The pulpit altar is an unusual feature of Lutheran churches and a typical sign of a margrave church (even though not all of them posses
s one). In a pulpit altar, the pulpit is integrated into the centre of the altarpiece. This is a way of emphasising that the proclamation of the Word of God is at the heart of the church service. The sermon and the celebration of Holy Communion at the altar belong closely together, and if the organ is placed directly above them it shows that church music is also a part of the proclamation of the Word.
The very oldest pulpit altar is that in the castle chapel of Wilhelmsburg Castle in Schmalkalden in Thuringia, and it was built in 1585-1590.