St Peter's Church, Gothic church in Altstadt-Süd, Cologne, Germany

St Peter's Church is a late Gothic brick church in Cologne's Altstadt-Süd, built between 1512 and 1533 on the foundations of Roman baths and a Romanesque predecessor. Its long side wall has tall pointed-arch windows, and a square west tower from 1170 with a steep pyramidal roof stands at one end. Inside, clustered piers carry ribbed vaulting, with a side chapel, a large stained-glass window and a dark pulpit.

The western tower dates from the 12th century, but the main structure was built in the early 16th century following Gothic design. The entire church was destroyed in World War II but was reconstructed in the decades following the war.

The church is named after the apostle Peter, and visitors today see a large Rubens painting depicting the Crucifixion that has long formed a focal point of the interior.

The church is run by the Jesuits and serves as a centre for contemporary art, music and literature alongside its services. Enter from the street side; the Rubens and Schut altarpieces hang inside, and the surviving medieval font and Baroque wrought-iron grille are among the few old furnishings. Check the Kunst-Station programme before visiting, as concerts and exhibitions can close parts of the interior.

The Rubens altarpiece shows the Crucifixion of St Peter, not the saint in a generic dramatic scene. Cologne collector Eberhard Jabach commissioned it in 1638, and it was hung in the church in 1642, after Rubens' death. Rubens himself had been baptised in this church, and his father was later buried here.