Hamburg's main churches

The spires of the five main churches of Hamburg are known to every Hamburg citizen — they have shaped the silhouette of the city for centuries, and are a visual symbol of "home". Although the number of multi-storey buildings in Hamburg is increasing, the spires still provide points of orientation on the skyline. The term 'main church' is only used in Hamburg, and come from the medieval period, to a period when there really were only four churches in Hamburg (St. Michaelis came later, after the Neustadt (new city) was founded). As the city grew, additional churches were built, which then effectively served as “branches” of the main churches, leaving us with the term 'main church' to this day. Their historical significance, their prominent location in the middle of the city, and their remarkable church spaces means they are, still today, charged in the Main Church Statute with being “churches for the whole city, to make the city aware of the church and the church aware of the city, as well as speaking with the voice of faith”.