Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church)
Soaring flying buttresses and towering windows seem to dwarf the rest of the rest of Lübeck, all the more so since this remarkable assemblage rises on the highest point in the Altstadt. One of Germany’s most remarkable and picturesque churches was an easy mark for World War II bombers, who leveled the bell towers in 1942, inadvertently creating a conversation piece—the shattered bells remain embedded in the church floor, a testament to the horror and ludicrousness of war. You may contemplate this as you sit in the soaring nave, with the world’s tallest brick vaulting, enjoying one of the summertime organ concerts, a tradition established by esteemed 18th-century master organist Dietrich Buxtehude. Just outside the entrance a rather cherubic devil with shiny horns polished by the touch of many hands sits atop a block of stone. Legend has it that the workers building the cathedral told the devil they were constructing a winestub, and the devil gladly joined in the construction, knowing the establishment would help bring many souls over to the dark side. When Satan realized he had been duped he attempted to smash the walls with the stone, but workers appeased him by pointing out that the rathskeller in the adjoining Rathaus would send him many clients.
Soaring flying buttresses and towering windows seem to dwarf the rest of the rest of Lübeck, all the more so since this remarkable assemblage rises on the highest point in the Altstadt. One of Germany’s most remarkable and picturesque churches was an easy mark for World War II bombers, who leveled the bell towers in 1942, inadvertently creating a conversation piece—the shattered bells remain embedded in the church floor, a testament to the horror and ludicrousness of war. You may contemplate this as you sit in the soaring nave, with the world’s tallest brick vaulting, enjoying one of the summertime organ concerts, a tradition established by esteemed 18th-century master organist Dietrich Buxtehude. Just outside the entrance a rather cherubic devil with shiny horns polished by the touch of many hands sits atop a block of stone. Legend has it that the workers building the cathedral told the devil they were constructing a winestub, and the devil gladly joined in the construction, knowing the establishment would help bring many souls over to the dark side. When Satan realized he had been duped he attempted to smash the walls with the stone, but workers appeased him by pointing out that the rathskeller in the adjoining Rathaus would send him many clients.
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