Saint Peter and Paul, Gothic church in Görlitz, Germany.
Saint Peter and Paul is a Gothic church in Görlitz spanning 72 meters long with an 84-meter spire that displays pointed arches and detailed stonework typical of the style. The building features tall windows and intricate carved details throughout its stone structure, creating the soaring interior spaces characteristic of Gothic design.
A late-Romanesque basilica stood here from about 1230; its west front survives, including the stepped portal known as the Bridal Portal. The present hall church was begun in the first decade of the 15th century, and the choir foundation stone was laid in 1423 under Hans Knobloch and Hans Baumgarten. Vaulting was carried out 1490–1497 under Conrad Pflüger, and the roof was completed in 1515.
The 1693 sandstone pulpit is carried by a life-size angel holding a coat of arms, a reminder of its donor, the Leipzig merchant August Kober; the four Evangelists appear on the basket. The 1695 altar by George Heermann of Dresden combines sandstone with polished stucco marble, its main picture echoing Raphael's Transfiguration. The organ front of 1703 has 17 pipes shaped as sun rays, giving the Sonnenorgel its name.
The church stands on a hill above the Lusatian Neisse, and its west front opens onto the old town. The ground beneath the east end slopes away, which is why the builders sank deep foundations and placed the George Chapel as a crypt under the choir; steps lead up to the main portal.
The 1703 organ case by Johann Conrad Büchau survives, but Casparini's instrument does not: it was rebuilt in 1827/28, 1894 and 1926–28. The present organ, with 88 stops on four manuals and pedal, was built by Mathis Orgelbau of Näfels in 1997. Seventeen pipes on the case are set as sun rays, giving the name Sonnenorgel, Sun Organ.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,355 contributors worldwide.
