lombards|Lombardic]] style. The old flat chancel end on the east side was replaced with a large [[apse]], which external gallery with a narrow [[arcade (architecture)|arcade]] supported by short columns crowned the semicircular wall with a wide pseudo arcade and tall [[pilasters]] on both sides. The new chancel had a triple-nave [[crypt]]. The damaged square tower had been replaced with an octagonal [[dome]], above which an octagonal tower was added later. Flanking stair turrets remained from the first cathedral. These changes closely resembled the renovations Henry had overseen on [[Speyer Cathedral]] a few years earlier.

Henry also undertook a few other minor changes, such as raising the transept on the east side and adding openings at the column level. These column-level portals were among the first ever such constructed.

Henry died in 1106, before his intended changes were complete. With his death, the funding for the renovation of the cathedral dried up and so the remaining construction was abandoned. Mainz Cathedral is considered one of the three ''Kaiserdome'' ("Emperor's Cathedrals") of the [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman (German) Empire]], along with [[Worms Cathedral]] and [[Speyer Cathedral]].