Believed to have been built in as early as the 11th century, St Petri, Hamburg has withstood the forces of time and elements. Today, it stands tall as one of the oldest surviving churches in Germany. The Church came close to destruction a couple of times, first at the time of the Great Fire and then in 1943. It had to be re-constructed both the times.
The design for the renovation was formulated by Alexis de Chateauneuf. The task of reconstruction post the Great Fire of 1842 was completed by 1849. Though it has lost its erstwhile splendor, glimpses of the neo-Gothic style of architecture of the 19th century can still be seen in the structural design of the church. It is a living example of Hamburg's age old craft work. The church underwent a second renovation in 2000 and this time it was the church tower that went under the chisel.
The foundation of the St. Petri Church can be traced back to a baptismal font that was situated close to one of the historically significant buildings in Hamburg, the "Hammaburg". During the medieval age, a new church was erected on the site of this baptismal font closely following the Gothic model and that is how St. Petri Church came into being.
St Petri in Hamburg is one of the five protestant churches of the city, the other four being St, Katharinen,
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St Jacobi, St Nikolai and St.-Michaelis-Kirche.The church tower of St. Petri rises to a height of 133 meters. This imposing structure has 544 stairs that lead to the top. The small opening in the church tower at the top provides the visitors with a bird's eye view of the city. It houses artifacts displaying exquisite craftsmanship. One thing that stands out amongst all these is a door knocker resembling a lion's head and made of bronze. It dates back to around 1342.
The city of Hamburg is the home of several ancient monuments of great historical significance. A majority of them suffered destruction owing to the wars. St Petri was no exception. Though renovation work was carried out, it still bears the imprint of the destruction and speaks volumes about the city's historical past.
Church Hours:
Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 10.00 AM to 18.30 PM
Wed 10.00 AM to 19.00 PM
Sat 10.00 AM to 17.00 PM
Sun 9.00 AM to 21.00 PM
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