The Nikolaikirche is a church northwest of the old town in Görlitz named after St. Nicholas, the patron saint of merchants. The church is just around the corner from the home we are renovating in the quiet neighborhood of Nikolaivorstadt. It sits at the foot of the historic Nikolaifriedhof graveyard and the larger city cemetery.
It’s also one of the oldest churches in the city – a church has existed in this spot since 1100. In 1452 building of the late Gothic style church began but slowed down and stalled in favor of the building of the Peterskirche within the city walls.
In 1516 Wendel Roßkopf the Elder took over the building of the church. He was a master builder and town councilman in Görlitz- most notably he built the Schönhof (current home to the Silesian Museum) and designed the archives wing of the town hall.
In 1520 the new Nikolaikirche was consecrated but would unluckily be burned down twice: in 1642 during the Thirty Years’ War and in 1717 during the town fire.
Most of the citizens of Görlitz attended the Peterskirche after its consecration in 1497 and the Nikolaikirche served mostly as a burial church for the city. The Nikolaifriedhof (cemetery) is one of the oldest and most beautiful in Germany and happens to be one of my favorite places for a peaceful walk in the city!
While the interior of the Nikolaikirche isn’t typical and appears in some ways to be incomplete, it serves a different purpose today. In 1925/26 the interior of the church was transformed into a memorial to the fallen Protestant soldiers of World War I. The memorial was designed by Prof. M. Elsässer in expressionist style and lists the names of the city’s fallen on the walls.
The Nikolaikirche is open to visitors in March through October with a €2 entrance fee. Entrance to the cemetery is free and you can read more about it here.
Click here to find out more about the other historic churches in Görlitz!