Historical Churches in Leipzig

On Wednesday we visited two of the most historical churches in Leipzig. First we went to the St. Nicholas church which is only about a ten minute walk away from the hostel where we’ve been staying. The exterior shares the gothic theme and colors of the buildings that surround it, although I would say that it much more regal with its towering steeple and large arching windows. While beautiful, I found that the outside was not as striking as its interior. Upon walking in I was immediately struck by the intensity of the pastel palette that adorned every wall and decoration, which seemed more befitting a tea parlor than a church. White pews line either side of the aisle leading to the alter, while Massive rose-colored Greek-Roman columns tower up towards the ceiling with pastel green palms coming out of the top (interesting fact: these columns happen to be identical to a single structure which lies outside the church that was the destination for prayers of peace and justice during the Peaceful Revolution of 1989.) The ceiling itself is a work of art in and of itself with its 3-dimensional patterns in rose and pastel green. Located in the loft above the entrance is an elaborate organ which is decorated with the same Greek-Roman columns, as well as cherub and floral engravings. It was an amazing experience taking a seat in one of the pews and gazing around the room, knowing that Johann Sebastian Bach himself had been inside this church and had premiered his St. John Passion here almost 300 years ago.

The second building we visited was St. Thomas church which was J. S. Bach’s place of employment as appointed cantor from 1723 until his death in 1750. The exterior architecture is quite breathtaking in its late gothic-style. Near the entrance, there is a statue which features a larger-than-life Bach with an obviously smaller-than-life organ behind him. Inside the church, its white walls, dark woodwork and red accents on the ceiling give it a very tasteful beauty. On the wall facing Bach’s statue, there are stain-glass windows from different eras that depict such scenes as the crucifixion and also what appears to be soldiers from WWII. Also, in the loft located in the back of the church is a magnificent organ made of dark wood, which unfortunately we were unable to hear played. The coolest part of this particular visit was being able to place flowers on Bach’s grave. Many people travel from all over the world to St. Thomas church to pay homage to this great classical composer, so I feel quite honored that I can count myself among them.

(Sorry guys! I only have photos of St. Thomas church because I had thought we were not supposed to take pictures in the St. Nicholas church.)