St. George's Church belongs to the most significant historical monuments of North German brick Gothic architecture. It was constructed in a long period spanning the Late Middle Ages and the Reformation, undergoing several design changes before its final completion in 1594. The colossal nave and transept is testament to the last great parish church constructed in the Middle Ages in Northern Germany. After extensive damage by an air raid in April 1945, the church could no longer be used.
Until January 1990 the church remained a dangerously insecure ruin in the town, and a great storm that month lead to the collapse of its North gable. This event however provided the impetus to secure and then restore the church with help from the Deutschen Stiftung Denkmalschutz (German Foundation for Monument Protection).
The efforts of the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz alongside funding at municipal, federal state and national level as well as numerous private donors have made it possible to not only rebuild this Gothic monument but provide greater public access to it and enable it once again to be used by the Lutheran Church.
In total more than 40 million Euros have been invested in the reconstruction. Despite the building activity, St. Georgen has established itself as an attractive cultural venue, with well-received congresses, exhibitions, concerts, readings and church events having all taken place there.
References:The Cathedral of Saint Mary Major, often called Lisbon Cathedral or simply the Sé, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Lisbon, Portugal. The oldest church in the city, it is the seat of the Patriarchate of Lisbon. The cathedral has survived many earthquakes and has been modified, renovated and restored several times. It is nowadays a mix of different architectural styles.
The site where it stands was the principal mosque of Lisbon when it was an Arab settlement. The construction of the cathedral started around 1150, three years after the city was conquered from the Moors during the Second Crusade. Shortly after the victory the English knight Gilbert of Hastings was named bishop of the city of Lisbon.
One good reason to visit the Cathedral is to visit its charming cloisters located in the back. There are several tombs in the cathedral, the most notable of which is the beautifully sculpted tomb of Lopo Fernandes Pacheco and his wife.