It is the main Protestant temple in the city(Hamburg), the Church of St. Michael has been opening doors to parishioners for over 300 years (with small breaks for restoration) and fascinates visitors with its external appearance. And indeed, such a beautiful and at the same time slightly gloomy architectural creation casts certain thoughts.
The church is visible from the seaport and many districtscity, as its belltower, which is also a symbol of Hamburg, is located at a high altitude. The Church of St. Michael, in the common people called "Big Michael", is the main attraction of the city, which is of special value for the whole country.
From 1648 to 1669, Christophe Corbinus andPeter the Great built the first temple. It was the church of St. Michael, but not the one that stands on this place today. It was a large three-nave temple, a beautiful structure, which was not destined to stand for long - in the middle of the XVIII century it completely burned out. The reason for this was lightning. The bell tower collapsed, only the ruins remained from the church.
A year later (in 1751) in the same place beganbuild a new temple. The design was carried out by Ernst Georg Zonnin and Johann Leonard Prey. In 15 years since the beginning of the erection of the church, it was crowned with a bright and elegant tower and opened. The Hamburgers called the church Michel, and they say to this day.
But this brutal tests do not end there.In 1906, when the restoration work was carried out, a fire broke out, as a result of which the main symbol of the city (Hamburg) is St. Michael's Church, lost a beautiful tower and suffered much, only walls remained.
This time the restoration of the temple caused a lotdisputes. This is not surprising, because the difficulties that fell to the share of the "Big Michel", did not leave anyone without attention. Instead of the temple archangel, architects and influential personalities insisted on the erection of another church, already in the style of the late Baroque, but the most appropriate in the 20th century. But their plans were not destined to come true: the Hamburgers loved the landmark of their city so much and were so proud of it that they insisted on restoring the church in honor of Mikhail.
It is noteworthy that the third building of the templewas built on the same blueprints as the previous ones, but the architects used modern materials and construction technologies. By 1906 the church of St. Michael (Hamburg) was ready. The most successful decision of the architects was the construction with a reinforced concrete structure. It was thanks to her that the third architectural creation devoted to the archangel survived during the brutal battles during the Second World War, even though Hamburg was then subjected to powerful bombing.
The building was erected in the late Baroque style.The length of the church is about 71 m, width - 51 m, and the height of the nave - 27 m. As the facing material, red brick was chosen. Limestone was used to create decorative elements.
The main distinctive feature of the temple is thea huge statue of the archangel Michael holding a spear in his hand, the end of which pierces the devil. It is made of bronze and is installed above the main entrance, and therefore is well visible to visitors.
Visiting Hamburg, the Church of St. Michael, standspay attention to the bell tower. It is crowned with the largest watches in Germany, finished with gold, which shimmers at any time of the day. Also there is an observation deck, which opens a beautiful city landscape.
Inside, the church is as it should beany building built in the Baroque style - rich and very beautiful. Interior decoration is a very impressive sight: here is an altar measuring 20 meters, made of marble, and pictures of Biblical themes, and a relief depicting the Last Supper made of bronze. The Church of St. Michael in Hamburg is a restrained but elegant architectural creation. It becomes clear why the Hamburgers so defended their landmark.
Today the temple not only looks great andis fully restored, it remains active. Services are held here, a church orchestra performs with an organ, the sounds of which become even more "powerful" in all respects due to acoustics. By the way, it is unique here, it is unlikely that anywhere else you can find the same powerful echoes.
If you are going to see Hamburg, St.Mikhail, it is worth considering that you can visit it only after the service. Tourists are allowed to climb to the observation deck to look at the neighborhood.
From the end of autumn and until the middle of spring it works with 10in the morning until 17:30, and in the warm season - from 9:00 to 19:30. As with visiting other churches, you need to follow the dress code: no shirts, shorts and short skirts.
Exact location: Englische Planke 1, 20459, Hamburg, Germany. In a half-kilometer from the church there are metro stations Baumwall and Rödingsmarkt, and at a distance of 600 m - St. Pauli.
Visiting this German city, it is necessaryand look in the temple in honor of the archangel. Not only because the church is one of Hamburg's main attractions and its symbol. Architectural appearance, interior and, of course, an observation deck on top - all this deserves the tourist's attention.
Church of St. Michael (Hamburg), by reviewstravelers, will leave an indelible impression in the soul. This magnificent building, so serious outside and delicate inside, is the best place on earth to discover the late Baroque and true Germanic motifs. Many tourists set a goal first of all to visit this temple, and after visiting it, it is recommended to do it to other holiday-makers.