[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern] [interactive map] [Town of Gnoien] [German]
St. Mary´s church in the Town of Gnoien St. Mary´s church in Gnoien

Since the reformation, the church has been the venue of services for the Lutheran parish of Gnoien.
The church is the oldest building in the town which has suffered time and again through many fires and war devastation. The church is an Early Gothic brick building dated back to the middle of the 13™ century. The church has two naves and centre pillars. Like the naves, the older apse has also cross ribs vaults. The Eastern wall is decorated with a group of three windows. The frieze and pilaster strip decoration is extensive. Strong buttresses support the building at all sides. A thorough restoration in the 19th century left its mark on the building, by providing new paintings, chairs and galleries.
The Renaissance pulpit of 1598 has been removed from the interior and can now be seen in the tower area. Vaulting ornamentation of the time around 1300 have been uncovered in 1880/82 and renewed.
This picture of Mary (Madonna on the crescent moon) with rays is situated in the centrepiece of the Late Gothic St. Mary’s altar (around 1510/20). This altar is the most valuable piece of furnishing of the church. On the wings of the altar, 12 reliefs show scenes of the life of St. Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is the most beautiful altar of the parish of Gnoien and one of the most beautiful in Mecklenburg.
The Neo-Gothic altar painting, which has been added in the course of the great restoration of the church in 1881, can now be seen in the nave. It is a depiction of the crucifixion in oil by Paul Haendler.

The tower, as the youngest part of the church building, has been erected around 1445 and roofed with four-sided pyramid helmet. As part of the restoration works, instead of the wood shingles used until then it has been roofed with slate. The font which is standing in front of neogothic pulpit is from Brudersdorf.
The font standing now in front of the Neo-Gothic pulpit is from Brudersdorf. The organ, built in 1859, was made in the workshop of the Mecklenburg organ builder Luetkemueller.		 Picture of Mary in St. Mary´s church in the Town of Gnoien