St. Michael's Church ( German: Hauptkirche Sankt Michaelis - “the main church of St. Michael”) is the main Protestant ( evangelical ) church of Hamburg , one of the most significant architectural structures of Northern Germany , which is the “ visiting card ” of the city. The late Baroque temple dedicated to the Archangel Michael is also known as the Big Michel. St. Michael's Church is located in the southern quarter of the New Town, the church tower is clearly visible from the ships bound for the port of Hamburg, forming the marine facade of the free Hanseatic city .
| Church | |
| St. Michael | |
|---|---|
| Hauptkirche sankt michaelis | |
 | |
| A country |  Germany |
| City | Hamburg |
| Denomination | Evangelical Church of Germany |
| Architectural style | baroque |
| Established | |
| Construction | 1647 - 1669 years |
| Material | |
| Website | |
History
The first church of St. Michael, the patron saint of sailors, was erected in the New Town of Hamburg in 1648 - 1669 by Peter Markardt and Christoph Corbinus. It was a large beautiful three-nave church, at the end of the XVII century it was considered one of the four main temples of Hamburg. However, a short life awaited her - in 1750, as a result of a lightning strike, the temple completely burned down, the bell tower of the temple collapsed. The next year, the erection of a new church was begun at the old site, designed by Johann Leonard Prey and Ernst Georg Zonnin. By 1762, the construction was completed, but the tower of the church was withdrawn only to the level of the roof. Only in 1786, the Hamburgers were able to complete the work - the temple was decorated with an elegant and bright tower and became the Michel, which the city residents are rightly proud of now.
But the trials that fell to the share of Michel did not end there. On July 3, 1906, a new blow of fate awaited him - a fire broke out during construction work - the tower completely burned out and collapsed, only walls remained from the church. A number of architects and influential Hamburg citizens opposed the restoration of the Greater Michel. They proposed to put in place the new church - erected in accordance with the spirit of the XX century. However, ordinary residents of Hamburg, who loved and were proud of their attraction , decided to rebuild the temple. By 1912, the third church of St. Michael was built according to the previous drawings, but the most modern materials and technologies were used. It was the reinforced concrete structure that helped the third church survive during World War II , when Hamburg, as one of the industrial centers and main ports of Germany, was subjected to massive bombardments .
On November 13, 1980 , the performed the premiere of Sketches for the Passion for Matthew, the preliminary version of John Neumeier ’s play Passion for the Matthew (the stage premiere took place on June 25, 1981 on the stage of the Hamburg Opera ).
In 2008, the image of the Church of St. Michael in Hamburg was placed on the reverse of a commemorative coin with a nominal value of 2 euros from the series "Federal States of Germany" as a symbol of the federal state of Hamburg.
Architecture
Designed in the XVIII century, the Church of St. Michael is a vivid example of architecture at the junction of two eras - Baroque and Classicism . The church is symmetrical in plan, its length is 71, width is 51, the height of the nave is 27 meters. For the cladding of the building used local red burnt brick , decorative elements are made of limestone ; walls and portals are joined by ionic pilasters . Above the main portal of the temple there is a large bronze statue of the Archangel Michael, defeating the devil .
The impressive 132-meter bell tower of St. Michael’s Church is Hamburg’s second tallest, creating a recognizable city silhouette. At an altitude of 106 meters, there is an observation platform, which can be reached by elevator or on foot, breaking 453 steps . The clock on the bell tower is the largest in Germany. They are made by the Strasbourg firm Ungerer . The numbers and hands are covered with gold leaf . Each of the four dials is eight meters in diameter , the length of the large hand is almost five meters, the small one is more than three and a half, the weight of each hand is about 130 kilograms. The modern large bell of the church was cast in Karlsruhe in 2008 .
Visitors enter the temple through the foot of the tower. The well-lit hall with 2500 seats has the shape of a cross in plan. The marble altar with a height of 20 meters with columns standing on its sides , a wavy superstructure and a golden halo of the Holy Spirit is baroque. Above the altar table is a gilded bronze relief showing the Last Supper ; scenes from the life of Jesus are depicted on the sides of the altar. Next to the altar is a font of white Italian marble - part of the few that remain of the second church.
In the central and side aisles of the Church of St. Michael, memorial plaques are installed in memory of the dead sailors. Composers Johann Matteson and Carl Philip Emanuel Bach are buried in the crypt of the church.
Literature
- Ulrika Schober. Churches and Monasteries of Europe / Transl. with him. - M .: Bertelsmann Media Moskau AO, 2004. - S. 116-121. - 392 p. - ISBN 5-88353-166-0 .
- Reinhold Pabel Der Kleine und der Große Hamburger Michel - Hamburg, 1986 - ISBN 3-7672-0939-X .
- Matthias Gretzschel St. Michaelis Der Hamburger Michel - Hamburg, 1996.
- L. Strzhizhovsky. The Elder of Hanseatic Cities (Rus.) // Around the World : Journal. - 1989. - November. - S. 37-39 .