St. Nicholas Church: 60 Unique Clocks and Altars
Whenin the middle of the XIII century Lübeck’s claims to supremacy in the Baltic Seabecame more significant than Stralsund’s claims, the latter’s residents decidedto take a kind of revenge: building a more beautiful church than their rival.So in the 1270's the Gothic Church of St. Nicholas appeared in Stralsund. It consistsof 65 types of bricks! The interiors of the church include a Gothic painting ofthe XIV-XV centuries, the Renaissance pulpit, three organs- the oldest in theBaltic region, but non-functioning astronomical clock of 1394 with portraits ofscientists.
The 12-meter-high wooden altarof the Church of St. Nicholas with hundreds of carved sculptures surely looksimpressive. All the other 60 altars of the church have been assigned to aparticular guild or nobles. One altar was given to Novgorod’s merchants, whohad a guild in Stralsund. The flipside of the altar is decorated with images ofprotein hunting scenes in the Russian forests and themes of Novgorod. The driedspiny dogfish, suspended from the ceiling, is another fauna decoration.According to legend, this shark appeared in the basement of the Town Hall duringthe flood. Boards from another altar were preserved, depicting trade scenes betweenRussian and Hanseatic merchants.
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