Gardelegen - Marienkirche

The first written mention dates from "1121 as Gardeleve", when the Bishop of Halberstadt confirmed the charter and ownership of the Schöningen monastery.

Gardelegen is also mentioned in 1196 in the assignment of Brandenburg goods to the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. A short time later important buildings were erected here: St. Marienkirche, St. Nikolaikirche and the town hall were built. The brewing rights were granted in 1314, since then, Gardelegen has been known nationwide for hop growing and Garley beer.

After Gardelegen was invited to Lübeck for the Hanseatic Days, Gardelegen joined the Hanseatic League in 1358. After a dispute with the Brandenburg Elector Johann Cicero due to an arbitrary increase in the tax rate, the city had to leave the Hanseatic League.

Reformation reached Gardelegen in 1539, at the time, construction work began on the fortifications to protect the city. In 1553 the construction of the four city gates was completed. At that time Gardelegen was a prosperous town due to trade, the town hall was built and a town school was established. During the Thirty Years' War numerous marauders passed through the city. From 1626 to 1648, Sweden occupied the city. After the city was plundered and burned, large parts of the fortifications were used to rebuild the city.
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Around 1200, a smaller, Romanesque church was built on the site of today's Marienkirche, which was expanded in several stages over the course of the 13th century to become a five-aisled hall church in Brick Gothic. The choir was probably built after a town fire in 1306.

Bartholomaeus Rieseberg, a student of Martin Luther, worked at the church from 1539 and introduced the Reformation.

On Ascension Day 1658, a large part of the tower collapsed during the service, damaging the roof and the interior of the church; 22 people died. The tower was rebuilt and supplemented with another floor and a baroque dome with a double lantern.