The famous Erfurt Cathedral Square is characterised by the visually extraordinary interplay of Erfurt Cathedral and the Severi Church. The square is also home to the Minerva Fountain from 1784 and the Erthal Obelisk from 1777, which was erected in honour of the Elector of Mainz. A total of 70 steps lead up the hill to Domplatz and have only existed in their present form since the middle of the 19th century. The quarter originally belonging to the Severiikirchge was destroyed by French artillery fire in 1813 and never rebuilt afterwards. As a result, the Domplatz is now much larger. The Petersberg citadel rises northwest of the cathedral square.
