The gothic wing altar of the St. Johannes church in Petersdorf on Fehmarn was created in a Lübeck crafts studio by an unknown painter and/or woodcarver.

The wing altar has two levels. The upper level presents Maria and the 12 Apostles. These figures stand in niches separated by decorative physical architecture, with precision baldachins on top and the corners. The lower level shows busts of 13 women. Maria with the human God child in her arms is in the middle and flanked with 6 Apostles on each side. Most of the Apostles are unidentifiable because of the centuries of deteriation of the detail. Each Apostle is holding a Bible in his hands, which tell us. that he is a Christian missionary teaching and preaching the message of God.

The remaining identifiable Apostles (left to right) are as follows: #2 Thaddeus with the club. #6 Johannes with the Goblet. #9 Jacobus with the Pilgrims Hat. #12 Peter with the sword.

The 13 women on the lower level depict Christians which in one way or another are important to the church. (left to right). #1 Katharina with the broken wheel and sword, signifies her wisdom and knowledge to explain the Christian beliefs. #3 Agnes with the Lamb, because she remained true to he belief in Christ, (the lamb of God) even under torture. #4 Barbara with the Tower. She was locked into the tower by her father, who tried without success to keep her from consulting other Christians. #7 Maria Magdalena with an Ointment or Salve jar, which she used to refreshes Jesus' feet. Which was a sign of great devotion. #8 Margarethe with the little lap dragon, which was a sign of her fears and worries. Her fears and worries symbolized in the dragon was adopted by other Christians. The     dangerous dragon was turned into a lap-dragon in Margarethe's arms. #9 Dorothes  with the basket, is a sign of her contributions. #12 Gertrud with the hospital where she cared for the sick.

The back side of the two outer wings were painted in the 17th century. They show the arrest of Jesus and his cross examination before Herodes on one and the other (which is very bad shape) probably showed pictures of Jesus praying and being cross examined by Punches Pilot. At Passion time before Easter, and for a time before Christmas the Winged Alter is closed. On the Holy days of Easter and Christmas the Altar wings are opened. On the back side of the wing one would see the crusification of Christ of Friday.

The figures of the Apostles and women show the congregation a fraction of the community of all Christians of all times in the golden glow of God's greatness. It does not symbolizes the riches of individual Christians or the church. It symbolizes the light of God engulfing every Christian, and that they generously share their earthly riches and lives, as the Apostles and women who did as shown in the altar.

So the old Petersdorf winged altar is a living and visible prayer for everyone who comes for services to our pretty church. In 1702 the winged altar was removed from where it stood for over 300 years and was attached to the wall over the door to the sacristy. A wealthy (the translation stops) individual probably paid to have it replaced at the current altar.

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