St. Nikolai Memorial, Hamburg
written by graefin
on September 19th, 2008
(1 vote)
Like many churches in Germany, St. Nikolai has suffered bomb attacks during the Second World War. It remained a ruin after the war to remind following generations that war is the most terrible thing mankind can do. The church was once one of the seven main churches in the city area of Hamburg although it now is a memorial.
The church has been destroyed by bombs in 1943 and because of the great damage done to the nave the rest of the church, except for the spire, was demolished in the 1950s. In the late 1980s friends of the church decided to save what was left of the old church and they founded the “Förderkreis Rettet die Nikolaikirche”. They managed to retrieve old parts of the church that had been carried away to be used as building material and in 2005 an elevator was built inside the old spire. All this was made possible by donations. Nowadays you can use the elevator to “climb” the second highest building in Hamburg.
The thing is damn fast and although I have overcome my fear for elevators I felt a little dizzy when I stepped out of the elevator. But it was worth the ride. The view is AMAZING! You have a complete view over the city. St. Nikolai is the third highest spire in Germany and there are no skyscrapers in Hamburg or other very high buildings that obstruct the view. Besides the architecture of the spire is great. When built in the 1850s they used the Neo-Gothic style which is to be found in the (now) blackened gargoyles and the small ornament decorating the spire.
The entry fee is 3,50€. The church is open all year. Further information: www.mahnmal-st-nikolai.de. Use line U3 direction Barmbek (when coming from the central station) and leave at Rödingsmarkt.
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