St. Lorenz Church

Nuremberg, Germany

St. Lorenz (St. Lawrence) is a medieval church of the former free imperial city of Nuremberg. The nave of the church was completed by around . In 1439, work began on the choir in the form of a hall church in the late German sondergotik style of gothic architecture. The choir was largely completed by 1477 by Konrad Roriczer, although Jakob Grimm completed the intricate vaults.

In the choir one can find the carving of the Angelic Salutation by Veit Stoss, and the monumental tabernacle by Adam Kraft. The latter is notable for including a prominent figure of the sculptor himself.

The building and furnishing of the church was from the city council and wealthy citizens. This is probably the reason that the art treasures of St. Lawrence were spared during the iconoclasm during the Reformation period. Despite St. Lawrence being one of the first churches in Germany to be Lutheran (1525), the wealthy citizens of Nuremberg wanted to preserve the memory of their ancestors and refused the removal of the donated works of art.

The west facade is articulated richly reflecting the wealth of the Nuremberg citizens. The facade is dominated by the two towers, mirroring St. Sebald and indirectly Bamberg Cathedral with a sharp towering West portal doorway, and a well-indented rose window 9 metres in diameter.

The church was badly damaged during the Second World War and later restored. It is one of the most prominent churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Lorenzer Platz 1, Nuremberg, Germany
See all sites in Nuremberg

Details

Founded: 1400
Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
tourismus.nuernberg.de

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Church of Our Lady (0,3 km)
Nuremberg Castle (0,8 km)
St. Sebaldus Church (0,5 km)
Albrecht Dürer's House (0,8 km)
Hospital of the Holy Spirit (0,2 km)
Germanisches Nationalmuseum (0,4 km)
St. Elizabeth Church (0,7 km)
St. James Church (0,7 km)
Nazi Party Rally Grounds (4 km)


Bamberg Town Hall (50,9 km)
Bamberg Historic City Centre (50,9 km)
Bamberg Cathedral (50,9 km)
Geyerswörth Palace (50,8 km)
St. Martin's Church (51,1 km)
Michaelsberg Abbey (51,3 km)
Carmelite Monastery (50,7 km)
St. Stephan's Church (50,6 km)
Altenburg Castle (50,1 km)

User Reviews

samer nohra (18 months ago)
Behold the an amazing architectural masterpiece. Heavily damaged during the war and fully restored witness to the turbulent times.
Christophe B (19 months ago)
Worth the trip. The church is beautifull and I finally understood who Luther was and why he was so influential at his time.
Alexander Halim (19 months ago)
St. Lorenz is a medieval church of the former free imperial city of Nuremberg in southern Germany. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence. The church was badly damaged during the Second World War and later restored. It is one of the most prominent churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.
Manish Patiyal (19 months ago)
Old Historic build, with Gothic architecture, market had lots of options for shoping and snacks
TheASSedoTV (20 months ago)
One enigmatic structure that always makes me want to come back and enjoy looking at it again and again. Incredible...
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania
Photo from Flickr, copyright Dan Lundberg

Historic Site of the week

Hagios Demetrios

The Church of Saint Demetrius, or Hagios Demetrios, is the main sanctuary dedicated to Saint Demetrius, the patron saint of Thessaloniki. It is part of the site Palaeochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1988.

The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.

The church had an unusual shrine called the ciborium, a hexagonal, roofed structure at one side of the nave. It was made of or covered with silver. The structure had doors and inside was a couch or bed. Unusually, it did not hold any physical relics of the saint. The ciborium seems to have been a symbolic tomb. It was rebuilt at least once.

The basilica is famous for six extant mosaic panels, dated to the period between the latest reconstruction and the inauguration of the Byzantine Iconoclasm in 730. These mosaics depict St. Demetrius with officials responsible for the restoration of the church (called the founders, ktetors) and with children. An inscription below one of the images glorifies heaven for saving the people of Thessalonica from a pagan Slavic raid in 615.

Thessaloniki became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1430. About 60 years later, during the reign of Bayezid II, the church was converted into a mosque, known as the Kasımiye Camii after the local Ottoman mayor, Cezeri Kasım Pasha. The symbolic tomb however was kept open for Christian veneration. Other magnificent mosaics, recorded as covering the church interior, were lost either during the four centuries when it functioned as a mosque (1493–1912) or in the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917 that destroyed much of the city. It also destroyed the roof and upper walls of the church. Black-and-white photographs and good watercolour versions give an idea of the early Byzantine craftsmanship lost during the fire.

Following the Great Fire of 1917, it took decades to restore the church. Tombstones from the city"s Jewish cemetery - destroyed by the Greek and Nazi German authorities - were used as building materials in these restoration efforts in the 1940s. Archeological excavations conducted in the 1930s and 1940s revealed interesting artifacts that may be seen in a museum situated inside the church"s crypt. The excavations also uncovered the ruins of a Roman bath, where St. Demetrius was said to have been held prisoner and executed. A Roman well was also discovered. Scholars believe this is where soldiers dropped the body of St. Demetrius after his execution. After restoration, the church was reconsecrated in 1949.

Map Top Sights Tags Historical Periods City Guides About Us Sign Up Upload new site
© 2020 SpottingHistory.com. All rights reserved.