Which German cathedral houses the world’s largest cathedral organ?

Passau Cathedral houses the world’s largest cathedral organ. The instrument occupies several galleries inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Passau, Bavaria, and combines five separate organs that can be played from a single console.

The organ’s development began in the 18th century, but its modern form was created through major expansions and rebuilding, especially during the 20th century. The combined instrument is celebrated for its enormous scale, with more than 17,000 pipes and over 200 registers, allowing it to produce an exceptionally broad range of sounds.

Visitors sometimes confuse the cathedral organ with the world’s largest pipe organ of any kind. That broader distinction has changed over time and depends on how instruments are measured, while Passau’s organ is specifically famous as the largest cathedral organ. St. Stephen’s Cathedral itself is also notable for its late Baroque interior and ceiling frescoes, completed after the building was rebuilt following an 1662 fire.