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Saint Thomas Church (Leipzig)

St. Thomas Church
German: Thomaskirche
Leipzig Thomaskirche.jpg
Country Germany
Denomination Lutheran
Previous denomination Roman Catholic
Website www.thomaskirche.org
Architecture
Status Parish church
Functional status Active
Style Gothic
Romanesque (choir/nave)
Years built 12th century
1884-1889 (renovations)
Specifications
Nave width 25 metres (82 ft)
Administration
Division Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony
Clergy
Pastor(s) Rev. Britta Taddiken
Laity
Director of music Gudrun Hartmann
Organist(s) Ullrich Böhme
Music group(s) Thomanerchor

St. Thomas Church (German: Thomaskirche) is a Lutheran church in Leipzig, Germany. It is most famous as the place where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a Kapellmeister (music director) from 1723 until his death in 1750, and as the location of his remains.

The Thomanerchor, the choir of the Thomaskirche, is still a well-known choir today.

There has been a church at the current site of the Thomaskirche since the 12th century. Between 1212 and 1222 the preceding church became the new St. Thomas Monastery of the Augustinian order. In 1217, The Minnesinger, or troubadour (see Minnesang), Heinrich von Morungen bequeathed to the church a relic of St. Thomas as he entered the order of canons after a trip to India. After several reconstructions (remains of an earlier Romanesque church were found during archaeological excavations), the current building, an example of late Gothic architecture, was consecrated by Thilo of Trotha, the Bishop of Merseburg, on 10 April 1496. The reformer Martin Luther preached here on Pentecost Sunday in 1539. Today, it is a Lutheran church.

The tower was first built in 1537 and reconstructed in 1702, leading to its current height of 68 meters.

The composer Johann Sebastian Bach was choir director at St. Thomas Church from 1723 until his death in 1750 and taught at its affiliated school. A statue of Johann Sebastian Bach by the Leipzig sculptor Carl Seffner that stands next to the church was dedicated in 1908.


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