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The St. Mary's Church is located in Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse in central Berlin, near the Alexanderplatz. Although the tentative date of the beginning of functioning of the St. Mary's Church, Berlin is taken to be 1824, the exact age and establishment date is still unknown. In was first mentioned in the German chronicles in 1292. Though originally it was a Roman Catholic church, it became a Lutheran church since the Protestant Reformation. It is counted as one of the oldest churches in Berlin. The church is a witness of many historical events. The St. Mary's Church was heavily damaged during World War II by the Allied bombs. After the war the area was cleared of the ruins and in the 1950s the German Democratic Republic authorities restored the historic church. The church is mainly built of bricks which gives it a red appearance. The oldest parts of this historic building are made from granite. The building of the St. Mary's Church, Berlin has an elongated shape. The architecture of the building was greatly influenced by the Dominicans and Franciscans of that time, although much of it was destroyed during the war.
There's a tower at this old St. Mary's Church, Berlin which dates from the 15th century. The present copper top section is a mixture of baroque and neo-Gothic elements which was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans. The southern aspect of the building with the four equal gables is a symbol of 14th century sacristy. This was added in 1893 by Hermann Blankenstein. There's also a striking statue of Martin Luther outside the church which adds to the beauty of the the St. Mary's Church, Berlin. During later years, a small museum and a new parking lot were added to the St. Mary's Church, Berlin. In 1990 stained glass windows were added to the building. Inside the St. Mary's Church, Berlin, there is a famous organ of the 1720s and the dance of death in the tower hall is a famous part of the church. A part of the church is now used as a cafeteria by the Institute of Economics of the Humboldt University. The St. Mary's Church, Berlin, today, is the seat of the Lutheran Church's Bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg. Today the church is often used for ecumenical services and church music meetings.
The tourists and visitors find the St. Mary's Church, Berlin a great representative of history…a classical building which smells of olden times.
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