Old Island Church (Baltrum)
The Evangelical Lutheran Old Island Church was built in 1826 on the East Frisian island of Baltrum . It is the second oldest surviving church on an East Frisian island.
history
The Old Island Church is at least the fifth on the island. This can partly be explained by the migration of the island, which over the centuries migrated further and further east, so that the island village and church had to be relocated again and again. The oldest known church is described as dilapidated in 1736. In 1746 it was badly damaged in a storm surge and demolished the following year. Seven years later a new church was built east of the former settlement, which was abandoned in 1808 because of the island migration. Today the former location of this church is on the beach on the neighboring island of Norderney . As a replacement for this building, a new church was built in 1800, which was destroyed in a devastating storm surge in 1825.
In 1826 the current church was finally built, which can seat around 50 people. The bell is in a simple wooden frame next to the church. The bell comes from a Dutch sailing ship that ran aground off Baltrum. The belfry is the island's landmark.
For the numerous guests of the island, the new large Evangelical-Lutheran island church was built in 1929/30 .
The old island church - after being used as a Catholic church and morgue - is only used for weddings and baptisms, on Mondays and Fridays for evening services and for cultural events.
Furnishing
Some of the furnishings are older than the church. The altarpiece includes a chalice donated by Catherine of Sweden , wife of Count Edzard II from East Frisia between 1559 and 1599.
The organ with 196 pipes , twelve of which are made of wood, has been in the church since October 2nd, 2004 after a general overhaul by the organ builder Martin ter Haseborg . It had previously stood in the cemetery chapel on Auricher Strasse in Emden since 1968. The instrument was built in 1950 by Hermann Hillebrand .
See also
literature
- Hans-Bernd Rödiger, Heinz Ramm: Frisian churches in Auricherland, Norderland, Brokmerland and in Krummhörn , Volume 2. Verlag CL Mettcker & Söhne, Jever (2nd edition) 1983, p. 96.
Web links
- Genealogy forum: Baltrum
- Homepage of the parish
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Genealogy Forum: Baltrum ( Memento from September 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive ), viewed on August 23, 2018.
- ↑ New organ for the Alte Inselkirche ( memento from February 10, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ), viewed on August 23, 2018.
Coordinates: 53 ° 43 ′ 40.4 " N , 7 ° 22 ′ 1.3" E