Berlin - St Nicholas Church

(Local Name: Nikolaikirche) In the very center of the Nikolaiviertel stands the Nikolaikirche, Berlin's oldest sacred building. The original building, a Romanesque basilica, was built about 1230 and dedicated to St Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers and merchants. Archaeological investigations in 1956-57 brought to light parts of its foundations, and churchyard remains including about 100 skeletons (a grave can be seen inside; the ground plan is marked out with tiles). A brick-built, triple-naved hall church with saddle roof and twin towers was completed on this site in 1470. The interior was renewed by F. W. Langhans in 1817 and again renovated in 1877-80. This building suffered severe damage during the Second World War. The Chapel of the Virgin Mary with its beautiful stepped gable dates from 1452. The rich furnishings of the interior were also destroyed in Second World War bombing raids; however, remains of Late Medieval wall-paintings have been discovered in the choir. The furnishings still to be seen, mainly post-reformation epitaphs, are in part reconstructions. For example the Kötteritz Chapel, a Late Renaissance masterpiece (only partially restored) and the Krautsche Monument, one of the most beautiful 18th C. monuments in Berlin. Also worth seeing are the monument to Daniel Männlich by Andreas Schlüter and the epitaphs to Paul Schultheiss and Johann Zeideler, both Renaissance works. Buried in the Nikolaikirche are the naturalist Samuel Pufendorf (1632-94) and the Pietist Philipp Jakob Spener (1635-1705). From 1657-66 Paul Gerhardt (1607-76), the author of numerous Lutheran hymns, was a minister at the church. Since being rebuilt, the church has served mainly as a concert hall and for exhibitions. A department of the Märkisches Museum, which is housed here, shows the history of Berlin from the Middle Ages to the Thirty Years' War. The exhibits include the oldest Berlin Town Seal still in existence (1280), a drinking vessel in the shape of a bear (the only surviving piece from the municipal silver), court documents, sacred sculptures including the "Spandau Madonna" (c. 1290) and 16th/17th C. gold jewelry.

Lessing House

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing lived from 1752-55 in No. 10 (now No. 7) Nikolaikirchplatz. It was there that he wrote the comedy "Minna von Barnhelm". The original building gave way to a new one in 1870 and has now been reconstructed.