On Vacation Guide Book Berlin | Page 39

1 0 .   S T . M A R Y ' S C H U R C H KARL-LIEBKNECHT-STR. 8 Presumably , the construction of the church as a parish church of the medieval New Town of Berlin began in 1270 . The first definite mention can be found in the letter of indulgence from 1294 . St . Marien was built as a parish church in the style of northern German Gothic from red brick . Strong columns in the form of an eight - petal socket carry the arch of a three - nave long house . In the east , a polygon of five corners with ten teeth completes the sublime choir . After a fire in the city in 1380 , a badly damaged church was restored . From this time , vaults appear in the choir and on the western end of the nave . Construction of the tower began in 1415 . After several renovations of its peak , the tower acquired its present appearance in 1789 with a copper coating . The essay attributed to early historicism was developed by Karl Gothard Langhans ( 1732 - 1808 ), the builder of the Brandenburg Gate . Around 1470 , the frescoes of Tottenz and Schutzmantelmadonna were created . Totentanz is one of the most famous and oldest monuments in Berlin . As one of the last surviving representatives of the “ monumental ” medieval dances of the Middle Ages north of the Alps , it has a meaning that goes far beyond the borders of Berlin . During the Reformation around 1540 , a number of immemorial sacrifices were removed from the nave .