Marienkirche

The Marienkirche stands in the heart of Wismar’s old town, between the market square and the former ducal residence. It was once the main parish and council church of this historic Hanseatic city. The first wooden church on this site dates from the 1220s, and by 1260–70 a grand hall church with a west tower rose in its place. The tower, still standing today, was originally part of a much larger building that stretched 36 metres wide and 16 metres high under its vaults. The church’s long history is marked by ambitious building phases. After a fire in the 14th century, the choir was rebuilt as a basilican apse with a ring of chapels by master builder Johann Grote. By 1353 the new choir was consecrated, and work began on converting the nave into a basilica. By 1375 the nave reached 32.2 metres high, matching the style of Lübeck’s Marienkirche. Later additions included a three-storey tower extension topped with a copper-clad spire that once reached about 120 metres. Visitors today find only the tower and its two side chapels remaining from the medieval church. The outline of the vanished nave is marked by low walls on the ground. Inside the tower base, a medieval chapel once served the Bergen merchants. The bronze font, cast around 1335, now stands in the nearby Nikolaikirche, while the tower itself serves as a navigation mark for shipping.