St. Jacobi, Hamburg

The St. Jacobi church is one of the five principal Lutheran churches of Hamburg, Germany. The church is located directly in the city center, has a 125 m tall tower and features a famous organ by Arp Schnitger from 1693.

History

When it was first mentioned in 1255, St. Jacobi was a small chapel located outside the Hamburg city walls. After these were extended in 1260, the church became part of the Hamburg city territory. It is now in downtown Hamburg, hidden behind one of the main shopping streets ("Mönckebergstraße").

Between 1350 and 1400, the chapel was replaced by a hall church with three naves, similar to St. Petri. Around one hundred years later, a fourth nave was added to the south side of the structure. The sacristy in the northeast also comes from this time (1438) and is today Hamburg's only example of secular gothic architecture.

The second tower, erected in 1826/27 after the first became dilapidated, was destroyed with the rest of the church building by bombing during World War II. Only the historic interior furnishings were saved. In 1963, St. Jacobi was rebuilt according to the medieval design, albeit with a modern spire.

Notable features

The famous Arp Schnitger organ of 1693 in the west gallery is, with its 60 registers and around 4,000 pipes, is the largest baroque organ in Northern Europe. From 1989 to 1993, the organ was completely restored, and since its rededication at Easter 1993 it can be heard every Sunday during services.

St. Jacobi has three medieval altars: the Holy Trinity Altar in the Main Choir (c. 1518, the St. Petri Altar in the first south nave (1508), and the St. Lukas Altar in the second south nave (1500) that originally comes from the Hamburg Cathedral.

Also deserving of notice is the Ministers' Room, which originally served as a library. Since 1543, it has been the collection room of the church ministers, and was remodeled in 1710. The ceiling murals, with their civic virtues, show the importance of maintaining parish to the city regiment. They were painted, like the landscape paintings on the wall, by Johann Moritz Riesenberger. Coats of arms on the walls name the pastors, vicars, and jurors who have served the parish since the sixteenth century.

tained-Glass

The stained-glass windows were created by Charles Crodel, who also made the windows at St. Matthew's Church in Winterhude and at St. Mary's Church in Fuhlsbüttel.

References

*http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St.-Jacobi-Kirche_%28Hamburg%29

External links

*de icon en icon [http://www.jacobus.de/kirche/default_englisch.htm Parish Website]
*de icon [http://www.hauptkirchen.de/index.php?id=4 Hamburg Hauptkirche: St. Jacobi]