Hall Church is a medieval Lutheran church in Hall on the Swedish island of Gotland. Hall Church dates from the 13th century. Oldest are the nave and choir, built in the second quarter of the century. The tower is somewhat later. Stylistically it is transitional between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. With one central column and four bays, forming two aisles, the nave of the church is the simplest structure fitting the definition of a hall church.
Internally, the church is decorated with frescos that were uncovered during a renovation in 1956. The frescos on the northern wall of the choir are from the 14th century and depict the tree of life, Mary with Christ, Christ on the cross and Christ in a mandorla. The frescos on the southern wall date from 1603 and depict two men in Renaissance clothes kneeling by Christ on the cross. In the nave, additional frescos from the 14th century exist, depicting the Coronation of the Virgin and the weighing of souls.
The triumphal cross is a copy of the original, today found in the Museum of Gotland in Visby. The original, from the 12th century, is supposedly one of the oldest wooden sculptures with still original paint in Europe. Most other furnishings are from post-Reformation times. So for example are the pews from the 17th and 18th centuries, and the pulpit from 1619. The church has a votive ship from 1871.
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House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.