St. Jacob's church is easy to recognise from a distance as it has four spherical globes on the tower's helm edge. The three-naved Gothic brick hall church (built in 1334) has been the church of seafarers since the Middle Ages. It was consecrated together with St. Mary's and St. Peter's. Since the church did not suffer any damage during the 2nd World War, the boxed pew and historic organ are still intact. The small 'Stellwagen organ' is one of the best preserved examples of North German organs from the 16th century.
A lifeboat commemorates the sinking of the four-masted barque 'Pamir' in 1957. It is located in the north tower chapel and represents the 'National Memorial for Civilian Shipping' today.
St. Jacob's is a memorial site for international seafarers and placed in its vault beneath the Pamir chapel, which serves as a Columbarium (a place of memory), are the urns of those whose lives were intertwined with the sea. An ensemble of three-storey brick eaves houses built in 1601 stands in front of St. Jacob's. These served as residences for the pastors and preachers of St. Jacob's Church.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.