Bauska Church of the Holy Spirit

Church of the Holy Spirit is a Lutheran church and the oldest existing building in Bauska, Latvia. Built between 1591 and 1594 for the needs of the city's Baltic German population. The original building did not have a tower, which was built in 1614 and completed in 1623 by master craftsman Michael Ulrich from Arnstadt who built cupola and high steeple tower. In 1799 the steeple was ruined by a direct lightning strike and the tower was covered by a temporary wooden structure. In 1815 the damaged tower was hit by a lightning once again and the temporary four-sloped roof become permanent. The pews are carved in the mid-17th century and early 19th century. One of the pews carved in 1640 displays Bauska coat of arms - golden lion on a red shield. The wooden altar was carved in 1699, but heavily refurbished in 1861 by Julius Döring. The pulpit (1762) and the organ prospect (1766) are gifts from the Russian senator Nikolaus Friedrich von Korff. The church is currently located in the old town of Bauska in the preserved park.

Church data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).