Oldenburg in Holstein - St. Johannis

Oldenburg used to be located on a bay in the Baltic Sea and was a harbour of the Slavic Varrians. Between 780 and 840 the "Oldenburg Wall" was built, a Slavic castle complex, of which only a rampart remains today. The Slavic princely seat "Starigard "("Old Castle") became the place name Aldinborg, later Oldenburg. The place was disputed in the early Middle Ages. Within the 10th century, the later so-called bishopric of Oldenburg was established here, which belonged to the archbishopric of Hamburg.

It is claimed, that St. Johannis is the oldest brick church of Northern Europe. It is located right at place of the former "Starigrad", the fortified Slavic settlement. This is not the first church here as this was already erected in the middle of the 10th century and was burnt down during the Slavic uprisings in 1001. There was here no church for 150 years.

Not until after the Wendish Crusade a chapel was built, which presumably served the new german settlers from the empire who had been brought into the country. Bishop Gerold had the Romanesque basilica built 1156/1160, modelled after the Brunswick cathedral.

A fire destroyed the original interior almost completely