St. Nicholas Church | |
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Nikolaikirche | |
![]() Nikolaikirche in 2012 | |
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Location | Leipzig |
Country | Germany |
Denomination | Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony |
Previous denomination | Catholic |
Website | nikolaikirche.de |
Architecture | |
Style | Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical (interior) |
Groundbreaking | c. 1165 |
Specifications | |
Capacity | 1,400+ |
The St. Nicholas Church (German: Nikolaikirche) is one of the major churches of central Leipzig, 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. Baroque elements like the tower were added in the 18th century.
In the 18th century, several works by Johann Sebastian Bach, who was as Thomaskantor the music director of Thomaskirche 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.