St. Gotthardtkirche - church

The parish church of Saint Gotthardt is located in the Old Town of Brandenburg an der Havel. It bears the name of Bishop Godehard von Hildesheim, who died in 1038 and was canonised just before the start of construction of the church. The western building with a tower, which can be climbed by visitors every day, dates back to the 12th century. Today’s church nave was built in the 15th century as a three-aisle Gothic brick church. Due to its rich and varied interior, including its pulpit and unicorn carpet, St. Gotthardt’s Church is one of the most important sacred buildings in the Mark Brandenburg region. The sandstone pulpit is a work by Georg Zimmermann, who was based in Nuremberg, and was completed in 1623. Above the nave of the church sits a triumphal crucifixion group. The late-Gothic carvings, from around 1500, use the symbol of the tree of life. The first Reformation altar in the Mark Brandenburg region dates back to 1559 and the individual images depict the development of the Reformation. The choir features late-Gothic figures, which are thought to have originated from altars in the earlier church. People have been worshipping and attending ecclesiastical musical events in St. Gotthardt’s Church for over 800 years. Vicco von Bülow (Loriot) was baptised in this church in 1923.