Nürnberg is part of the federal state of Bavaria. Traditionally the Roman-Catholic church has the most members there but in Nürnberg the situation is different: The city belongs to a region called Franken and the city was independent until the year 1806 when it became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Mittelfranken and Oberfranken, but especially the city of Nürnberg are Protestant areas and therefore the two most impressive churches of the city also belong to Protestantism.
Lorenzkirche
St. Lorenz is a beautiful Gothic-style church with two towers and located south of the river Pegnitz. It dates back to the 13th century and has beautiful glass windows and rich decorations; it’s obvious that it was originally built as a Roman-Catholic church. The place is named after Saint Lawrence who was tortured on a large gridiron over hot coal. Now he is the saint of cooks and chefs…
Sebalduskirche
St. Sebald is the Protestant church north of river Pegnitz. The church dates back to the 13th century and has been converted to a Protestant church in 1525. It contains the grave of Saint Sebald, the patron saint of the city – that’s special because the relics of a Roman-Catholic saint are kept in a Protestant church. Sebaldus was a hermit and it is said that he was the son of a Danish king, engaged with a French princess. He gave that all up to become a missionary after a pilgrimage to Roma.
Frauenkirche
If you want to see a Roman-Catholic church in contrast you can head to the Hauptmarkt where you will find the Gothic-style church Unserer Lieben Frau. It was built by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and consacred in 1358.
Nürnberg
Germany
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