When Lars and I left the Marienkirche, a funny surprise awaited us in the courtyard: a small statue of a devil, right next to the church.
People in Lübeck like to talk about a local legend. Many centuries ago, the devil helped the people of the town with the construction of a big building, thinking it would be a drinking hall. Once he realized that he was actually helping with the construction of a church, the devil became very furious and threatened to destroy the whole building. The local population promised him to build a drinking hall opposite the church and the devil let them continue with their work.
The statue dates from 1999 and is sitting on a granite cuboid, which the local population believes the devil himself put there. You can even see the marks of his claws…
