The Church of St Gertrude (An der Gertrudiskirche)

The Parish Church of St Gertrude is the centrepiece of the ancient village of Graba. Its existence was first recorded in a document dating from the 11th Century, but its original appearance and dimensions are unknown.

The oldest part of the church is the two-storey tower. The choir was completed in the 16th Century. The large winged altarpiece came from the workshop of Hans Gottwalt von Lohr, a pupil of the famous woodcarver Tillmann Riemenschneider.The life-sized figure of Saint Gertrude can be seen in the shrine between Benedict and Anno of Cologne.
After restoration work in the 18th Century paintings were added to the panels of the vaulted timber ceiling. These were the work of the Saalfeld artist Johann Friedrich Fasold. They portray a concert of angels and an allegory to the Twelve Elders from the Revelation of St John. The triumphal arch bears a depiction of the dream of Jacob’s Ladder.

You should now return along the Ziegelgasse and then continue up the hill along Fingersteinstrasse. Turn left into the first side-street, James-von-Moltke-Strasse. At the end turn right and walk along Claudiusstrasse.Then turn left into the main street. After a few steps you will see the Chapel of St Martin.