St. Martin's church (Landshut)
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Martin in Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...

is a medieval church in that German city. St. Martin's Church, along with Trausnitz Castle
Trausnitz Castle
Trausnitz Castle is a medieval castle situated in Landshut, Bavaria in Germany. It was the home of the Wittelsbach dynasty, and it served as their ducal residence for Lower Bavaria from 1255–1503, and later as hereditary rulers of the whole of Bavaria...

 and the celebration of the Landshuter Hochzeit (wedding), are the most important landmarks and historical events of Landshut. This Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic
Brick Gothic is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea that do not have natural rock resources. The buildings are essentially built from bricks...

 church is the tallest church in Bavaria and the tallest brick building and church, and 2nd tallest brick structure in the world (after Anaconda Smelter Stack
Anaconda Smelter Stack
The Anaconda Smelter Stack is a radial brick smoke stack, once part of the Anaconda Smelter at Anaconda, Montana in the United States. The stack rests on a concrete foundation and measures 585 feet 1.5 inches high. The inside diameter of the stack is at the bottom and at the top...

), made without steel supports, with a height of 130.6 metres (428 ft).

History

In the year 1204, the town of Landshut was founded by Duke Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...

 the Kelheimer. He established Castle Trausnitz and built a small church on the site of the present-day St. Martin's Church. That structure was superseded by building the existing church, which began in 1389.
It took about 110 years to finish the church. During this period, five architects managed the building site. It took 55 years just to build the tower. The church was finally dedicated in 1500.

Features

The choir elbow cross of 1495 has an overall length of 8 m (22 feet). The crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....

 is one of the largest of the late Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

 period. The body was carved from a lime tree trunk and has a length of 5.80 m (16 feet) and an arm width of 5.40 m (15 feet). Made by Michael Erhard, it was installed in 1495.

Other important works of art in the church include the high altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...

, the hexagonal pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...

 carved from a single stone, and the "rose wreath/ring Madonna" (about 1520), created by Hans Leinberger and considered one of his most important works of art.

Construction and renovations

Construction of the church began around 1389, under the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

 Hans von Burghausen. The exact date for the beginning of construction of the church is not well known, but its construction was first noted in the city chronicle in 1392. The building was completed in 1500.

The church was built from brick and mortar
Brick and mortar
Brick and mortar in its most simplest usage is used to describe the physical presence of a building or other structure...

. Five thousand wooden stakes were used for the foundation. The stakes are located completely in the groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...

, in order to delay rot caused by bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...

.

With a height of 130.6 m (428 feet), the church tower is considered to be the tallest brick building in the world, surpassing the Church of Our Lady, Bruges
Church of Our Lady, Bruges
The Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.Its tower, at 122.3 meters in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world The Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th,...

, in Belgium by 8.6 meters. In the year 2001, St. Martin's Church received the title of basilica minor from the Pope
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

 in Rome.

The church is built in Gothic style, demonstrated by the pointed shape of its windows and arches.

External links

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