The St. Nicholas Church (german: Nikolaikirche) is one of the major churches of central

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

, Germany (in Leipzig`s district Mitte). Construction started in Romanesque style in 1165, but in the 16th century, the church was turned into a Gothic

hall church A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an archi ...

. Baroque elements like the tower were added in the 18th century. In the 18th century, several works by

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

, who was as

Thomaskantor (Cantor at St. Thomas) is the common name for the musical director of the , now an internationally known boys' choir founded in Leipzig in 1212. The official historic title of the Thomaskantor in Latin, ', describes the two functions of cantor a ...

the music director of

Thomaskirche , native_name_lang = , image = Leipzig Thomaskirche.jpg , imagelink = , imagealt = , caption = , pushpin map = , pushpin label position = , pushpin map alt ...

and Nikolaikirche from 1723 to 1750, premiered here. The Neoclassical interior dates to the late 18th century. The church rose to national fame in 1989 with the Monday Demonstrations when it became the centre of peaceful revolt against communist rule. By capacity, it is one of the largest churches in

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

History

Construction of the church began about 1165. It is named after

St. Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...

, patron of travelers and merchants. It was built originally in the Romanesque style (with twin towers) but was extended and enlarged in the early 16th century in the Gothic style. The Baroque main tower was added in 1730; the portal dates from 1759. Notable philosopher and mathematician

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of math ...

was baptized here as an infant on 3 July 1646. From 1784 to 1797 the interior was remodeled by German architect Johann Carl Friedrich Dauthe in the Neoclassical style. The church has been a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

seat since 1539 after the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

, but today the Catholic Church is also allowed to use it. The church saw four of the five performances (including the premiere) of the '' St John Passion'' by

on Good Friday in 1724, 1728, 1732, and 1749, as well as many of his cantatas and

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...

s performed by the

Thomanerchor The Thomanerchor (English: St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) is a boys' choir in Leipzig, Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. The choir comprises about 90 boys from 9 to 18 years of age. The members, called ''Thomaner'', reside in a boarding sch ...

Peaceful demonstrations

From 1989 to 1991, people gathered at St. Nicholas on Monday evenings, leading to spontaneous peaceful protests against the government. Cabaret artist Bernd-Lutz Lange said about the events which started in the St. Nicholas Church:

"There was no head of the revolution. The head was the Nikolaikirche and the body the centre of the city. There was only one leadership: Monday, 5 pm, St. Nicholas Church."

Post-reunification

More recently, the church has been struggling to find the funds for interior restorations which have been ongoing since 1968.

Description

Organ

The church organ was built by

Friedrich Ladegast Friedrich Ladegast (August 30, 1818 – June 30, 1905) was a famous German organ builder. Ladegast was born in Hochhermsdorf (now Hermsdorf), Saxony, to a carpenter and cabinet-maker. He worked first for his brother Christlieb, an organ builder ...

in 1862 with four manuals and 83 stops. Its renovated from mechanical (tracker) action to pneumatic action in the early 20th century by Wilhem Sauer.Die Orgel
Nikokaikirche, Leipzig, retrieved 2 May 2013 2004 Eule Organbuilding (

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Budi ...

) rebuilt the organ to mechanical key action, reconstructed losted stops and added a 5th manual. Now the organ has 103 stops, included the 83 Ladegast-stops. It is the largest organ in Saxony.

Today

The current pastor for the church is Bernhard Stief. Nikolaikirche has a capacity of over 1,400 seats.

References

External links

St. Nicholas Church official website
{{Authority control Nicholas Leipzig Nicholas Leipzig Nicholas Articles containing video clips