The Katharinenkirche was first mentioned in 1219. Initially, it served as a castle, palace and parish church. In the 15th century, it was converted to a hall church in late Gothic style which is still characteristic of its architecture today.
Of particular significance are the altar created by the workshop of Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1518 and the only historic ringing bell of 1482 still in existence, as well as the Tuchmacherglöckchen (Cloth Makers’ Bell) on the main spire.
From the autumn of 1520 to April 1521, Thomas Müntzer was a preacher at this church. Given the social tensions in those days, especially among journeymen, his radical views fell on fertile ground. In April 1521, the Council suspended Müntzer in order to avoid unrest in town. A statue of Thomas Müntzer and a relief depicting the Peasants’ War created by the Berlin sculptor Jürgen Raue in 1989 can be seen in front of the church.
In 2014, the church was awarded the European Heritage Label for Sites of the Reformation, thereby honouring its importance in the context of the processes leading to the Lutheran Reformation. Under the banner of the European Heritage Label, the Katharinenkirche is representative of all Saxon sites of the Reformation in conjunction with the palace chapel and Hartfels Palace in Torgau.
