This church is unique in North Europe because of its rich terracotta ornamentation - more than 1000 figurines - and the high-relief wall design. It is consecrated to John the Baptist and was first mentioned in historical documents in 1323. The basilica-like vaulted nave leads us to the choir with polygonal apse, adjoining the vestry. The church which was completed in the second half of the 14th century is dominated by the tower; the portal is crowned with a pediment with the Great Deesis group of the Judgement Day. The foundations of the nave and the tower were built on wooden raft structures. On the south side lies the chapel of Lübeck. In the area of the central nave, the remnants of a 12th or 13th century wooden building and a burial site were found. In the western part of the chapel of Lübeck, the chapel of Chr. W. von Münnich was built in 1746 and on the south side of the tower the chapel of E. von Münnich was erected in 1769. In the decade from 1820-1830, the interior was redesigned in the classical fashion and between 1899-1904 the exterior was restored. The church was partially destroyed in the Great Northern War and suffered fire damage in 1944. Restoration was completed in 2004; the terracotta sculptures on the outside were replaced with copies and the foundation was supported using concrete piles.

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St. John Church - Jaani Kirik - Public Info

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Inserted: 29-09-2022 00:09:08