Nikomedeskirche

Nikomedeskirche is a late Gothic hall church in Germany, built over the foundations of earlier buildings. Its sturdy stone walls and west tower combine pointed Gothic windows with early Renaissance round arches.

The nave dates from 1514 and carries a wooden coffered ceiling with painted historic scenes. At its centre, Christ appears as judge of the world in a painting dated 1530. The choir and sacristy contain finely ribbed network vaults, with pastel-coloured arches and surviving coats of arms. Baroque wall paintings, acanthus motifs, diamond patterns, the four Evangelists and Christ’s mother add colour unusual in a Protestant church.

A twelve-sided baptismal font and twelve consecration crosses preserve details from the church’s early history. The oldest bell dates from 1702, while the former courtyard walls once stood twice as high as today. Generations worshipped here, and the church also witnessed the wedding of Paul Schneider, later known as the “Preacher of Buchenwald”.