“Can you see it?” High above the Neiße Valley towers the Pfarrkirche St. Peter und Paul. Many call it simply Peterskirche. Its copper roof and towering spires dominate the Old Town skyline. This is no ordinary church. This is Kościół pw. Świętego Piotra i Pawła in Görlitz.
Around 1230 a basilica stood here. Only its western part remains today. The current hall church’s construction began in the 15th century. The oldest sections are the outer southern side aisle’s western bays.
Let’s delve into its history. The choir’s foundation stone was laid in 1423. Expanding eastward required extensive substructures. The Georgenkapelle was consecrated in 1457 as a crypt. Today it forms the choir’s basement.
By 1490 the enclosing walls largely stood. From 1490 to 1497 Conrad Pflüger led the vaulting. Blasius Böhrer and Urban Laubanisch assisted. Essential parts of the Kościół pw. Świętego Piotra i Pawła were completed then.
Gregor Richter became preacher here in 1590. From 1606 until his death in 1624 he was head pastor. He famously opposed Jakob Böhme’s theological views.
A city fire ravaged Kościół pw. Świętego Piotra i Pawła in 1691. The western building’s upper floors and its inventory were destroyed. This included 36 altars and a 20-meter-high sacrament house. The roof was only renewed by 1712. The church received new Baroque-style furnishings.
Christian Ludwig Boxberg became the organist in 1702. He was known for his cantatas and the opera Sardanapalus. In 1704 he described the Sonnenorgel built by Eugenio Casparini.
The church’s interior was repainted in 1835. Between 1889 and 1891 the two towers reached 84 meters. This was achieved with concrete upper floors and tower helmets.
The Altstadtbrücke’s destruction in 1945 damaged Kościół pw. Świętego Piotra i Pawła. The blast wave destroyed all stained glass except one. Stonework and the roof were partly damaged.
Restoration occurred from 1948 to 1961. The window tracery and lower church were restored. Further restoration of the exterior took place from 1978 to 1981. The interior was restored from 1981 to 1992. The 1500s design and interior were reinstated.
Now look at its architecture. Kościół pw. Świętego Piotra i Pawła measures 72 meters long and 39 meters wide. The central nave is 24 meters high. It is one of eastern Germany’s largest and most important hall churches.
The five-aisled church features three equally high naves. Two outer aisles are significantly lower. Their vaulting lies below the middle nave’s impost height.
The west side has a large splay portal. Jonas Rosskopf and Melchior Kunze renovated it around 1595-96. They used Renaissance forms based on the late Romanesque design.
Inside slender profiled pillars support net vaults. The middle nave has vaults with star shapes. The northern aisle displays richer windows. These have fish bladder tracery like Bautzen Cathedral’s southern aisle.
Let’s talk about the altar. George Heermann from Dresden created the altar in 1695. It features sandstone and polished stucco marble. The main image depicts Christ’s ascension inspired by Raphael.
The pulpit dated 1693 is sandstone with white and gold plant ornaments. A life-size angel supports it. The coat of arms recalls the donor August Kober.
The council stalls were made by Johann Conrad Buchau from 1694-1695. Carvings show allegorical figures of wealth and justice.
Numerous epitaphs adorn the church. The Sonnenorgel’s prospect from 1703 is remarkable. The organ itself was built by Mathis Orgelbau. It has 91 registers.
Kościół pw. Świętego Piotra i Pawła has four bells. Two are historic. The largest bell once tolled the deepest note in Germany.
The Kościół pw. Świętego Piotra i Pawła stands as a testament to Görlitz’s resilience. It reflects centuries of history and artistry.