Church St. Marien in Frankfurt (Oder)

St. Mary’s Church constitutes an essential landmark of Frankfurt (Oder). The hall church with five aisles is considered one of the most beautiful pieces of Northern German brick Gothic architecture. In April 1945 the church sustained considerable damage in the course of the war, having burnt down entirely. After the ruins had been secured in the 50’s, restoration began in 1979. The reconstruction of the large roof carried out in 1996 was an endeavor without equal in Germany. Its most important treasure, however, lies in the three fascinating 12-meter tall glass windows with its vibrant medieval stained glass. The cycle of illustrations tell the stories from Genesis, the life of Christ as well as the legend of the Antichrist in 117 takes. The remaining art treasures saved from the war – comprising a 4.70-meter tall seven-branched bronze candelabrum, a bronze baptismal font of the same height as well as a gold-plated winged altarpiece of outstandingly rich, superb carvings – are put on display in the nearby St. Gertrud’s Church. From 2006 on St. Mary’s has been serving as a sociocultural center and a venue for exhibitions, concerts and the indoor Christmas Fair – a local attraction worth seeing.