Old St. Peter's Church () 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 ...

parish and church in the old town of

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

, 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, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, 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). Today's Petersstrasse is reminiscent of that time. 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, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

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 t ...

; 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 su ...