The German region of Franconia and especially the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg were among the earliest and strongest supporters of the Lutheran Reformation. As early as 1525, St. Lorenz became one of the first Lutheran churches in Germany.
Construction of the church started in 1250. The nave was completed by around 1400 with the completion of the choir following in 1477.
Most of the interior was donated by wealthy Nuremberg citizen. This is probably the reason, why the treasures of the church were not sacked during the iconoclasm of the Reformation period, as the citizens of Nuremberg - though now converted Protestants - opted to preserve the heritage of their ancestors. As a result, St. Lorenz is one of only a few Lutheran churches displaying artwork dating back centuries before the Reformation. |
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