St. Nicolas Church

St Nicholas Cathedral stands on the edge of Stendal’s old town centre in the Altmark region of Saxony-Anhalt. Built of brick in the Gothic style, it rises above the surrounding streets with its two surviving medieval towers. The church began as a collegiate foundation in 1188 under Margrave Otto II and his brother Heinrich. Originally a basilica, it was rebuilt in the 15th century as a hall church with three transepts and an extended choir. After wartime damage in April 1945, the building was restored and completed again in 2013. Its greatest treasure is the set of 22 late-medieval stained-glass windows. Made between 1425 and 1480, they were removed before the 1945 bombing and so escaped harm. The windows were restored in the 19th century and remain the cathedral’s most admired feature. The building also preserves the twin towers from the original basilica, standing as landmarks above the town. Inside, the hall church offers a broad nave and extended choir with Gothic vaulting. Visitors walk past the transepts and can stand beneath the high windows to see the coloured light fall on the stone. The surrounding streets lead back to Stendal’s market square, where the cathedral’s silhouette remains a familiar sight.