St. Mary's Church (german: Marienkirche) is a large Lutheran church located in

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin, Neub ...

, northern Germany. Built some time before 1380, it is architecturally Gothic, an outstanding example of the

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...

style prevalent in northern Germany and in the Baltic states. Between 1549 and 1647, it was the tallest building in the world at tall, excepting the interval 1569–1573 between the completion and collapse of the tower of Beauvais Cathedral. As part of the historic centre of Stralsund, the church was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002. The bell tower collapsed in 1382, and was rebuilt by 1478. In 1495, the steeple tower blew down during a severe storm, and was then rebuilt taller. This was subsequently struck by lightning in 1647, and burned down, and was rebuilt as a

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

dome, which, completed in 1708, can be seen today. The tower is currently tall. The main organ built by Friedrich Stellwagen between 1653 and 1659 is one of the famous large baroque organs in Europe. Stralsund StMarien Orgel.jpg, The famous Stellwagen-Organ from 1659

References

External links

European Route of Brick Gothic
Note: Spire of Lincoln Cathedral, versus other possible medieval cathedral spires (like Lincoln's, all since destroyed), is an item of debate amongst experts. Feel free to see List of tallest buildings and structures#History and

Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Minster, or the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln and sometimes St Mary's Cathedral, in Lincoln, England, is a Grade I listed cathedral and is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Lincoln. Constructio ...

for more information. Brick Gothic Buildings and structures in Vorpommern-Rügen Lutheran churches converted from Roman Catholicism Lutheran churches in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Mary Stralsund Mary {{MecklenburgVorpommern-struct-stub