St. George's Church, Wismar, Germany

St. George's Church belongs to the most significant historical monuments of North German brick Gothic architecture. It was constructed in a long period spanning the Late Middle Ages and the Reformation, undergoing several design changes before its final completion in 1594. The colossal nave and transept is testament to the last great parish church constructed in the Middle Ages in Northern Germany. After extensive damage by an air raid in April 1945, the church could no longer be used.

Until January 1990 the church remained a dangerously insecure ruin in the town, and a great storm that month lead to the collapse of its North gable. This event however provided the impetus to secure and then restore the church with help from the Deutschen Stiftung Denkmalschutz (German Foundation for Monument Protection).

The efforts of the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz alongside funding at municipal, federal state and national level as well as numerous private donors have made it possible to not only rebuild this Gothic monument but provide greater public access to it and enable it once again to be used by the Lutheran Church.

In total more than 40 million Euros have been invested in the reconstruction. Despite the building activity, St. Georgen has established itself as an attractive cultural venue, with well-received congresses, exhibitions, concerts, readings and church events having all taken place there.

References:

Wismar.de

User Reviews

Lala (2 years ago)
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE! Along with St. Marien Church and St. Nikolai Church, it is one of the city's three sacred Gothic buildings. Construction began in 1925 and during World War II it suffered a lot of damage, then almost all of it was rebuilt in 1990. In the year of 1922, it served as the setting for a small shot of the German horror film, NOSFERATU. For me, who is a lover of the horror genre, coming to this church meant a lot. That's why I decided to meet her in the year 2022 to take photos of Wismar from the top of the chapel, and of course, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the film. Annex: photos (mine - 2022), video (from the film of that time - 1922). Something to emphasize is that inside the Church there is tourist information and the girl is very formal and polite and you can go up to the top of the chapel with an elevator.

Shannon Wentworth (3 years ago)
I would love to go back in time to see this place in its prime. The elevator ride to the roof gives wonderful views of the city.

Alisa P. (5 years ago)
Great views onto the old Wismar from the top platform of the church. There’s an elevator, so good also for people with disabilities and parents with smaller kids.

Jb DerEchte (6 years ago)
This place is very interesting.

ching_huey tee (7 years ago)
English speaking and friendly security guards. Not to miss out the lift trip to the roof top of the church. Ticket is EUR3 for adult and EUR2 for student. Overview the whole Wismar town from the roof top would be a nice experience.

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