Hamburg, St. Michael's Church: history, architectural style, reviews and location

Being the main Protestant church in the city (Hamburg), the Church of St. Michael has been opening doors to parishioners for over 300 years (with small breaks for restoration) and fascinates visitors with its external appearance. And indeed, such a beautiful and at the same time slightly gloomy architectural creation casts certain thoughts.

The church is visible from the seaport and many parts of the city, as its belltower, which is also a symbol of Hamburg, is located at a high altitude. The Church of St. Michael, in the common people called the "Great Michael", is the main attraction of the city, which is of special value for the whole country.

Church of St. Michael in Hamburg: history

From 1648 to 1669, Christophe Corbinus and Peter Marcardt erected the first temple. It was the church of St. Michael, but not the one that stands on this place today. It was a large three-nave temple, a beautiful structure, which was not destined to stand for long - in the middle of the XVIII century it completely burned out. The reason for this was lightning. The bell tower collapsed, only the ruins remained from the church.

A year later (in 1751) a new church was built on this site. The design was carried out by Ernst Georg Zonnin and Johann Leonard Prey. In 15 years since the beginning of the erection of the church, it was crowned with a bright and elegant tower and opened. The Hamburgers called the church Michael, and they say to this day.

But this is not the end of the brutal tests. In 1906, when the restoration work was carried out, a fire broke out, as a result of which the main symbol of the city (Hamburg) is St. Michael's Church, lost a beautiful tower and suffered much, only walls remained.

This time the restoration of the temple caused a lot of controversy. This is not surprising, because the difficulties that fell to the share of the "Big Michel", did not leave anyone without attention. Instead of a temple to the archangel, architects and influential personalities insisted on erecting another church, already in the style of late Baroque, but most appropriate to the 20th century. But their plans were not to come true: the Hamburgers loved the landmark of their city so much and were so proud of it that they insisted on restoring the church in honor of Mikhail.

It is noteworthy that the third building of the temple was built according to the same drawings as the previous ones, but the architects used modern materials and construction technologies. By 1906 the church of St. Michael (Hamburg) was ready. The most successful decision of the architects was the construction with a reinforced concrete structure. It was thanks to her that the third architectural creation devoted to the archangel survived during the brutal battles during the Second World War, even though Hamburg was then subjected to the most powerful bombing.

Architectural style and appearance of the church

The building was erected in the late Baroque style. The length of the church is about 71 m, width - 51 m, and the height of the nave - 27 m. As the facing material, red brick was chosen. Limestone was used to create decorative elements.

The main distinguishing feature of the temple is a huge statue of the archangel Michael holding a spear in his hand, the end of which permeates the devil. It is made of bronze and is installed above the main entrance, and is therefore easily visible to visitors.

Visiting Hamburg, St. Michael's Church, it is worth paying attention to the bell tower. It is crowned with the largest watches in Germany, finished with gold, which shimmers at any time of the day. There is also an observation deck, which opens a beautiful city landscape.

Interior and decoration of the temple of Archangel Michael

Inside, the church is like any building built in the Baroque style - rich and very beautiful. Interior decoration is a very impressive sight: here is an altar measuring 20 m, created from marble, and paintings of biblical themes, and a relief depicting the Last Supper made of bronze. The Church of St. Michael in Hamburg is a restrained but elegant architectural creation. It becomes clear why the Hamburgers so defended their landmark.

St. Michael's Church today

Today the temple not only looks beautiful and is completely restored, it remains in force. Services are held here, a church orchestra plays with the organ, the sounds of which become even more "powerful" in all respects due to acoustics. By the way, it is unique here, it is unlikely that anywhere else you can find the same powerful echoes.

If you are going to see Hamburg, St. Michael's Church, it is worth considering that you can visit it only after the service. Tourists are allowed to climb to the observation deck to look at the neighborhood.

From the end of autumn and till the middle of spring it works from 10 am to 17:30, and in the warm season - from 9:00 to 19:30. As with visiting other churches, you need to follow the dress code: no shirts, shorts and short skirts.

The address of the temple of Archangel Michael

Exact location: Englische Planke 1, 20459, Hamburg, Germany. Half a kilometer from the church there are metro stations Baumwall and Rödingsmarkt, and at a distance of 600 m - St. Pauli.

Church of St. Michael, Hamburg: reviews

Visiting this German city, you must also look into the temple in honor of the archangel. Not only because the church is one of the main attractions of Hamburg and its symbol. Architectural appearance, interior and, of course, an observation deck on top - all this deserves the tourist's attention.

The Church of St. Michael (Hamburg), according to travelers, will leave an indelible impression in the soul. This majestic building, so serious from the outside and gentle inside, is the best place on earth for discovering the late Baroque and true Germanic motifs. Many tourists set a goal first of all to visit this temple, and after visiting it, it is recommended to do it to other holiday-makers.