St. Michaelis Church, Hamburg

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St. Michaelis, called Michel, is one of Hamburg's five main Protestant churches (Hauptkirchen) and the most famous church in the city.

Building
St. Michaelis Church
Michel
St. Michaelis view from the port of Hamburg
Type	Church
Architectural Style	Baroque
Location	Quarter Neustadt, Hamburg, Germany
Construction
Completed	Several versions
Height	132 m
Design Team

St. Michaelis is a landmark of the city. It is dedicated to the archangel Michael. A large bronze statue, standing above the portal of the church shows the archangel conquering the devil.

The 132 m high baroque spire totally covered with copper is a prominent feature of Hamburg’s skyline and has always been a landfall mark for ships sailing up the river Elbe.

[edit] History

The present church building is the third one at this site. The first one was built from 1647 to 1669. It became the church of the new town (Neustadt), which had been created since 1625 inside the new city walls and which grew steadily. In 1687 the Michel became the fifth main church (Hauptkirche) and the new town (Neustadt) became a parish. That church was destroyed on March 10, 1750 by a lightning strike.

St. Michael's Victory over the Devil, sculpture above the main entrance.

Michel

In 1786 a new construction following the design of Johann Leonhard Prey and Ernst Georg Sonnin was completed. This is the church as we know it today. It was reconstructed twice in the 20th century:

after catching fire in 1906 during construction work and
after the bombings of 1944 and 1945

Since 1983, renovation is ongoing – first the spire and then the roof.

Offering 2,500 seats, the Michel is the largest church in Hamburg. The spire, which offers an excellent view over the city and the harbour can be climbed, but there also is a lift.