The Church of the Virgin Mary is one of the most important monuments of North German architecture, which served as a model for numerous church buildings. The church was built during the heyday of Lübeck in 1251-1310, modelled on French cathedrals, and was the embodiment of the burghers' pride in their city. It is a three-nave basilica with the highest vaulted brick ceiling in the world (height 40 metres, length 102 metres).
The church houses the largest mechanical organ in the world and the Chapel Against War and Violence, where you can see two split ancient four-tonne bells cast in 1508 and 1669. In the main nave you can see a font dating back to 1337, and in the singing chapel an Antwerp altar from 1518 dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In the chapel of the Briefkapelle one of the earliest (1310) examples of a star vault in Europe has been preserved.
