Sankt Nikolaikirche

The ruins of St. Nicholas Church is a memorial. It is meant to commemorate the destruction of Hamburg in World War II. There is an interesting, but also oppressive museum in the basement vaults of the church.

Since 2005, a panoramic lift has provided the barrier-free driveway to the viewing platform of the historic tower located 76 meters away. The elevator cab is glazed on three sides and offers exciting views already during the 40-second drive. Once at the top, there is an impressive view over Hamburg's city center, the town hall, the Alster, the harbor, the cruise terminal, the Speicherstadt, the Elbphilharmonie and the HafenCity. Historical photographs on the viewing platform show the turning point that marked the destruction of Hamburg in 1943 and how the city looked compared to today.
The panoramic lift at the memorial St. Nikolai is barrier-free and can be used by wheelchair users.
The tower of the memorial St. Nikolai was at its completion in 1874 with a height of 147.3 meters, the highest church tower in the world. He designed - just like the whole church - the British architect George Gilbert Scott, one of the internationally most successful master builders of historicism.
It was the tower of the former main church, which involuntarily initiated the downfall of Hamburg, and it was this that strangely survived the destruction. The tallest building in the city served as a target for English warplanes; As they flew their nightly attacks on Hamburg, they chose the tower of St. Nicholas as a landmark. Today, the tower - still the world's fifth tallest church tower - towers high in the sky as an "admonishing index finger" reminiscent of the horrors of the Second World War. At the same time he promotes forward-looking for tolerance and international understanding.
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