Description of the attraction
St. Michael's Church is the main evangelical church in Hamburg and is one of the most significant buildings in northern Germany. The majestic late Baroque temple was dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It is located in the southern area of the New City, and its towers can be seen even from ships heading to the port.
The history of this church began in the 16th century, when William V the Pious gave the go-ahead for its construction. The costs of one of the main strongholds of the Counter-Reformation were so great that the state almost went bankrupt. The facade of the built Church of St. Michael was decorated with the figure of Christ, which somewhat resembled the traditional town hall of the Middle Ages. At the entrance was a bronze figure of the Archangel, created at the end of the sixteenth century.
After the construction of the building, many tests awaited, one of which was the significant destruction of one of the towers. In 1648, Peter Marquardt and Christoph Corbinus took over the next phase of construction. Unfortunately, in 1750, the bell tower of the temple collapsed as a result of a strong fire caused by a lightning strike. Despite this, the next year, the construction of a new building began, but already according to the project proposed by Johann Leonard Prey and Ernest Georg Zonnin. In 1786, a new church appeared before the residents, the decoration of which was a very elegant, but at the same time, bright roof.
Here was the royal crypt, where William V, Elector Maximilian, as well as Ludwig II and numerous saints, whose names cannot be established due to the military destruction of the past, were buried.
Currently, the Church of St. Michael, made in the Baroque style, is one of the largest churches in Hamburg, attracting a large number of not only Christian pilgrims, but also tourists.
The original 132-meter tower of the brick and iron church contains the largest clock tower in Germany. Just above the clock there is an observation deck, from where a magnificent view of the city, the Elbe River and the Alster Lake opens up.
