Stralsund - St.-Jakobi-Kirche

Slavic Ranen lived on the island of Ruegen and the mainland opposite the island. They were independent heathens up to the middle of the 12th century, and so maybe the last non-Christian people in Central Europe.

In 1168 Danish King Valdemar I defeated the Ranen and destroyed "Jaromarsburg" their main sanctuary. After the Danish victory, the Slavic princes became feudatories of the Danish crown and accepted the Christian faith.

They founded Strale, which prospered because of the rich herring stocks in the waters, many merchants settled here who saw this as their basis for trade. Already in 1234 Slavic Prince Wizlaw I granted the village the town charter (Lübsches Stadtrecht). Stralsund now became an important trading town in the Baltic region, mainly due to settlers from Westphalia. The German settlers clearly outnumbered the Slavic population already around 1300. From 1325 on Stralsund belonged to Pomerania-Wolgast. In the 14th century, it was the most important Hanseatic city in the southern Baltic region after Lübeck.

The 15th century was Stralsund's heyday. Long-distance trade was the most important economic factor. Around 1450, 350 merchants were involved in such trade. In 1488, 50 skippers founded the "St. Marienbruderschaft der Schiffer", the forerunner of the still existing "Stralsund Schiffercompagnie".

As early as 1525, the majority of Stralsund's citizens converted to the Protestant faith. After the Thirty Years' War Stralsund belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden for almost 200 years. In 1815 Stralsund came to Prussia.
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The church is first mentioned in 1303, when the church was apparently still under construction. In 1321 the choir may have been completed, so that the church could be used. In 1327 a priest named Johannes Kranz worked here. But the construction went on and pious citizens donated bricks for the further construction. In 1347 Johannes Hundertmark donated 1000 bricks and Heinrich Sommerstorp even donated 20000 bricks.

In a second building phase at the end of the 14th the roofs of the side aisles were extended and chapels were built on the north and south sides of the building. In the second half of the 15th century, work began on the building of the church tower, which was completed around 1488.

During the 30 Years War the church was hit by 30 cannonballs. In 1650 and 1662, lightning struck the tower. In 1662, the wooden tower pyramid together with the Gothic spire, the nave roof and the eastern ridge turret were destroyed.

The tower then was given a baroque dome in the form that can still be seen today.

During the French occupation the Jakobikirche served as a stable and prison.

During the bombing raid in 1944 the church got severely damaged The roofing of the south aisle was destroyed, and the roof truss over the west half collapsed.

Looting of the church furnishings at the end of the war and in the following years brought further destruction. Thieves of scrap metal stole, among other things, organ pipes from the organ.

Rooms for for the archives of the city were built in in the 1970s. A construction company used the church building as a warehouse and garage until 1994.

Since then the church has been gradually renovated and by now is used as a cultural centre. Equipped with a stage there are concerts, theater as well as art fairs and other events.