Liepāja Holy Trinity Lutheran Cathedral () is a historical Lutheran cathedral in
Liepāja
Liepāja () (formerly: Libau) is a Administrative divisions of Latvia, state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest city in the Courland region and the third-largest in the country after Riga and Daugavpils. It is an ...
,
Latvia
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
. It is the seat of the Bishop of Liepāja, and principal church of the Diocese of Liepāja.
History
The foundation stone of the church was laid in 1742 and on December 5, 1758, the church was solemnly consecrated. The church interior and exterior architecture is built in the late baroque style with classic features. The cathedral interior is characterized by its
Rococo
Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...
features and luxurious furnishings with wood carvings and gold plating. The altar is 13 metres high and the cathedral is particularly notable for its
organ
Organ and organs may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function
* Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body.
Musical instruments
...
with 131
stops, 4
manuals and over 7000 pipes, making it the largest mechanical organ in the world until 1968. It was the first large mechanical pipe organ in Latvia and was built by Henrich Andreas Contius in 1779.
In 1865–1866, the building underwent its first major reconstruction – the original draft tower was raised on the two upper floors to almost 55 metres high. In 1906, the church installed a clock mechanism. Several changes were also made to the
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is us ...
behind the altar; a new one was added.
Diocese of Liepāja
The cathedral houses the cathedra (seat) of the Bishop of Liepāja, who leads one of the three dioceses of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (, or LELB) is a Lutheranism, Lutheran Protestant church in Latvia. Latvia's Lutheran heritage dates back to the Protestant Reformation, Reformation. Both the Nazi and communist regimes persecuted the c ...
. The current bishop is Hanss Martins Jensons, born 11 July 1968, who was ordained in the Lutheran Church in 2003, and was consecrated and enthroned as Bishop of Liepāja on 6 August 2016.
Community use
The cathedral is also a major venue for concerts and exhibitions in the city and regularly hosts classical music concerts and art displays. Tours of the cathedral are available and the tower offers scenic views of the city of Liepāja.
See also
*
Dome Cathedral Pipe Organ
Dome Pipe Organ (), the second largest pipe organ in Latvia, is located in Riga Cathedral. The largest mechanical pipe organ in Latvia is located in Liepāja Holy Trinity Cathedral.
History
The first known Riga Cathedral organ was the largest ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holy Trinity Cathedral, Liepaja
Cathedrals in Latvia
Buildings and structures in Liepāja
Churches completed in 1758
18th-century Lutheran churches