St. Mary's Church, Stralsund
St. Mary's Church is a large Lutheran church located in Stralsund, northern Germany. Built some time before 1298, it is architecturally Gothic, an example of the brick gothic style prevalent in northern Germany. Between 1549 and 1647, it was the tallest building in the world at tall, excepting the interval 1569–1573 between the completion and collapse of the tower of Beauvais Cathedral.
The bell tower collapsed in 1382, and was rebuilt by 1478. In 1495, the steeple tower blew down during a severe storm, and was then rebuilt taller. This was subsequently struck by lightning in 1647, and burned down, and was rebuilt as a baroque dome, which, completed in 1708, can be seen today. The tower is currently tall.
The main organ built by Friedrich Stellwagen between 1653 and 1659 is one of the famous large baroque organs in Europe.
