St. Catherine’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

St. Catherine’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kuldīga is the oldest sacred building in Kuldīga. It is mentioned in written sources as early as the 13th century. Originally built of wood, the church was rebuilt several times over the centuries. In the visitation records of 1566, it was described as a small wooden chapel. In 1567, by order of Duke Gotthard Kettler of Courland, a new wooden church with two towers was erected. The visitation of 1606 noted that the church had once again fallen into a state of disrepair.

In 1615, a major fire broke out in Kuldīga, damaging the church. Both towers burned down, the bells melted, but the church nave was saved from the flames. Soon afterwards, new bells were commissioned in Lübeck, and funds were sought for the construction of a new tower. In 1632, the congregation decided to replace the organ that had been destroyed in the fire.

Above the church’s southern portal is a round niche containing a medallion with a relief of St. Catherine. This medallion was created by J. A. Koch in 1791 as the coat of arms of Kuldīga. It is believed to be a copy of an earlier original.

There is no documentary evidence establishing the exact date when the present stone church was built. It is most likely that construction began in 1655 by order of Duke Jacob Kettler of Courland. The building work was interrupted by the Second Northern War (also known as the Russo-Polish-Swedish War, 1655–1661) and the invasion of Courland by Swedish forces. During the war, the church’s furnishings and parts of the altar were looted, and the crypts also suffered damage.

After the war, the restored church reopened in 1665, but four years later it was once again destroyed by fire. Following this disaster, the congregation restored the church within three years.

In 1748, the church underwent repairs, and its tower received a new pyramidal roof.

In 1801, a commemorative plaque marking the turn of the century was installed in the church. On a wooden panel, information was inscribed in German with white lettering for future generations, describing how the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century were celebrated in both the church and the town of Kuldīga. The festivities began at midnight with twelve tolls of the church bell to bid farewell to the old century, followed by twelve cannon shots to welcome the new one. After the church service, the town musicians walked through the streets performing the hymn Now Thank We All Our God. In December 1900, the commemorative plaque was restored by the painter F. Kučinskis.

In 1866, the church was remodelled according to the design of architect Otto Dietze. It acquired more Gothic features: the present slender spire was added to the tower, and the buttresses at the corners of the nave were crowned with decorative pinnacles.

During the 1930s, the church was still surrounded by a wooden fence with gates, and monuments and crosses marking the graves of pastors stood in the churchyard.

After the resettlement of the Baltic Germans in 1939, the German congregation ceased to exist. The Latvian congregation had already moved to St. Anne’s Church in 1904.

After the Second World War, the building was converted into a grain warehouse, a function it served until the late 1960s, when it was transferred to the Kuldīga Museum of Local History and Art. In 1967–1968, the church was restored under the supervision of architect T. Vītola. Additional restoration work was carried out in later years. The church housed the exhibition Architecture of the Kuldīga Region in the 17th–19th Centuries and also served as a concert venue.

In 1989, church services resumed, and in 1990 the Lutheran congregation regained ownership of the church.

The church interior is regarded as the finest example of Renaissance ecclesiastical architecture in Courland, while its furnishings are a remarkably well-preserved example of Mannerist and Baroque decorative art. The altar and pulpit of St. Catherine’s Church are the only known surviving church furnishings created by the Ventspils shipyard master woodcarver Nikolaus Söffrens the Elder and the carpenter E. Thiesen.

Originally, the woodcarvings were painted in multiple colours. In later years they were repainted white, with some elements gilded. In the lower section of the altar is the painting The Last Supper by J. O. Graubics, court painter to Duke Friedrich Casimir of Courland. One of the most valuable features of the church interior is a series of ten painted panels depicting the Apostles, decorating the gallery of the organ loft. These are also believed to have been painted by J. O. Graubics.

Visitors who wish to admire Kuldīga from a bird’s-eye perspective can climb the church tower and enjoy a panoramic view of the town.