St. Peter's Church (St. Petri Kirke), Copenhagen

Saint Peter's Church, located in the Latin Quarter of Copenhagen, serves as the parish church for the city's German-speaking community. With origins dating back to the 12th century, the church is first documented in 1304 and is considered the oldest building in central Copenhagen. It underwent significant reconstruction following a fire in 1380 and was one of four Catholic parish churches in the city during the Middle Ages.

Post-Reformation, the church was repurposed briefly as a canon and bell foundry before being presented to the German-speaking populace by Frederick II in 1585. Renowned architect Hans van Steenwinckel the Elder renovated the church, adding a gablet upper floor to the initially uncompleted tower. This was later replaced by a spire in the 17th century.

Throughout its history, Saint Peter's Church has been a focal point for Copenhagen's political, economic, cultural, and military elite. The congregation's growth necessitated multiple expansions, including the addition of northern and southern transepts by Christian IV in the 1630s and a further extension by Christian V in the 1690s.

The church features a distinctive complex of sepulchral chapels, started in 1643 and completed by Hans van Steenwinckel the Youngest in the late 17th century. These chapels house numerous tombs and epitaphs of notable German families in Denmark, with sarcophagi and coffins arranged in layers within underground crypts.

Severely damaged in the Copenhagen Fire of 1728, Saint Peter's Church was largely rebuilt by Johan Cornelius Krieger. The interior was redesigned, and a new copper-clad spire was added in 1756-57, which survived the British bombardment during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807. The church now sports a cruciform layout with significant portions dating back to the mid-15th century. Its main entrance, adorned with a Baroque portal crafted by Diderik Gercken in 1731, and a Rococo-style spire, reflects the architectural evolution and historical significance of this venerable institution.