Art Work The St. Thomas Church is in possession of rich artwork of different centuries. In the choir room, for example, a triptych altar can be found, which dates back to the 15th century. Originally, this altar stood in the University Church of St. Paul until 1968, at which point the church was destroyed. A baptismal font of alabaster and marble also attracts the visitor's eye. Last, but not least, the richly decorated ribbed vault and the stained-glass windows are worth being looked at.

 

The Altar of St. Paul The richly decorated triptych altar in the choir room dates back to the 15th century. It was designed by an unknown master. Originally, this altar stood in the University Church of St. Paul until 1968, at which point the church was destroyed. The altar consists of two different parts - a festival side (used during the seasons of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost) and a penitential side (used during the seasons of Advent and Lent). Both show illustrations of biblical scenes. On the festival side, you can see the annunciation and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The altar consists of two different parts - a feast side and a lent side. Both show illustrations of biblical scenes. On the feast side you can see the Annunciation and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The penitential side is solely dedicated to Christ's passion. A picture of the apostle Paul in the middle of the altar separates both sides. When the altar is closed, you see Paul preaching and finally being executed by beheading.
 
The whole altar represents the spiritual conviction of the Dominicans, who had already been present in Leipzig's early history. These clergymen, who were also called "Preacher Monks" or "Paul's Monks," gave the University Church of St. Paul and the altar its name.

 
 

Baptismal Font The baptismal font has been in the possession of the St. Thomas Church since 1614. Originally, the font belonged together with a richly decorated wooden lid, which could be let down from the ceiling. The font portrayed the holy sacrament of baptism to the smallest detail.   Today, only the font itself has remained. On its sides, biblical scenes and Psalms are shown.
The fine relief of alabaster and marble still illustrates the masterly work of its original state.

Stained-Glass Windows Originally, the windows of the St. Thomas Church were of simple, ornamental glass. The colorful stained-glass windows in the choir room and at the south side of the church were installed during the neo-Gothic reconstruction at the end of the 19th century.   In the choir room, the windows portray the birth, baptism, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. In May 2000, the only window destroyed by the war was replaced with a window of Doubting Thomas, for whom the St. Thomas Church is named. It was designed by Hans Gottfried von Stockhausen.

The St. Thomas window

Bach-window	At the south side, the windows show the following: a memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I, King Gustav Adolph II of Sweden, Martin Luther with Frederick the Wise of Saxony and Philipp Melanchthon, and Kaiser Wilhelm I.
The two most popular windows certainly are the memorial windows to Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Whereas the first has belonged to the church since 1895, the other one was added in 1997 following another design by Stockhausen.
Mendelssohn-window (1997)

The co-arrangement of white pillars and red decors gives the nave its festive touch. The floral design - which is botanically unambigiously identifiable in most cases - is also of great fascination. It symbolizes the church as the pathway to paradise - as a promise of the next world to come.