St. Peter's Church

St. Peter’s church dates back to the 12th century. It was built as a three-nave Romanesque basilica on one of the highest elevations of the city, also a place that served as former execution grounds. The church was consecutively modified in the Gothic style due to frequent fires (1225, 1375, 1386, 1471, 1484). For a significant time, the church stood in the center of an affluent merchant district hence there was no scarcity of funds for construction. A large fire in 1728 left only the outside walls and the south tower standing. The church was then rebuilt in a Baroque style and the culmination of the efforts was the acquisition of a new Silbermann organ in 1735. Theodor Quentin substantially changed the interior of the church in 1895-96 who removed the empores and enlarged the site choirs deeper into the church nave, which became narrower.

The last pronounced changes were in 1974-83. Walls joined the side empores and the spacious areas behind them serve the needs of the parish. A glass wall separates the sanctuary. Friedrich Presse designed the sculptures adorning the bright white interior. However, the aesthetically interesting reconstruction lacks from the acoustic viewpoint. The church’s attractions include a 236-foot (72 m) high Peter’s tower with bells from 1487 and 1570 as well as the two story apartment of the fire watchman who resided there until the beginning of the 20th century.

References:

• sonusparadisi.cz

Address

Petriplatz 14, Freiberg, Germany

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)