St. Matthew, Gothic church building in Leipzig, Germany
St. Matthew was a Gothic church building in Leipzig featuring a two-nave hall structure with late Gothic design elements, completed in 1494. The building displayed characteristic features of the period, including pointed arches and ribbed vaults typical of its architectural style.
The building was founded after 1230 as a Franciscan church dedicated to the Holy Spirit and underwent complete transformation into Gothic style in 1488. Following the Reformation, it served briefly as a merchant storage facility before returning to religious use in the following centuries.
The church served as a major center for liturgical music in Leipzig, drawing musicians and worshippers to its services. Its role in the spiritual life of the city was deeply woven into the local religious traditions over many centuries.
The building no longer exists today, as it was destroyed in 1943 during an air raid on Leipzig. Visitors can find historical information about the site in local archives and museums that document the city's wartime losses.
The church housed a three-manual organ built by the renowned Hermann Eule organ workshop in 1939, designated as Opus 220. This instrument was destroyed along with the building and represented one of the final large organ commissions from this celebrated workshop before the war.
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