St. Mary's Church, Lübeck
| St. Mary's Church | |
|---|---|
| St. Mary's Church of Lübeck | |
| Marienkirche | |
| St. Marien zu Lübeck | |
St. Mary's Church, Lübeck, from the south
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| 53°52′04″N 10°41′06″E / 53.8677°N 10.685°ECoordinates: 53°52′04″N 10°41′06″E / 53.8677°N 10.685°E | |
| Location | Lübeck |
| Country | Germany |
| Denomination | Lutheran |
| Previous denomination | Catholic |
| Website | www |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Part of UNESCO world heritage site |
| Architectural type | Basilica |
| Style | Brick Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | c. 1250 |
| Completed | c. 1350 |
| Specifications | |
| Length |
103 metres (338 ft) (total length)
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| Height |
125 metres (410 ft) (tower)
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| 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) |
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| 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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