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Marienkirche, Lübeck

St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church of Lübeck
Marienkirche
St. Marien zu Lübeck
Germany Luebeck overview north.jpg
St. Mary's Church, Lübeck, from the south
53°52′04″N 10°41′06″E / 53.8677°N 10.685°E / 53.8677; 10.685Coordinates: 53°52′04″N 10°41′06″E / 53.8677°N 10.685°E / 53.8677; 10.685
Location Lübeck
Country Germany
Denomination Lutheran
Previous denomination Catholic
Website www.st-marien-luebeck.de
Architecture
Status Parish church
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Part of UNESCO world heritage site
Architectural type Basilica
Style Brick Gothic
Groundbreaking c. 1250 (1250)
Completed c. 1350 (1350)
Specifications
Length
103 metres (338 ft) (total length)
Height
125 metres (410 ft) (tower)
Floor area 3,300 square metres (35,521 sq ft)
Number of spires 2
Bells 7
Tenor bell weight 5,817 kilograms (5.725 long tons)
Clergy
Provost Petra Kallies
Pastor(s)
  • Robert Pfeifer
  • Annegret Wegner-Braun
Laity
Organist(s) Johannes Unger

St. Mary's Church in Lübeck (German: Marienkirche, officially St. Marien zu Lübeck) was built between 1250 and 1350. It has always been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and is situated at the highest point of the island that forms the old town of Lübeck. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the old Hanseatic City of Lübeck.

St. Mary's epitomizes north German Brick Gothic and set the standard for about 70 other churches in the Baltic region, making it a building of enormous architectural significance. St Mary's Church embodied the towering style of French Gothic architecture style using north German brick. It has the tallest brick vault in the world, the height of the central nave being 38.5 metres (126 ft).

It is built as a three-aisled basilica with side chapels, an ambulatory with radiating chapels, and vestibules like the arms of a transept. The westwork has a monumental two-tower façade. The height of the towers, including the weather vanes, is 124.95 metres (409.9 ft) and 124.75 metres (409.3 ft), respectively.

St. Mary's is located in the Hanseatic merchants' quarter, which extends uphill from the warehouses on the River Trave to the church. As the main parish church of the citizens and the city council of Lübeck, it was built close to the town hall and the market.

In 1150, Henry the Lion moved the Bishopric of Oldenburg to Lübeck and established a cathedral chapter. A wooden church was built in 1163, and starting in 1173/1174 this was replaced by a Romanesque brick church. At the beginning of the 13th century, however, it no longer met the expectations of the self-confident, ambitious, and affluent bourgeoisie, in terms of size and prestige. Romanesque sculptures from this period of the church's history are today exhibited at St. Anne's Museum in Lübeck


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