Gertrudenkapelle, Gothic chapel in Wolgast, Germany.
Gertrudenkapelle is a brick Gothic chapel in Wolgast designed to mirror the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The interior features a central support column that holds a star-vaulted ceiling, creating a distinctive twelve-sided space built entirely of brick.
Duke Wartislaw IX commissioned the chapel in 1420 after returning from the Holy Land, and it marked the end of a long processional path through town. Later it served as a hospital chapel, one of only a few from that era that survived in the region.
The chapel served as a place where pilgrims could pray without traveling to the Holy Land, reflecting how medieval people expressed their faith through built spaces. It shows the importance of pilgrimage routes and sacred architecture in the daily spiritual life of the region.
The chapel sits in the old town center and is easily reached on foot with nearby parking options available. Access to the building is level, and while exterior views are always accessible, interior visits depend on local opening hours.
The chapel was more than a religious building, it was a display of the duke's wealth and power shown through its elaborate brick architecture. Its precise recreation of Jerusalem's holy site made it a destination for people who could never make the pilgrimage to the actual location.
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