St Nikolai Church

The City's Oldest Church

St Nikolai Church was founded around 1242, roughly at the same time as the city of Kiel itself, making it the oldest surviving building in the state capital. As a three-aisled Gothic brick hall church, it has shaped the Alter Markt for centuries. It was severely hit in 1944 during the Second World War, and reconstruction continued into the 1950s. During the rebuild, some historicising details were deliberately omitted in favour of the plain brick architecture. Thus the church today combines medieval fabric with traces of the fresh start after destruction.

Barlach's Spirit Fighter

In front of the portal stands the "Geistkämpfer" (Spirit Fighter) by Ernst Barlach, one of the best-known bronze sculptures of northern German modernism. Created in 1928, the figure shows a winged man wrestling down a beast-like creature - a symbol of the triumph of the spirit over base instinct. The Nazis removed the work in 1937 as "degenerate", yet it survived the war despite being threatened with melting down, and later returned to its place. Today the Spirit Fighter is regarded as a landmark of Kiel's old town and one of the city's most photographed artworks.

Treasures Inside

Inside St Nikolai Church it is worth looking at the late-Gothic winged altarpiece, a bronze baptismal font from the 14th century and a carved Renaissance pulpit. These artworks survived war and reconstruction and bear witness to the long history of the congregation. The church is regularly open during the day and invites quiet contemplation. Concerts and services fill the space with sound. As St Nikolai stands right on the Alter Markt, a visit combines perfectly with a stroll through the old town and a break in one of the surrounding cafés.