Mölln - St. Nicolai

Mölln is a small town (pop. ~20.000) surrounded by lakes. It was founded in the 12th century by Knight Konrad Wackerbarth by resettling Slavic peasants into today's Old Mölln.
Around 1210, the settlement got the first fortifications. First time mentioned was the village 1188 in Barbarossa's privilege for Lübeck.

Mölln fell to Denmark in 1201 and was granted "Lübische Stadtrecht" (town charter) by King Waldemar II. 25 years later Mölln fell to the Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg in 1227. In 1230 Mölln was mentioned as the youngest parish in the Ratzeburg tithe register. The church, which was probably built around this time, was placed under the patrocinium of St. Nicholas.

Mölln was important due to the Old Salt Route, through which the salt produced in the salt mines of Lüneburg was shipped to the harbour of Lübeck. Although situated in the midst of the duchy of Lauenburg, the town was mortgaged to the Hanseatic town of Lübeck, which ruled Mölln from 1359 to 1683.

St. Nicolai, the parish church, is located on the highest point, overlooking the town and the seas around.

The construction started probably at the end of the 12th century.

The oldest parts can be attributed to the Brick Romanesque period, the south nave to the Brick Gothic period. The choir room was probably finished around 1217, when the Bishop of Ratzeburg held his first synod here.

In the 15th century, the church underwent alterations: in 1470/71, the south nave was extended and in 1497, the present baptistery and the sacristy were added.

Some of the neoGothic "new" frescoes got removed. The remaining medieval ones are very interesting.

The pilgrims set off on their way to Santiago. In the centre, two of them are blessed by Jesus himself (who also shows a shell). Obviously they receive the "coquilles Saint-Jacques" there (bag). With the bishop's blessing, they sail off.

It is known that busy and successful merchants often had no time for the pilgrimage. So they sent "representatives" to Santiago - for a certain fee. Such contracts between client and contractor are known from Lübeck, among other places.