Market Church of the Holy Spirit: Germany’s Largest Wooden Church Catches Fire

A fire was detected at the Market Church of the Holy Spirit in the Harz Mountains overnight on Sunday. It took hours to extinguish the fire. The police suspect arson.

A fire broke out at Germany’s largest wooden church, Clausthal-Zellerfeld in Lower Saxony, overnight and into Sunday. The fire was detected at 12:39 a.m., and the church’s alarm system sounded the alarm.

When firefighters arrived, they found that the fire was burning behind the facade on the east side of the church, from the ground up to the roof overhang.

According to a spokesperson for the volunteer fire department, it took several hours to extinguish the flames. The operation was not completed until early this morning.

Follow-up checks are underway, the spokesperson said. The Evangelical Lutheran Church is therefore closed until further notice.

The police have initiated an investigation because they suspect arson.

The church, which seats 2,000 people, was built in the 17th century and is considered one of the most important monuments of the North German Baroque period due to its architecture and furnishings.

It was made of oak and spruce wood and has been extensively renovated multiple times.