Nikolaikirche - In Search of Berlins Historic Churches

Once again, in our search for Berlin’s historic churches and cathedrals, we were met with the contrasts that define Berlin.

Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas’ Church) sits in charming section of Berlin called Nikolaiviertel (St. Nicholas Quarter) located along the banks of the Spree River.  This small medieval looking area is a lovely place to stroll, relax with a beer or shop.  But don’t be fooled.  With the exception of one or two restored buildings, the Nikolaiviertel consists of replicas of historic buildings.  Most of the medieval quarter was destroyed during WWII, so redevelopment was carried out by the East German government from 1979-1987.

Knowing that this oldest part of Berlin was virtually demolished, it is even more amazing to me that while bombed into ruin, enough of the medieval Nikolaikirche survived to eventually be restored in 1987 for us to visit today.

The Nikolaikirche is the oldest sacred structure in historic Berlin.  The original church was built on this site around 1230 when Berlin received its official city charter.  What remains of this building is the massive base of the two-tower west-work (tower), which dates from 1300.

The present triple nave structure was built with a cross vault in 1380.  Construction on the nave continued until the mid-15th century creating a magnificent Gothic red-brick hall-church (similar to Marienkirche) with a row of side chapels.

The Marienkapelle to the right of the tower was added in 1452. In 1876 a second tower, with two spires, was added by Hermann Blankenstein.  The tower spires you see today were restored to this design. During this period, Blankenstein also unfortunately removed most of the church’s Baroque decorative elements. 

The Baroque pulpit from is from 1714.

The bronze baptismal font is from 1398

Originally Roman Catholic, the Church of St. Nicholas became a Lutheran church after the Protestant Reformation in 1539.  During the Reformation the first Protestant public worship service in Brandenburg was held here as Elector Joachim II sided with the anti-Papists at the time and supported Martin Luther’s reforms.

The permanent exhibition “From the Foundations to the Twin Spires” adds to your visit experience. Art works, funerary art, liturgical items and interactive displays tell visitors about the history of this medieval church building and the early history of the city.  You can also walk up to the organ loft to get an up-close of the organ and a fabulous view of the nave.

While I mourned the loss of its lavish Baroque interior and later war destruction, the sense of magnificent space and the interesting artifacts make a visit to Nikolaikirche a must for your itinerary.

Click here to find out more about how to visit Nikolaikirche!