St. Michaelis, Lüneburg
St. Michaelis is one of the main churches in Lüneburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was first an abbey church of the former monastery of Benedictines, built from 1376 in brick Gothic style. It became Lutheran during the Reformation. Johann Sebastian Bach was for two years a pupil at the school of St. Michaelis. History St. Michaelis was built as an abbey church of the former monastery of Benedictines. The present church followed three former buildings. Its corner stone was laid on 14 July 1376 in the presence of Bishop Heinrich von Verden, who was bishop from 1367 to 1381. A lower church was consecrated in 1379. The upper church was finished in 1412, the steeple in 1434. The building was erected as a hall church in brick Gothic style. The parish became Lutheran during the Reformation. The monastery became in 1532 a rare community of Protestant men who practised celibacy and common housing. The roof of the steeple was damaged in a storm in 1746, and a new top was erected between 1761 and 1767. At the end of the 18th century, a remodeling of the interior was performed by architect Wilhelm Meissner, during which the medieval furnishings were lost.