Church St. Nikolai

Undoubtedly the church which is dedicated to "St. Nikolaus" is a very important building for Kappeln and above that: for Schleswig-Holstein. It was built by Johann-Adam Richter as a late baroque building vom 1789-1793. Richter was a pupil of Sonnin, who also built the St. Michel church in Hamburg. Entering the nave you will notice the close construction on the east side, containing the essential points which are still part of a sacred building: organ, pulpit and altar. Except for Historians the landlord's lodges aren't of any importance. The galleries can seat about 1.200 visitors. The altar at the northern side was carved by Gudewerth in 1641 and is much older than the church. It was devided when the present church was built: it scene of the Holy Communion was put at the altar wall, Moses and Johannes on the pulpet. In the anterroom you pass a figure of Christophorus donated by a resident.

You also find Christophorus, patron saint of ferrymen and fordwalkers, on the church tower as a weather vane from 1792.

Christophorus dominates the historical thinking of the residents of Kappeln, thus he reappears in the heraldic mark of the town, in the sacred seal of the church and in the emblem of a sports club. The well-known saga of Christophorus has been changed here into a local legend which realtes to the time before the bridges were built.

Being out again on the eastside of the church the visitor enjoys a grand view from here across the northern harbour with fishing boats unloading their haul. Residents and tourists can directly buy fish here. The church of today has got a predecessor: a chapel, high on the steep coast, with a small settlement belonging to it. They say the way from Schleswig to the Baltic Sea had been too far without a resting place. The location here was favoured, because it provided shelter against the weather and the sea. In the 13th century the bishop of Schleswig ordered to build this chapel and he called the village later FLECKEN, now TOWN - cappeln, Kappeln today.

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