St. Nicholas' Church, Neoclassical church near Old Market Square, Potsdam, Germany
St. Nicholas' Church is a neoclassical place of worship in the old town of Potsdam, a few steps from the former market square. The central dome rests on a square floor plan with four solid corner towers, while the main entrance sits behind a colonnade with Corinthian capitals.
After fire destroyed the earlier church, the Prussian king commissioned Karl Friedrich Schinkel to design a replacement, built in stages between 1830 and 1850. Completion of the dome took place after Schinkel's death, overseen by Ludwig Persius and Friedrich August Stüler.
The church is named after Saint Nicholas of Myra, to whom Frederick William I had the 1721–1724 Baroque predecessor dedicated. Today the Evangelical St. Nicholas parish holds services here, and the building also hosts concerts; the church has been open to visitors daily since its re-consecration in 1981.
The viewing platform stands 42 metres up and is reached by 223 steps, so allow time and steady footing for the climb. The church is open to visitors daily, and services or concerts can restrict access to parts of the interior at certain hours.
The Greek-cross plan belongs to Philipp Gerlach's Baroque church of 1721–1724, not to Schinkel's building. The 77-metre dome was added only in 1843–1850 by Persius and Stüler. A climb of 223 steps reaches the viewing platform at 42 metres.
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