Stralsund City Pilgrim Path

1 – Pilgrimage Church of St. James

No church in Stralsund was as often caught in the crossfire as St. James. The youngest of the three parish churches dates from the 14th century and has always been a place of pilgrimage. During the siege of Wallenstein, 30 cannonballs hit it, and in 1650 and 1662 lightning struck and destroyed the tower. During the Nordic War, at least 40 cannonballs penetrated its walls. In the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a “respite”: St. James' Church was repaired and lavishly furnished. In 1877, the organ built by Friedrich Albert Mehmel was inaugurated. But in 1944, during the bombing of Stralsund, St. James' Church was severely damaged again. The church was restored during the GDR era, but it was also used as a church building yard. Today it is under the organization of the district deaconry and exhibitions and cultural events take place in it. In 2020, a mostly new organ was built by the Wegscheider company, making it the largest organ in Stralsund.

Directions: Coming out of the Jakobi Church, turn left and then left again, past the church nave, turn right into Jacobichorstraße – follow it over Langenstraße and over Frankenstraße, diagonally right into the Priegnitz lane. At Frankenwall, turn left. The Catholic parish church and courtyard are located about 100 meters further on the left-hand side.

2 – Holy Trinity Catholic Church

The Reformation spread so strongly in Stralsund that the large churches of St. Nicholas, St. Mary's and St. James' were now Protestant. During the period of Swedish rule, which was dominated by the Protestant faith (1628–1823), the Catholics of Stralsund were initially left without their own place of worship. Nevertheless, the small group founded a mission. The Swedish king intended to give his mercenaries, many of whom came from Catholic countries, a place for their religious services. As a result, construction of the church on Frankenstraße began in 1784. When it was consecrated a year later, it had 200 members, including many soldiers, as well as merchants and artists from other countries and regions. Soon the church had to be enlarged and the reconstruction in 1905 gave it its present appearance. A planned tower failed due to lack of funding. Today the parish of St. Bernhard (Stralsund, Rügen, Demmin) has around 6500 members.

Directions: Turn left in front of the Catholic parish and walk a few meters to the roundabout. Turn left again into “Wasserstraße”. The gable of the Heilgeist Church is located on the opposite side.

3 – Heilgeist Church

This place of worship, together with the neighboring building and the residential buildings behind it, forms the former municipal hospital. Originally, it was a shelter for the poor, weak, needy and, of course, sick. The Stralsund Hospital was built in the immediate vicinity of the harbor from 1325 to 1329 and consisted of a house for the poor, small half-timbered stalls and a place of worship. Since the hospital was located outside the city walls, it was repeatedly destroyed throughout history. Although parts of the church date back to the Middle Ages, such as the Gothic west wall, its present form dates from the 19th century. The church does not have its own tower; a ridge turret with an open “lantern” (the roof hood) was simply added on the side facing the waterway.

Directions: Outside the portal, a few meters further on the left, a narrow passageway leads between the houses into the heart of the Heilgeistviertel. The idyllic quarter is home to miniature terraced houses. The space on the left-hand side, in front of the church wall, is not very big either. But benches invite you to take a break in this special atmosphere. Continue straight ahead to the end of the lane, then turn left through a cloister-like archway into the street “Bei der Heilgeistkirche”. Turn left here and follow the Heilgeistkirche, then turn right again onto the lively “Wasserstraße”. Continue to “Langenstraße”, then turn right over the bridge. Now turn left onto the street “Am Querkanal”. The route automatically leads to the left over a bascule bridge from 1932, over which the Trajektbahn rolled daily to be shipped to Rügen. But just four years later, the Rügendamm was built. Trains have not rolled over this registered technical monument since. In summer, it is raised when needed to let sailors pass with their masts.

There are restaurants, cafés and fishmongers throughout the entire harbor area. Continuing along the sound, on the right-hand side stands the pilot house, built in Prussian brick, which is now the harbor master's office, and a little further on the square-rigged museum ship Gorch Fock. On the left, former warehouses reach up to the sky; today they are used for gastronomic purposes and partly by the Ozeaneum. At the end of the harbor island on the left, the twin towers of the St. Nikolai Church can already be seen on a hill. Cross the street “Am Fischmarkt” and go straight ahead into the uphill “Fährstraße”. On the right, you will see the oldest tavern in Stralsund, “Zur Fähre”. Further up at the fork in the road, one of the “talkative women” extends her bronze finger towards all those who are ambitious. The Mägdebrunnen, by the sculptor Günter Kaden, was created in 2003. To the right of the fountain, “Schillstraße” branches off.

4 – Franciscan church choir

The ruins of the Franciscan church choir (St. John's Abbey) can soon be seen on the right. The church fell victim to the bombing of Stralsund in 1944; the remains are preserved as a memorial. In front of it stands the bronze Pietà, cast according to a design by Ernst Barlach. The now famous sculptor Barlach submitted the design and model to a competition held by the city in 1932 and was not awarded the prize. If you look at the mother, who gazes haggardly and with an empty stare at her dead son, who is wearing a World War I soldier's uniform, it is clear that in the war-glorifying atmosphere of National Socialism, such art was not wanted. The Güstrow sculptor Hans-Peter Jaeger finally cast it in 1987 according to Barlach's mold.

