“Locked in a church by soldiers?” A painting in St. Peter’s tells such a tale. Here we stand before St. Peter’s Church in Hamburg. It is a place with a rich history. It has been rebuilt and reimagined over centuries.
St. Peter’s Church, or Petrikirche as locals call it, has been a central landmark. It has been a Protestant cathedral since the Reformation. The congregation is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany.
The story of Petrikirche begins long ago. Historians believe a church existed here in the early 1189s. The first documentation of St. Peter’s was in 1195. It was then known as a market church. Around 1310, it was rebuilt in a Gothic style. Construction was completed around 1418.
A significant feature is the bronze lion-head door handles. They are Hamburg’s oldest work of art. They date back to the tower’s foundation in 1342. In 1516, a new copper-covered spire was added to the tower. It reached 127.5 meters. It was taller than the neighboring Hamburg Cathedral. However, St. Nicholas Church surpassed it in 1518. Its tower initially reached 135 meters.
Political tensions and decay led to the demolition of the cathedral between 1804 and 1807. During the French occupation, Napoleonic soldiers commandeered St. Peter’s. They used it as a horse stable in 1813.
The Great Fire of May 1842 devastated St. Peter’s. Fortunately, many artworks were saved. The lion-head door handles survived. The St. Peter’s portal gateway was heavily damaged. It was later built into the Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte. The doorway was restored in 1995.
Just seven years later, the Gothic church was rebuilt. Alexis de Chateauneuf and Hermann Peter Fersenfeldt were the architects. They rebuilt it on its previous location. The 132-meter-high church tower was completed in 1878. Johann Hermann Maack designed its copper spire.
In the 20th century, St. Peter’s parish faced challenges. Many members moved away as residential areas were replaced. Banks and department stores developed in the city center. Yet, St. Peter’s survived the Second World War relatively unscathed. The foundations of a medieval tower were discovered in 1962. It was the Bischofsturm or Bishop’s Tower.
Nuclear power protesters occupied the cathedral in 1979. This included the late pastor Christoph Stoermer. From 2005 to 2007, the church’s facades were used for advertising. Giant H&M posters funded the cathedral’s maintenance.
Inside St. Peter’s, art abounds. A Gothic mural from around 1460 depicts Bishop Ansgar of Bremen. He is labeled “Apostle of the North”. A statue by Bernt Notke shows Archbishop Ansgar and the Hamburg Marienkirche. The statue dates from around 1480-1483.
Two 17th-century oil paintings by Gottfried Libalt are also present. These are Jacob’s Dream and Christ’s Birth. They were damaged in 1977 but restored in 2001. The painting Christmas 1813 in St. Peter’s depicts Hamburg citizens. They were locked in the church by Napoleon’s troops for not providing food. Neo-Gothic representations of the evangelists are in the front. A modern bronze sculpture by Fritz Fleer shows Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a convict. His hands are bound.
St. Peter’s stands as a testament to Hamburg’s resilience. It has endured fires, wars, and occupations. Its art and architecture tell stories of faith, conflict, and renewal. As we leave St. Peter’s, remember its long history. It is a symbol of Hamburg’s enduring spirit.