The Protestant parish church of St. Johannis in Wernigerode is located on the north-western edge of the historic new town and is the oldest preserved church in the town.
In the 13th century, a new settlement - the "Neustadt" - was formed on the edge of the old town as new inhabitants moved in from the surrounding villages. The settlement became a town in 1410 when Count Heinrich granted it town charter. St. John's Church was built as the parish church of this new town in the last third of the 13th century - still entirely in the Romanesque style. Traces of many centuries and evidence of both Catholic and Protestant faith can be found in the church building and its furnishings.
The church's most valuable and important piece of equipment is undoubtedly the four-winged carved altar in the choir. A date on the back indicates that it was created in 1415. The new choir windows in St. John's Church were inaugurated in August 2016. The windows, designed by Wernigerode artist Günter Grohs, protect the more than 600-year-old Marian altar from UV radiation and also provide a worthy backdrop. The Ladegast organ from 1885 is an outstanding document of late Romantic organ building in Germany, both in terms of sound and technology.