Église Saint-Jacques à Stralsund, Gothic church in Stralsund, Germany
Saint James Church in Stralsund is a seven-bay, three-aisle pillar basilica of monastery-format red brick, with five-bay side halls and chapels flanking the nave and a straight-ended choir instead of an apse. Its west tower rises 68.10 m to the tip of the spires, 57 m without them; the nave is 47 m long and 24.60 m high, the aisles 16.10 m. The tower's pointed-arch windows carry stone tracery, and the west facade uses glazed bricks.
The church was first documented in 1303 and underwent construction throughout the 14th century. Local residents contributed thousands of bricks to the project, playing a key role in completing this monumental structure.
The church is used as a cultural church today. Inside, the baroque altar and Lucht's pulpit survive, and part of the organ front remains. Since 1955 a Gustav Adolf room has occupied the gallery in the tower. Cultural events tied to city life take place here.
The church sits in the center of Stralsund's old town and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors should note that opening times vary by season, with different schedules between summer and winter months.
The tower's west piers lean because of the poor building ground; they were built into the 15th-century tower, finished around 1488, and the tilt is still visible today. In 1955 a Gustav Adolf room was set up on the tower gallery.
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