Already around 1100 there was a predecessor of today's church, but little is known about it. In 1452 the construction of the present late Gothic hall church was started, but for the benefit of the church St. Peter and Paul building it was abandoned for many years. Finally, the famous architect Wendel Roskopf took over the church and completed it. It was consecrated in 1520. It is Wendel Roskopf's last late Gothic building in Görlitz, before he finally turns to the Renaissance with the Schönhof (today "Schlesisches Museum").
In 1642 the Church of St. Nicholas has been destroyed in the 30 year war. In 1649 the church was rebuilt and destroyed again in the fire of 1717. In the subsequent five-year construction phase, the view of the vault was replaced by a flat ceiling with perspective architectural representations. This ceiling was removed as part of a new redesign. In 1925/26 Prof. Martin Elsaesser turned the interior into a memorial for the fallen of the First World War in the expressionist style. A part of this design fell victim to necessary restoration measures.
Those who come to the Church of St. Nicholas and its churchyard will find a place of contemplation, peace and tranquillity. Since the early 16th century the Church of St. Nicholas has not been a parish church. The stately St. Peter and Paul Church was a place of worship. Thus the Nikolaikirche was then above all burial church. The churchyard around it is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Germany.
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