Parish church of St. Peter and ST. Paul, Seehausen (Altmark)

In Wische in the Altmark region, a landscape shaped by the river Elbe, this three-aisled fieldstone basilica, built in around 1170, is widely visible as a landmark and to this day remains the centre of the town of Seehausen.

Its current appearance is characterised by a fortified, Romanesque, two-tower complex on the west side, and a Gothic hall church.

The portal, created in around 1220, achieves its impressive effect by mixing brick and sandstone in its sculptural form and colour scheme, and is executed as a brick stepped portal with sandstone jamb columns set in between. The numerous brickwork capitals form a harmonious frame for the floral decor of the sandstone cushion capitals, which end in an impost section that is profiled throughout. The mix of materials continues in the archivolts, where round arches in decorative brickwork meet sandstone bowtells. The portal’s gable completes the impression with a round-arched blind arcade, a frieze made up of overlapping arches, complete with corbel heads, dentil bands and opus spicatum.

In his description of the artistic monuments of the 19th century, Adler states that “The main portal, devised with elegant Romanesque forms, is the most brilliant example of such a portal complex in the Marches".

Opening hours:

15th May – 15th October

Mon–Sat, 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm

No entry fee, donations invited

Guided tours: When possible, and with prior registration