[2] The original Gothic hall church was changed hundred years later, following the model of St. Petri [de], by adding a long choir, and building three naves.

[6] It was rebuilt from 1950 by Gerhard Langmaack [de] who turned to modern forms and construction, such as concrete columns and ceiling.

[3] The bronze baptismal font (Taufe) by Hans Apengeter [de] dates back to 1344 and is the oldest artwork in the church.

[7] The Erzväteraltar (Altar of the patriarchs) from 1460 was made for the church of the Liel Abbey [de], and was moved to St. Nikolai in 1541 when the monastery was dissolved in the Reformation.

On a commission by the town of Kiel, Ernst Barlach created a large sculpture as his first work of the kind.

An angel with a sword dominates a wolf-like creature, as a symbol for the superiority of spirit and its victory over evil.

The bronze was first installed at the Heiligengeistkirche [de] of the former monastery, without a public celebration, because people objected to its style.

It was extensively restored in 1998 by the Ulrich Babel of Gettorf, to overcome problems which had arisen from electrification and the use of synthetic materials for the windchest.