New 7Türme+ Calendar Shows Lübeck’s World Heritage in Transition

Following the strong demand for the 7Türme+ Foundation’s 2025 calendar, a new edition will be published for 2027. To mark the 40th anniversary of Lübeck’s UNESCO World Heritage status, it will appear for the first time as a special “World Heritage Edition”. Contemporary photographs by Olli Zimtstern are paired with historical images selected and contextualised by Dr Jan Zimmermann. The calendar will go on sale on 4 October 2026.

On 14 December 1987, Lübeck’s Old Town became the first complete urban ensemble in Northern Europe to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Accordingly, the special calendar edition marking the 40th anniversary looks beyond the seven towers of the five major churches in the Old Town to explore Lübeck’s World Heritage in all its diversity. The featured landmarks therefore also include the Holsten Gate, the Castle Gate and the Hospital of the Holy Spirit.

A Fresh Perspective on Familiar Sights

For the calendar, Lübeck photographer Olli Zimtstern has created 13 new images, including the cover photograph and twelve monthly motifs. His work combines well-known Lübeck landmarks with unusual perspectives, distinctive light conditions and views across the rooftops of the Old Town.

“For me, Lübeck is a place that can never be fully captured in photographs. Even places you have known for years change again and again through light, weather or simply a different point of view,” says Olli Zimtstern. “Showing the World Heritage of my home city in a way that makes familiar places catch the eye anew was a very special challenge for me.”

The Present on the Front, the Past on the Back

For the first time, each calendar page in this edition features a historical photograph on the reverse, complementing the contemporary image on the front. The historical photographs were selected by Lübeck historian and photographic expert Dr Jan Zimmermann, who has also provided short texts on the architectural and urban history behind them.

“Historical photographs make change visible, but they also reveal what has remained unchanged over decades or even centuries,” says Dr Jan Zimmermann. “Placing the contemporary photographs and historical images in direct dialogue with one another shows that World Heritage is not something static. It is inherited, used, changed and passed on by each generation.”

A Strong Connection to Lübeck’s Skyline

The juxtaposition of past and present is also intended to highlight the continuous work required to preserve Lübeck’s World Heritage. The 7Türme+ Foundation supports restoration and conservation work at the five major churches in the Old Town: St Mary’s, St James’, St Peter’s, St Aegidien and Lübeck Cathedral.

“The strong demand for our 2025 calendar showed us just how deeply connected many people feel to Lübeck’s skyline and its seven towers,” says Dr Jan-Dirk Verwey, Chairman of the Board of the 7Türme+ Foundation. “For the World Heritage anniversary year, we therefore wanted to go one step further. The calendar shows what Lübeck has preserved over generations – while also reminding us that this heritage can only endure if we continue to take responsibility for it today.”

The year 2027 offers several reasons to celebrate. Alongside the 40th anniversary of Lübeck’s UNESCO World Heritage designation, St Aegidien, St James’, St Peter’s and the Hospital of the Holy Spirit will all mark their 800th anniversaries. Lübeck will also host the annual conference of Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Sales Launch on 4 October

The 7Türme+ Calendar 2027 – Special Edition “40 Years of Lübeck World Heritage” will be available for the first time on Sunday, 4 October 2026, during the Harvest Festival on the market square outside Lübeck Town Hall. Photographer Olli Zimtstern and curator Dr Jan Zimmermann will also be there to meet visitors and sign copies.

Regular sales will begin on 5 October. The distribution partner is Heinr. Hünicke Lübeck. The calendar is also listed in the German Books in Print catalogue (VLB), meaning it can be ordered through bookshops.

In addition, twelve retail partners are taking part with the support of Lübeck Management. Each will showcase their personal favourite calendar page and offer the calendar for sale in-store. An overview of all participating partners will be published on the 7Türme+ website and announced via the Foundation’s social media channels.

The large-format calendar costs €29.50. For every copy sold, €15 goes directly to the 7Türme+ Foundation, helping to fund the preservation of Lübeck’s historic churches in the city centre.