The church of St. Jacobi was mentioned in 1255 as a small chapel for traveling merchants and for pilgrims headed to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, (the link to the English version, but can be read in many languages), where the grave of the Apostle and Martyr James the Elder is located. The chapel was located outside of the city wall at that time. After the city walls were enlarged, the church moved within the city in 1260.
The church construction was finished in the early 15th century. During the Second World War, the church was burned out in a fire on June 18, 1944. Between 1951 and 1963, the church was rebuilt.
The church is famous for its Arp-Schnitger organ which Johann Sebastian Bach played in 1720.
