St. Mary's Church, Gothic church in Stralsund, Germany
St. Mary's Church is a red brick church building in Stralsund, Germany, featuring three naves, a transept and an ambulatory surrounded by chapels. The tower rises 104 meters (341 feet) above street level, while the nave extends approximately 100 meters (328 feet) in length.
Construction began in the 13th century as part of Stralsund's development into a Hanseatic trading center. A lightning strike in 1647 destroyed the spire that had been the world's tallest structure since 1549.
The church is dedicated to Mary, a common patron in Hanseatic trading cities. The south-side Apollonienkapelle was founded in 1416 as penance for three priests burned at the stake by Stralsund citizens in the Papenbrand thom Sunde. Inside the tower, a preserved treadwheel once powered a hoist for building materials.
The tower, now 104 metres (341 ft) tall, can be climbed; from the top the view reaches over Stralsund and the surrounding area as far as Rügen. Inside the tower a treadwheel used for hoisting building materials is preserved. The church stands on the Neuer Markt in the old town.
The flying buttresses remain hidden beneath the side aisle roofs, creating a smoother exterior silhouette than most Gothic structures display. This technique was a northern German brick innovation rarely seen elsewhere in Europe.
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