page_title: St. Mary's Church, Lübeck
section_title: Danse macabre organ (choir organ)
hierarchical_section_title: St. Mary's Church, Lübeck / Music at St. Mary's / Danse macabre organ (choir organ)
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Totentanz Bild 1/9
context_page_description: St. Mary's Church in Lübeck was built between 1250 and 1350. It has always been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and is situated at the highest point of the island that forms the old town of Lübeck. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the old Hanseatic City of Lübeck.
  St. Mary's epitomizes north German Brick Gothic and set the standard for about 70 other churches in the Baltic region, making it a building of enormous architectural significance. St Mary's Church embodied the towering style of Gothic architecture style using north German brick. It has the tallest brick vault in the world, the height of the central nave being 38.5 metres.
  It is built as a three-aisled basilica with side chapels, an ambulatory with radiating chapels, and vestibules like the arms of a transept. The westwork has a monumental two-tower façade. The height of the towers, including the weather vanes, is 124.95 metres and 124.75 metres, respectively.
  St. Mary's is located in the Hanseatic merchants' quarter, which extends uphill from the warehouses on the River Trave to the church.
context_section_description: The Dance macabre organ (Totentanzorgel) was older than the old great organ.
  It was installed in 1477 on the east side of the north arm of the "transept" in the Danse Macabre Chapel (so named because of the Danse Macabre painting that hung there) and was used for the musical accompaniment of the requiem masses that were celebrated there. After the Church Reformation it was used for prayers and for Holy Communion services.
  In 1549 and 1558 Jakob Scherer added to the organ among other things, a chair organ (Rückpositiv), and in 1621 a chest division was added.
  Friedrich Stellwagen also carried out extensive repairs from 1653 to 1655. Thereafter, only minor changes were made.
  For this reason, this organ, together with the Arp Schnitger organ in St. James' Church in Hamburg and the Stellwagen Organ in St. James' Church in Lübeck, attracted the interest of organ experts in connection with the Orgelbewegung.
  The disposition of the organ was changed back to what it had been in the 17th century.
  But, like the main organ, this organ was also destroyed in 1942.
  In 1955 the organ builders Kemper & Son restored the Danse Macabre organ in accordance with its 1937 dimensions, but now in the northern part of the ambulatory, in the direction of the raised choir.
  Its original place is now occupied by the astronomical clock.
  This post-War organ, which was very prone to malfunction, was replaced in 1986 by a new Danse Macabre organ, built by Führer Co. in Wilhelmshaven and positioned in the same place as its predecessor.
  It has a mechanical tracker action, with four manuals and a pedalboard, 56 stops and approximately 5,000 pipes. 
  This organ is particularly suited for accompanying prayers and services, as well as an instrument for older organ music up to Bach.
  As a special tradition at St Mary's, on New Year's Eve the chorale Now Thank We All Our God is accompanied by both organs, kettledrums and a brass band.
caption: Pre-War photograph of the Danse Macabre
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