Museumsportal Berlin

The church Nikolaikirche is the oldest church building in Berlin. Its history dates back to the time of the foundation of the town in the first half of the 13th century. Originally a main parish church, it was out of service in 1938. During an air raid in 1945, the building except of the perimeter wall was destroyed; from 1980 till 1987, it was carefully reconstructed. The Nikolaikirche is a proof of the life and works of important personalities like Paul Gerhardt, Johann Crüger, Philipp Jacob Spener, Johann Joachim Spalding, or Samuel von Pufendorf. It was also the place of prominent town historical events: Here, in 1809, the first elected city council assembly was consecrated and sworn in; in 1991, the first Gesamtberliner Abgeordnetenhaus (assembly of the re-united Berlin) continued this tradition by holding its first constituent session in the church.
During Baroque, splendid family graves were erected at the fringe chapels and grave monuments on walls and pillars. Thus, Nikolaikirche became, "gradually a pantheon of the houses of Berlin and turned into the noblest memorial site for the historical past of Berlin " (Richard Borrmann, 1893).
The special exhibition documents the construction history of St. Nikolai and its meaning as place of activity and burial place of important personalities.