Paulskirche, Gothic Revival church near Pfaffenteich in Schwerin, Germany
Paulskirche is a Gothic Revival church in Schwerin, built of red brick with dark grey roofing. Its tall, slender main spire rises from a square tower with pointed openings and corner pinnacles on the left, while a lower body with a steep roof connects to a transept and a rounded apse-like end. Three shorter towers with dark pointed roofs stand further right. The facade has tall pointed-arch windows and a large circular window.
The building was constructed between 1863 and 1869 under architect Theodor Krüger's direction, following the Eisenach Regulation guidelines that shaped church design across the era. These regulations influenced the style and liturgical orientation of many such buildings during this period.
The five choir windows follow a programme devised by Theodor Kliefoth, running from Paradise to the Last Judgment; their titles are inscribed below on tapestry patterns. The cartoons were drawn by Gustav Stever, the glass made by Ernst Gillmeister, and the windows were restored in 1995–96 with protective glazing. The pulpit carries six carved figures: the four Evangelists, Moses and Paul.
The church stands on a raised hill above the Pfaffenteich, and its south front is aligned on a deliberate sightline toward the main portal facade of Schwerin Castle. The building is a protected monument and, since 2024, part of the Schwerin Residenzensemble UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors should arrange access with the Friedenskirchengemeinde parish.
Inside sits a Friedrich Friese III organ with 31 registers across two manuals and pedals, preserved in its original 19th-century condition. This instrument represents the high level of organ craftsmanship practiced in Germany during that era.
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