Essen Cathedral, which was elevated to cathedral status by the Ruhr diocese of Essen in 1958, has a rich history spanning 1150 years. In 850, a convent was founded here that became one of the most outstanding religious institutions for women in Germany in the early and high Middle Ages. Work on the first collegiate church was completed in 870. After secularisation, the church became the parish church of the cathedral parish in 1803. The cathedral was badly damaged during World War II. After being reconstructed, it was named cathedral of the new diocese on the founding of the diocese of Essen in 1958.

The Essen cathedral treasury is the most important legacy of the Essen convent. Two of its most important works of art are preserved to this day in the cathedral. These are the Golden Madonna, dated at around 980 BC, which is the oldest sculpted Madonna in the world, and the seven-branched candlestick. This is the oldest surviving seven-branched candlestick in Christianity and was created around the year 1000 in bronze hollow casting.