Ernst Georg Sonnin was a genius. He designed machines for straightening church towers and clearing away ruins. He invented complicated technical devices, redefined Hamburg’s role in the world and, almost as if by accident, created Hamburg’s iconic landmark: St. Michael’s.
When Sonnin was commissioned to rebuild the church following the fire of 1750, he faced great difficulty and adversity – but thanks to the visionary’s modern inventions, construction advanced at a fast pace. The second St. Michael’s was consecrated twelve years after the first St. Michael’s was destroyed by the devastating fire. (Glockengeläut)
Sonnin died at the age of 81 and found his final resting place in the crypt in 1794. He managed to build the largest memorial himself in his lifetime: St. Michael’s in Hamburg.
