St.Johns church Meldorf

St. Johannis in Meldorf, often called the Meldorf Cathedral, stands on a geest ridge in Dithmarschen on Schleswig-Holstein’s west coast. The first church was built between 810 and 826 after Charlemagne’s forces Christianised the region. Adam of Bremen’s 11th-century chronicle calls it the mother church of Dithmarschen, the only parish in the area until the 11th century. By 1334 it was valued highest of all Dithmarschen churches, and in 1540 it ranked second only to Wesselburen. Today it houses the district church administration. The present building dates from 1250–1300, when Dithmarschen was effectively independent. As the Bauernrepublik’s assembly place, it hosted arbitration, military reviews, worship and political treaties. In 1524 the Reformation began here under Johannes Bugenhagen’s influence. After a fire in 1866 the tower was rebuilt to 59 metres and the exterior given a neo-Gothic skin. Inside, the central nave’s domed ribbed vaults rise like cupolas over each bay. Inside, fragments of 13th-century wall paintings survive in the vaults, though dim light makes them hard to see. The north transept shows a cycle of biblical scenes arranged in concentric zones, while the high altar’s carved Passion retable, made about 1520, displays scenes of Christ’s trial, carrying the cross, entombment and resurrection. The 1601 Renaissance pulpit carries seven reliefs of Jesus’ life, and the 1602 choir screen, a rare Protestant survival, bears figures of apostles and virtues. The bronze font, cast around 1300, stands on three sculpted supports beneath a carved cover from 1688.