St. Nicholas Church

Burg auf Fehmarn, Germany

St. Nicholas Church (St. Nikolai Kirche) construction was started around 1230, making the building the second oldest church on the island. The size of the church was increased in 1470 and in 1508 the tower of the church was built.

There is a bronze font in the church which dates from 1391. It is not certain how it arrived at the church, but the casting carried an inscription which records that the font was given by Korp Benno the Bishop of Arosia. Another significant item of the 14th century is a polptych which has fourteen panels today but it is believed to have lost further panels. In addition there is another stone font that was rediscovered when nearby buildings were being built. It has since had a base added, and small restorations have also been made.

Amongst the church's artefacts on display is a large chest that was used for storing the parishioners contributions. After each service the collection bag would be emptied into the chest, but it would only be opened once a year. When it was opened then the funds would be distributed to those in need.

References:

Comments

Your name

Website (optional)


Address

Breite Straße 49, Burg auf Fehmarn, Germany
See all sites in Burg auf Fehmarn

Details

Founded: c. 1230
Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Hohenstaufen Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Glambaek Castle Ruins (2,8 km)
St. Peter's Church (3,6 km)


Maribo Cathedral (42,2 km)
Bothmer Palace (53,1 km)
Hasselburg Manor (41,2 km)
Nakskov Church (44,1 km)
Cismar Abbey (30,6 km)
Sakskøbing Church (49,4 km)
Ravnsborg Castle Ruins (52,3 km)
St. John's Church (9,6 km)
Graeshave Church (37,9 km)

User Reviews

Anne Heinen (18 months ago)
Schöne Kirche...mit einem idyllischen Friedhof drum herum..
Frank Wehde (19 months ago)
Tolle Kirche und idyllischer Friedhof
Henrik Forsstrøm (20 months ago)
Super flot kirke, bare ærgerligt den ikke er åben i vinterhalvåret.
Servando Martinez (20 months ago)
Sehenswerte Kirche, hervorragende Akustik, auch die Andacht zu Silvester hat mir sehr gut gefallen
Christophe Le Mot (20 months ago)
Vielen Dank für den schönen Familiengottesdienst zum Heiligen Abend. Wir haben ihn während unseres Festtagsexils besucht und fühlten uns willkommen. Die Predigt war inspirierend und das Musical der Kinder sehr schön. Es war einige Tage Küchentischthema. Wir freuen uns auf einen weiteren Besuch! Ach und noch etwas: Die Website der Gemeinde ist gut. Hierüber habe ich schnell und gut die Gottesdienszzeiten und einige interessante Details über das Gemeindeleben herausgefunden.
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.