Back through the beautiful courtyard, where there is a memorial to the Jewish victims of World War II, another small detour can be made, but only if the public affairs office is open.

Otherwise, continue straight ahead into the short “Külpstraße”. It ends at the “Alten Markt”, where the town hall with its impressive gable, one of the most beautiful examples of brick Gothic, and the Nikolai Church form a harmonious unit. During the opening hours of the public order office (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 AM–12 PM and Tue 1 PM–6 PM, Thu 1 PM–4 PM): From the inner courtyard of the ruins of the Franciscan monastery, turn right onto “Schillstraße” and continue across the intersecting “Knieperstraße” to Schillstraße 5–7, the public order office. The courtyard is home to the St. Annen and Brigitten chapel.

5 – Chapel of St. Annen and Brigitten

The original building probably dates from 1480 and was built only for the Sisters of the Order of St. Anne. During the Stralsund »Kirchenbrechen« (church breaking) in 1525 (Protestant iconoclasm), the Birgitten lost their entire monastery complex of Mariacron through wanton destruction and looting and found, among other things, temporary shelter with the St. Annen Sisters. The chapel in the inner courtyard dates from the early 16th century, and the original building seems to have been destroyed as well. The new building was not consecrated. Civil weddings are held in the chapel.

Directions: From here back, then right, the “Knieperstraße” leads directly to the “Alten Markt”.

6 – St. Nikolai Church

The planning of the city's oldest church began just a few years after it was granted its town charter in 1234. During the subsequent construction work, a fire or a collapse occurred, causing the builders to demolish the already-erected choir. It took another 80 years (until 1350) to complete the church, which was built in pure brick Gothic in the French cathedral style and is impressive from all sides. In 1662, a fire destroyed the two soaring Gothic spires. To this day, the south tower is topped by a baroque dome, while the other only has a makeshift roof.

It is well worth visiting, because despite the devastation during the Stralsund “church breaking” in 1525, St. Nicholas' Church and Monastery treasures from the entire Hanseatic period are still inside. The entrance is located on the “Old Market”, to the left of the town hall and the towers, in a new glass annex. A detailed flyer with a map of the statues, altars, tombstones and the astronomical clock is available at the ticket office.

Opening hours: April–Oct. Mon–Sat 10 AM–6 PM, Sun 12 PM-4 PM, Nov.–Mar. Mon–Sat 10 AM-4 PM, Sun 12 PM-3 PM
Admission: €3 per person
Directions: After visiting the Nikolai Church, turn left. The tourist information office is straight ahead and provides a free map of the old town. From here, the route leads left through the pedestrian zone, past the worthwhile exhibition on the World Heritage Site (Ossenreyerstraße 1). Continue for 200 meters through the lively pedestrian zone, then turn right into the side street “Heilgeist”. Passing specialty stores, the tour takes the first left into Mönchstraße. The church-like building complex, the former Katharinenkloster, can already be seen on the right-hand side.

7 – St. Catherine's Monastery

The church was completed in 1317. The simple form of the three-aisled hall church was deliberately chosen to suit the mendicant order, because the church and monastery were used by monks of the Dominican Order. The Dominicans fled the Reformation (1525), which took place in Stralsund under war-like conditions. After that, the mayor had all the furnishings stolen from the churches of Stralsund and returned by remorseful Stralsunders buried in the monastery courtyard. But the time of the spiritual use of the buildings was irrevocably over: nuns of the Bridgettine Order moved into the monastery on a temporary basis because their Mariacron monastery was completely destroyed. But around 1560, these rooms no longer housed members of the order, but a grammar school and an orphanage. The neighboring church was no longer serving its original purpose. The city had intermediate floors installed and used them as an armory, which the Swedish and then Prussian governments retained. Since 1973, the former church has been home to the Maritime Museum and the former monastery to the Stralsund Museum, which displays works of art and cultural artifacts from the region.

Directions: The “Mönchstraße” leads to the “Neuen Markt”, opposite St. Mary's Church.

8 – St. Mary's Church

The three-aisled basilica with transept, western pseudo-transept, ambulatory and wreath of chapels is the largest church in Stralsund with its 104-meter-high tower. It is considered a masterpiece of the late Gothic period and was first mentioned in 1298. However, the collapse of the church tower in 1382, storms and fires repeatedly resulted in changes to the building. Originally, the Marienkirche in Lübeck served as a model. During the time of the Hanseatic League (1293-1628), the member cities looked to Lübeck, the nucleus of the merchants' association. Today, after climbing 366 steps, you can enjoy a view of the city and surrounding area from a height of approx. 90 meters. The tower is open from April to October, 9AM to 6 PM, except during church services. Admission: €4 per person.

Directions: after climbing the tower of St. Mary's, turn right twice around the corner to get back to the “Neuer Markt”. The church at your back, “Frankenstraße” begins. Turn into the third street on the left, “Jacobiturmstraße”. After a few meters, you will reach the starting point of the circular route, St. Jakobi's Church.