St. Catherine's Church, Hamburg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St. Catherine's Church, Hamburg (spire of St. Nikolai in the background)
Enlarge
St. Catherine's Church, Hamburg (spire of St. Nikolai in the background)

St. Katharinen (St Catherine's Church) is one of the five principal historic churches (Hauptkirchen) of Hamburg, Germany. The base of its spire, dating from the 13th century, is the oldest building preserved in the city. It is situated on an island near what was formerly the southern boundary of the medieval city, opposite the historic harbour area on the Elbe river. It traditionally served as the church of the seamen.

[edit] History

The earliest attestation to the existence of the church dates back to 1256. The main body, consisting of a triple nave, was rebuilt during the mid-15th century in the north German Brick Gothic style. In 1657 a Baroque rooftop was added to the spire, which thus reached a height of 115 meters. The church was heavily damaged in an air-raid during World War II, on 30th July 1943. It left only the outer walls and the base of the spire standing. The building was restored between 1950 and 1957.

[St. Catherine's Church:[1],[2],[3]

In other languages