Green Man Pages - Stralsund / Bergen-auf-Rüggen / Bad Doberan
Stralsund is a coastal town in northern Germany in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The churches in the whole of the region are very similar in style - very little carving, but beautifully painted. Some of the churches such as the St. Marien church in Bergen-auf-Rueggen has wall paintings dating back to the original building of the church in 1190. Due to the style of the churches, we found very few Green Men in the region, the exceptions being in Schweinfurt and Stralsund, and one in the Minster at Bad Doberan. However, in Bad Doberan there are some fantastic wood carvings including animals spewing foliage, and stories from the Bestiary, such as the pious Pelican.
Stralsund St. Nikolas Kirche
Nave. Wonderful pew boxes dating from circa 1520. There are three in total, here a foliate head
Two foliate heads together either side of an African head
A Green Man in the same row of Pew boxes
A capital near the Altar. There are many of these gold plated capitals in this part of the church, but only one capital has a Green Man carving. Here the leaves come from the mouth and creep around the capital
A second carving on the same capital. Two harpy creatures look as if they are fighting over the foliage
The green Man wall paintings in Stralsund St. Nikolas are the real treasures. Dating from around 1350 they cover both sides of the nave. 8 of the panels have Green Man paintings. Here are just some of them
Somewhat resembling a blue cow?
Stralsund - other locations
Over a building in the old market place, just opposite the St. Nikolas Church
An identical carving on a building in the Fahrstr.
Bergen-Auf-Rüggen
A building on the Bahnhof Str. Sadly the building is in need of renevation
A second image on the same building
Right next to the building above. The Green Man is part of a sign advertising a Stone Mason's shop
Bad Doberan Minster
The only true Green Man in the church. This beautiful little foliate head is part of the metal railings surrounding a tomb
Many of the wonderful carvings in Bad Doberan are on the pew ends. Here a fox spews foliage from his mouth
Another pew end with a Green Dragon detail
An animal and a dragon, both spewing foliagel
