The over 600 year old church of St. Petri is considered the oldest architectural testimony of the town of Garz.
In 1168 the subjugation of the Wendish Slavs by Bishop Absalon of Roeskilde (Denmark) took place. This was the beginning of the Christianization of Rügen. In 1319 the town of Garz was mentioned in documents for the first time. In 1396 the church was mentioned for the first time in the Garz town book as "deme godeshuze tu sunte Petare tu Gartze", although the start of construction dates back to around 1350. Around 1450, the church was enlarged by three nave bays, a high spire was built, and two eastern choir bays were added. Around 1648, the original tower was pulled down during a storm and replaced by the present blunt helmet before 1650. Then, in 1741, major structural changes and repair work were carried out. During one of the last big fires in 1765 the church was spared, but the church chronicle fell victim to the fires. In 1914, the repair works begun in 1906 came to an end. The roof truss was renewed and the organ was moved from the tower room to the interior. In 1992-1993, further extensive repair work was carried out on the exterior masonry and the roof, spire and windows were renewed.
