Old St. Peter's Church (german: Alte Peterskirche) is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

parish and church in the old town of

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as we ...

, Germany. The present church building, in Gothic Revival style, was erected from 1882 onwards at the Gaudigplatz, and also serves as a concert venue. It replaced a former building at a different location. The former building was built in 1507. After the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

, it was used as a Lutheran church until 1539, and again from 1712 to 1885. It was demolished in 1886. With 87 metres (285 ft) it is Leipzig's tallest church.

History

The Peterskirche, sometimes called Alte Peterskirche (Old St. Peter) to distinguish it from the later building at a different location) was built close to one of the four city gates and adjacent to the wall. The quarter around it was called Petersviertel (St. Peter's quarter). The church was dedicated on 29 March 1507. After the

, the church was abandoned in 1539. The building served as storage and during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an es ...

as barracks. In 1704, the minister of St. Thomas's church suggested that the building should be used again for religious purposes. It was rebuilt, including a sacristy and two storeys. The first service was held on 29 May 1712. A new altar and organ were installed from 1797 to 1799. A bell tower was added in 1874. When the congregation outgrew the old church, minister and the church council decided in 1876 to build a new church. A property at the Schlettenplatz, south of the old city, was exchanged for the property of the old church. Eighty architects from all over Germany responded to a competition in 1877. The designs by August Hartel and Constantin Lipsius were chosen. Construction began in March 1882; the Grundsteinlegung (laying the foundation stone) was celebrated on 17 September that year. It was dedicated on 27 December 1885. The interior painting and stained glass windows were completed in 1886. The church was damaged during the

bombing of Leipzig in World War II During World War II, Leipzig was repeatedly attacked by British as well as American air raids. The most severe attack was launched by the Royal Air Force in the early hours of 4 December 1943 and claimed more than 1,800 lives. Large parts of the ...

; its roof was largely destroyed and was left unrepaired for several years. Restoration was performed during the 1970s and again in the 1990s and 2000s.

Architecture

The church is built in a Gothic Revival style. It has the highest tower of any church in Leipzig, at . Its exterior is richly decorated, with stained-glass windows and a large portal on the western side. Leipzig Alte Peterskirche 1880 Süd.JPG, St.Peter in 1880 Peterskirche Leipzig - Zedler und Vogel.jpg, St. Peter in 1898 Peterskirche Leipzig easyHDR.jpg, St. Peter in 2009 Leipzig Peterskirche portal.jpg, Southern side portal

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * ''Kirchen in Leipzig''. Schriften des Leipziger Geschichtsvereins 2/1993. Sax-Verlag, Beucha 1993 * Heinrich Magirius (u.a.). ''Stadt Leipzig. Die Sakralbauten''. Mit einem Überblick über die städtebauliche Entwicklung von den Anfängen bis 1989. Tl. 1. Dt. Kunstverlag, München 1995, pp. 679–697 * Bruno Hartung
''Die alte und die neue Peterskirche in Leipzig. Eine Denkschrift.''
Verlag von Heinrich Matthes (Herm. Voigt), Leipzig. printed by Bär & Hermann in Leipzig 1885. * Vereinigung Leipziger Architekten und Ingenieure
''Die Peterskirche.'' In: Leipzig und seine Bauten. Zur X. Wanderversammlung des Verbandes Deutscher Architekten- und Ingenieur-Vereine in Leipzig vom 28. bis 31. August, 1892.
J.M. Gebhardt's Verlag (Leopold Gebhardt), Leipzig 1892.

External links

* {{Authority control

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a s ...