St. Nicholas' Church (Stralsund)

"One of the most beautiful sacred buildings in northern Germany rises on the edge of the Old Market next to the town hall The church of St. Nikolai was first mentioned in the first Stralsund town book in 1276 and is therefore the oldest of the Stralsund parish churches Shortly after completion large parts of the hall church were demolished and The rebuilding of the church according to the French cathedral scheme began around 1270. From this time, the remains of a one-tower have been preserved in the twin tower, among others, on the granite base on the west side.
Due to its proximity to the administrative center, the town hall, St. Nikolai is considered the main church. Important council meetings were held in it, and envoys were also received here. However, she was given yet another function by which she is rightly regarded as the main church. Here the "bursprake" were read out, so the citizens were informed of important laws and ordinances.
In 1662, the Gothic spiers fell victim to a fire that emanated from St. James's Church. Five years later, the southern tower was given a baroque helmet, while the northern tower in 1687 could only be fitted with an emergency roof for financial reasons.

Despite the iconoclasm during the Reformation in 1525, the interior has largely been preserved. Restoration works characterize the following centuries. After destruction in the 2nd World War repair work took place in the years 1948 - 1954. The outer building was repaired in the years 1971 - 1981. Since 1980, the restoration works in the church interior. The largest object, the Buchholz organ, was restored to its original state from September 2003 to October 2006. "Source: hansestadt-stralsund.de

St. Nicholas Church

The Nikolai Church is the oldest sacred building in Stralsund. On the old market next to the town hall it was a council church from the beginning and in a way it still is today.
The result of many years of artistic restoration work on this church shows the original beauty of this church.

The monumental St. Nicholas Church on the Old Market is the oldest of Stralsund's three parish churches. The originally simple hall with tower was first mentioned in 1276 and is dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, Saint Nicholas. Due to Stralsund's rapid rise to become an important maritime trading city, St. Nicholas Church was converted into a basilica with an imposing double tower in the 14th century. A fire destroyed the two Gothic spires in 1662. The south tower was then given the baroque dome in 1667, bringing the church to a height of 102 meters, and the north tower was given the so-called "emergency roof". Numerous art treasures from various centuries have been preserved inside. One of the oldest art treasures in St. Nicholas Church is the almost two-and-a-half-meter-high, stucco monumental sculpture "Anna Selbdritt", one of the most important large-scale sculptures in the Baltic region of that time. The astronomical clock is an outstanding technical monument in the church. In addition to the famous fragments of the so-called "Novgorod riders' pew" from the last quarter of the 14th century and the elaborately designed pulpit from 1611,
the walls and pillars also feature high-quality paintings that are rare in Gothic brick churches.Stralsund's St. Nicholas Church has been undergoing extensive restoration for years. It is already one of the most beautiful religious buildings in Northern Europe. ostsee.de/stralsund/altstadt-nikolai-kirche.html