The largest church is the "Neustädter Marienkirche", a Gothic hall church dating back to 1293, completed 1512. It stands tall and has a length of . Historically speaking, this building is considered to be the most precious possession of the town. It was the starting point of the Protestant Reformation in Bielefeld in 1553. A valuable wing-altar with 13 pictures, known as the "Marienaltar" is also kept inside. The baroque spires were destroyed in World War II and later replaced by two unusually-shaped "Gothic" clocktowers. The altarpiece of the Bielefeld church "Neustädter Marienkirche" from around 1400 is among the most prominent masterpieces of artwork of the German Middle Ages. Two of the altarpieces, "The Flagellation" and "The Crucifixion" are now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.