Dortmund Petrikirche — St. Petri Church

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The Dortmund Petrikirche (St. Petri Church) in Dortmund is one of four medieval town churches of the Dortmund city center. It was built in 1322 as a gothical hall church and lies in the western part of downtown.

Despite the moving history with many destructions, the Dortmund Petrikirche has been reconstructed in its original architectural style.

Earthquakes, storms and lightning strikes caused damage to tower and central ship again and again in the course of history. After total destruction in 1759, St. Petri was finally rebuilt again, with classical baroque elements and lofts.

It then received the flandric carving altar, which was originally manufactured 1521 for the Dortmund Franciscan monastery. You can still admire this object of interest.

On 23 May 1943, with the air raid on Dortmund, St. Petri was destroyed again up to the foundation walls. Fortunately, the altar remained undestroyed due to its evacuation. Dortmund Petrikirche was again rebuilt in their original form from 1954 to 1966.

Dortmund Petrikirche

Large

In its clarity and brightness, the church has today its own space atmosphere in the ensemble of the other Dortmund town churches.

Today, the most imposing work of art, which kept in Dortmund from the Middle Ages, stands in St. Petri Church. It concerns the largest Flemic altar of the Middle Ages, one of the largest church picture-work of the gothic at all, and around one of the most pictureful plastic works of art of Europe.

The number of the representations is so large that a pair wing was not sufficient, on the contrary two pair wing was created. Thus it is possible to show the wing altar in three different conditions, so-called "transformations."

However, the people in the Middle Ages could only rarely see the pictures, because the wing altar was predominantly closed. It was only opened to special liturgical causes. The with hundreds of gilded figures equipped inside, after which the wing altar is designated also gladly "the golden miracle," was to be seen at only few church holidays.

The wing altar of Dortmund Petrikirche counts with 7.4m (24.3ft.) opened width and 5.6m (18.4ft.) height to the largest Antwerpen carving altars.

OK, Petrikirche covered. Let's go to Westfalenpark next...

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