St. Catherine's Church

Hamburg, Germany

St. Catherine's Church is one of the five principal Lutheran churches of Hamburg. The base of its spire, dating from the 13th century, is the second oldest building preserved in the city, after the lighthouse on Neuwerk island. It is situated on an island near what was formerly the southern boundary of the medieval city, opposite the historic harbour area on the Elbe river. It traditionally served as the church of the seamen.

The earliest attestation to the existence of the church dates back to 1256. The main body, consisting of a triple nave, was rebuilt during the mid-15th century in the north German Brick Gothic style. In 1657 a Baroque rooftop was added to the spire, which thus reached a height of 115 meters. The church was heavily damaged in an air-raid during World War II, on 30 July 1943. It left only the outer walls and the base of the spire standing. The building was restored between 1950 and 1957.

St. Catherine's had an organ as early as the late 15th century, and by the 16th century it was considered the most important in Hamburg. This organ was replaced by a new organ built by Hans Stellwagen, rebuilt in 1670 and repaired by Johann Friederich Besser. In 1720, according to Johann Mattheson, this organ consisted of some 58 stops and approximately 88 ranks which may have made it the largest organ in the world at that time.

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Details

Founded: 1256
Category: Religious sites in Germany
Historical period: Habsburg Dynasty (Germany)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Martin Pavel (9 months ago)
St. Catherine's Church (German: St. Katharinen) is one of the five principal Lutheran churches (Hauptkirchen) of Hamburg, Germany. The base of its spire, dating from the 13th century, is the second oldest building preserved in the city, after the lighthouse on Neuwerk island. It is situated on an island near what was formerly the southern boundary of the medieval city, opposite the historic harbour area on the Elbe river. It traditionally served as the church of the seamen.
Jo T (9 months ago)
Stunning church,one of the ORGAN CITY HAMBURG. Can enjoy the music there on Sundays.
Kenn Madsen (12 months ago)
St. Catherine's Church (German: St. Katharinen) is one of the five principal Lutheran churches (Hauptkirchen) of Hamburg, Germany. The base of its spire, dating from the 13th century, is the second oldest building preserved in the city, after the lighthouse on Neuwerk island
Donald Piccione (13 months ago)
Free entrance and nice architecture. Unfortunately there are information only in German, so it is difficult to know the programmes etc. It would be great if these information could be shared maybe with a sign or just a printed paper about hours and masses.
Mike Aoun (2 years ago)
I liked this church. The surrounding area is pretty calm and the church is simple, but i enjoyed the live choir on sunday. It’s free so i recommend passing by.
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