St. Mary's Church

Stralsund, Germany

No longer standing

Demolished or destroyed.

Wheelchair access: Partly accessible

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

Find out more

St. Mary's Church in Stralsund, northern Germany, is a monumental Lutheran church built before 1380 that exemplifies the Brick Gothic style characteristic of the Baltic region. Originally rising to 151 metres, it held the distinction of being the world's tallest building between 1548 and 1647 (excepting a brief interval when Beauvais Cathedral's tower stood taller before its collapse). The structure experienced significant damage over the centuries: its bell tower collapsed in 1382 and was reconstructed by 1478; the steeple was blown down in a 1495 storm and rebuilt higher, only to be struck by lightning in 1647. The resulting fire necessitated reconstruction of the tower as a baroque dome, completed in 1708, which stands today at 104 metres. The church houses a celebrated baroque organ built by Friedrich Stellwagen between 1653 and 1659, counted among Europe's finest large organs. Recognized as integral to Stralsund's historic center, the church was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002.