Historical Background
The “Kleiner Michel” is officially named St. Ansgar and St. Bernhard, referring to Ansgar, the 9th-century “Apostle of the North,” and to the influential Cistercian abbot Bernard of Clairvaux, known both as a theologian and as a prominent preacher during the Crusades.
The first small church was built in 1600 as a cemetery chapel and replaced just five years later by a slightly larger structure.
After the nearby large St. Michael’s Church was built in 1616, the smaller building fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1747. Yet between 1754 and 1757, the Kleiner Michel was rebuilt as a temporary church after a fire destroyed the large St. Michael’s.
From 1807 onward, Catholic services were held in the Kleiner Michel. In 1825, with the support of the city senate, the Catholic community purchased the building – making it the first Catholic church in Hamburg since the Reformation.
On March 11, 1945, the church was destroyed by bombs.
