St. Petri or St. Peterīs Church is about 800 years old; it was first
mentioned in 1170 along with the St. Maryīs Church (st. Marienkirche). The construction took
several decades and a lot of human lives. The citizens of Luebeck decided to build their church
in gothic style. Over the centuries the church changed a lot due to extensions which were
added after the main built.
St. Peterīs Church is 108 m high, 60 m long, 40 m wide, and there is a viewing platform
at the height of 50 m. Most of the church is made out of brick. In 1935, a lift
was added to the platform. During the World War II, Luebeck became a military
target and was attacked by the British air force. The church was nearly
destroyed, like many of the other historical buildings in Luebeck. But the
city was saved by the Red Cross, when Luebeck became their base camp.
Shortly after the attack, the community of the St. Peterīs Church faded away. The
Church nearly became a shopping centre. Fortunately, the church district decided
to rebuild it. The church was reconstructed between 1948 and 1987. After all this
hard work the shape of the Petri Church looks like it does today. Since the
reconstruction of the church, it is used for special events and as a tourist
attraction. The suicide of a person, who jumped down from the platform, made
it necessary to increase security measures. Now there is a wire fence to hinder
jumping off the tower.