History
The
historic beginning of the St. Thomas Church is closely connected with medieval
Leipzig and the March Meissen. In 1160, Margrave Otto the Rich of Meissen
granted a city charter to the Castle of Libzi and the settlement around it. Excavations
in the choir room and the crossing of the church have
uncovered
the foundation walls of a church dating back to the same period. It is believed
to be the church of the Augustinian monastery founded in 1212 by Margrave
Dietrich.
Some of these historical walls can still be seen in the
choir room of the St. Thomas Church today.
| | | Ground-plan
including foundations of the basilica and the choir about 1213/1222 |
In
the middle of the 14th century, the choir room was rebuilt - one can almost
say newly built. In 1355, the consecration of the main altar and the new cross
altar ended the reconstruction process.
At the end of the 15th
century, the Romanesque nave was pulled down and replaced by a late-Gothic
church-hall. The roof truss, which still exists today, carries one of the steepest
roofs in Germany. It was an architectural masterpiece of its time. With the exception
of the tower, which was completed in its present shape in 1702, the architecture
of today's St. Thomas Church has not changed since the end of the 15th century.
The
wealth generated by commercial trade ensured that the church was continually adapted
according to the style of the times.
From 1884 to 1889, the St.
Thomas Church went through its most radical architectural renovation. The entire
church was stripped of its baroque style, which dated from Bach's tenure of office,
and was converted into the neo-Gothic style you still see today.
| | | view
of the roof |
At the west front, the main portal was added.
Since then, it has been the dominating outside part of the St. Thomas Church
|
 | | St.
Thomas Church about 1900 |
The following renovation between
1961 and 1964 mainly focused on accentuating the late-Gothic style of the
church.
After the reunification of the two German countries in 1990,
the St. Thomas Church was able to realize a total restoration process badly needed
after 100 years of neglect. The project was finished on July 28th, 2000
for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Bach's death. The tower
regained its baroque appearance. The renovation included the installation of the
new Bach-Organ.
St.
Thomas Church and Former School of the St. Thomas Boy Choir | | | |
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