St. Nicholas Church () in Potsdam is a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church under the Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia of the

Evangelical Church in Germany The Evangelical Church in Germany (, EKD), also known as the Protestant Church in Germany, is a federation of twenty Lutheranism, Lutheran, Continental Reformed Protestantism, Reformed, and united and uniting churches, United Protestantism in Ger ...

on the Old Market Square (''Alter Markt'') in

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

. The central plan building in the

Classicist Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

style and dedicated to

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

was built to plans by

Karl Friedrich Schinkel Karl Friedrich Schinkel (13 March 1781 – 9 October 1841) was a Prussian architect, urban planning, city planner and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed b ...

in the years 1830 to 1837. The

tambour In classical architecture, a is the inverted bell of the Corinthian capital around which are carved acanthus leaves for decoration. The term also applies to the wall of a circular structure, whether on the ground or raised aloft on pendent ...

of the 77-metre-high church that towers above the roofs of the city was built later, from 1843 to 1850. Its construction was taken over by

Ludwig Persius Friedrich Ludwig Persius (15 February 1803 in Potsdam – 12 July 1845 in Potsdam) was a Prussian architect and a student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Persius assisted Schinkel with, among others, the building of the Charlottenhof Palace an ...

and, from 1845,

Friedrich August Stüler Friedrich August Stüler (28 January 1800 – 18 March 1865) was an influential Prussian architect and builder. His masterpiece is the Neues Museum in Berlin, as well as the dome of the triumphal arch of the main portal of the Berliner Schloss. ...

. Towards the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the church was hit during the British air raid on Potsdam and subsequently badly damaged by Soviet artillery fire. After many years of rebuilding the church was re-consecrated in 1981 by the Evangelical Parish of St. Nicholas, Potsdam, and, today, is open to visitors. In addition to the normal church services, concert events are also held in the church.

Literature

* Dietmar Beuchtel, Ursula Treichel: ''St. Nikolai in Potsdam''. DKV-Kunstführer. Vol. 424,9.

Deutscher Kunstverlag The Deutscher Kunstverlag (DKV) is an educational publishing house with offices in Berlin and Munich. The publisher specializes in books about art, cultural history, architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and bu ...

, Munich - Berlin 1999 (3rd ed.). * Gemeindekirchenrat der Ev. St. Nikolai-Kirchen-Gemeinde Potsdam (ed.): ''St. Nikolai Potsdam. 150 Jahre unter der Kuppel''. UNZE, Teltow 2000. * Kuratorium der Nikolaikirche (Hrg.): ''St. Nikolai Potsdam - ein Rückblick anläßlich der Wiedereinweihung 1981.'' Potsdam 1981, W. Kreutzmann, Leipzig 1989. * F. Wilhelm Riehl: ''Die St. Nikolai-Kirche in Potsdam, ihre Geschichte und gegenwärtige Gestalt.'' Mit einem Grundrisse der Kirche. Potsdam 1850. * Waltraud Volk: ''Potsdam. Historische Straßen und Plätze heute''. Verlag für Bauwesen, Berlin - Munich, 1993 (3rd ed.). * ''Atlas zur Zeitschrift für Bauwesen''. Jg. III, Berlin 1853 Tafeln 1ff
''Download at Central and State Library of Berlin''

External links

St. Nicholas Evangelical Parish, Potsdam

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:St. Nicholas Church, Potsdam Churches in Potsdam Heritage sites in Brandenburg Churches completed in 1837 Tourist attractions in Potsdam

Rebuilt buildings and structures in Potsdam Church buildings with domes Karl Friedrich Schinkel buildings Protestant churches in Brandenburg 1837 establishments in the German Confederation Neoclassical church buildings in Germany Buildings and structures in Germany destroyed during World War II Rebuilt churches in Germany

Literature

See also

External links

References