Churches, Hamburg

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Like Coventry Cathedral in England, the ruins of St. Nikolai have been preserved as a reminder of the horrors of war. The church was once the tallest building in the world, but the firebombings of Operation Gomorrah in 1943 gutted the once proud church and left it a burned out shell. In the grounds of the church are memorials to the tens of thousands who died. But there's also a lighter side. The spire of the church remains, and a glass elevator has been built inside. You can ride it to the top for outstanding views of the city.

St. Peter's is one of the most prominent churches in Hamburg. It was once the tallest building in the city, topping out even the city's cathedral, but rot and fires over the years have caused it to be torn down and rebuilt several times. The last set back was the great fire of 1842, but that was the last rebuilding. It survived the firebombings of World War 2.

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This Roman Catholic cathedral is located in Sankt Georg, Hamburg and became the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Hamburg in 1994. It was built between 1890 and 1893 to designs by Arnold Güldenpfennig. It was erected in Romanesque revival style and was the first new Roman Catholic church built in Hamburg since the Reformation.

Inside there are some impressive stained glass windows which includes some modern pieces and a selection of rose windows.

Outside in front of the church is a status to Sankt Angsar.

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Right in the heart of downtown just steps away from S Bahn Stadthausbrücke, one can find English language church service at the International Baptist Church of Hamburg. Housed inside the" Freie evangelische Gemeinde Holstenwall" building on Michaelispassage, what makes this church so unique is that it's home to people from over 50 different countries, and to enter it feels as if you've just stepped into a utopic version of The United Nations! Although it is a Baptist church, their attendees are from a range of Christian backgrounds and communities. Sermons are easy to understand, in a casual, relaxed atmosphere, featuring modern music and German audio translation via headphone if needed. After the service there is usually a pasta or Asian specialty buffet set up downstairs offering coffee, tea, soft drinks, and a place to sit and chat with English speakers hailing from locales ranging from Australia to California to Korea to Switzerland. People are very friendly and easy to engage in conversation, and for families with small children they offer a Kindergarden Bible School with full sized, supervised romper rooms to keep the children happily at play during service. Great for travelers as jeans are perfectly acceptable attire there, and the atmosphere is warm, inviting, and life affirming.

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Petrikirche in Mönckebergstraße is ‘the’ city church. It is adjacent to the main shopping mall. The parish community cannot be too big, although people are still living in the city centre. The church sees their task also in caring for passers-by. There is always someone at hand, a parson or volunteer, any visitor who wants to can have a talk with about their problems, questions of faith or whatever. They are also taking care of homeless people. Heavily affected by the war, the church has been rebuilt in its pre-war shape.

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The church of St Nikolai was built in the mid 19th century. As one of the earliest neogothic churches in Germany, designed by an English architect whose plan even beat the one by Gottfried Semper in the competition, it is of interest to the art historian. Unfortunately it was destroyed during the war and not rebuilt. Only the steeple is preserved as an admonishing memorial of the war and its victims.

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The church closest to harbour and Speicherstadt has the prettiest steeple of them all. The interior is a rather plain gothic. The high baroque copper-plated spire was added in the 18th century.

From Speicherstadt you have the best view of the church, including its reflection in the waters of the canal.

The church is open in the daytime.

St. Petri is the oldest parish church in Hamburg. in 1195 was a "ecclesia forensis" - a market Church first mentioned. There is nothing left of this oldest church. There is a bronce handle of the door at the left wing. The door gives evidence of the foundation of the tower in 1342.

The old church was completely destroyed in a big fire in 1842. ONly the foundation have been left. In 1849 the new church was completed in neo-gothic style. The architects were Alexis de Chateauneuf and Hermann Fersenfeld. The present tower of 132m was consecrated in 1878. St. Petri is a protestant church.

Number of steps to the top of the tower:
- to the museum by stone spiral staircase: 111
- to the big bell: 177
- to first level with porthole windows: 330
- to the highest point of view in the spire: 544

Opening hours:
The church itself is open every day.
The tower can be accessed from Mnday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: after the 10 a.m. servcie until 4 p.m.

I think, that St. Petri is not an important sightseeing spot. It does not show important architecture or famous art. But it is a place of quietness and peace in the middle of the bustling city. So, if you are tired and worn out after all the sightseeing or shopping than this is the place to go!