The church was a spiritual centre during the Reformation, and was one of only a few churches in what was at the time medieval Denmark that suffered damage due to iconoclasm as a consequence of the Reformation.

St. Peter’s Church contains late medieval murals of recognized high quality, as well as a number of unusual furnishings. The altarpiece, made in 1611, is one of the largest in the Nordic countries.

St. Peter’s Church is the oldest church in Malmö, as well as the oldest preserved brick building, and originally the only parish church of the city.

By the end of the Middle Ages the city had established itself as the most important commercial city in the province. St. Peter’s Church has been described as “the main Gothic monument within church architecture in Skåne” and as a “very good and strongly authentic representative of Baltic Brick Gothic”.

During the 14th century, St. Peter’s Church was the largest town church in Denmark. It is part of an urban structure with a still largely intact medieval street layout.