Bad Segeberg - Marienkirche

Bad Segeberg owes its existence to the "Kalkberg", a gypsum rock, that was about 120m high in the middle ages. This was the borderland between Saxons and Slavs, so Knud Lavard, Danish prince and Jarl (Earl) of Schleswig, unsuccessfully tried to build a castle here. Vizelin, the missionary of the Varrians and Abotrites, drew the attention of Emperor Lothair III to the strategic importance of the Kalkberg, whereupon the first castle was built on it in 1134. This was named "Siegesburg" (hence Segeberg).

After Emperor Lothar III had died, Slavic chief Pribislav of Wagria rebelled against the Holy Roman Empire by destroying the new castle of Segeberg.

Vicelin had founded a monastery around 1134. This was destroyed together with the castle during Slavic raids. The monks had fled, but they did return and the foundation stone of a huge three-nave cruciform basilica with an adjoining monastery was laid around 1156/57. In 1199, the monastery church was named "eccl. S. Maria" in a Papal document, indicating that it had been consecrated in the meantime.
The later addition of a tower and a portal to the west of the church is dated to the 13th century.

The Reformation found early acceptance in Segeberg. As early as the 1520s, the first Lutheran pastors preached here. Until the dissolution of the canonry in 1564/66 the interior of the church was divided into two separate areas - for the remaining canons (in the Gothic east choir) and the Lutheran parish (in the west nave). The east choir, unused since 1564, was no longer maintained and was left to decay.

Old churches need constant renovation and so we could see little inside.