A predecessor to today's St. Wilhadi Church has existed since the 11th century. Today's three-aisled Gothic hall church dates from the 14th century, the west tower has its origins even in the 13th century. The church has been Lutheran since 1529. In the following years the church burned down again and again. B. during the great city fire of 1659. The last renovation of the church interior was completed in 2017.
An organ by the barber Berthold is proven as early as 1322 . During the town fire in 1659, the organ of that time also burned, which 1673–1676 Berendt Hus replaced and Arp Schnitger completed after his death in 1678 (III / P / 46). As a result of a lightning strike in 1724, the church tower and organ were destroyed. The current instrument was built by Erasmus Bielfeldt between 1731 and 1736. It has 40 registers , which are distributed over three manuals and pedal . The typical North German baroque organ has a positive back, but Bielfeldt in St. Wilhadi preferred a back work instead. A swell box was built around this work in 1894 by Heinrich Röver , in the spirit of Romanticism. In 1937 this work was then placed on the gallery as a Rückpositiv, first without a case, and from 1961–1963 a case was built that was incorporated into the gallery. Jürgen Ahrend restored the organ in 1990 and brought it back to its baroque state. In the intervening time, stops and pipes that were lost due to alterations and the effects of the war were supplemented or reconstructed according to old models. The Rückpositiv was given its original place as a backwork. The disposition is as follows:
In March 2019, the choir organ was set up by Jens Steinhoff in the French-Romantic style to the left of the pulpit in the aisle. The instrument has 19 registers, which are divided between two manuals and a pedal. Three registers are extensions , plus three transmissions . The disposition is as follows:
I Grand Orgue C – a 3
Bourdon
16 ′
Montre
8th'
Flûte harmonique
8th'
Bourdon (ext.)
8th'
Salicional
8th'
Prestant
4 ′
II Récit expressif C – a 3
Cor de nuit
8th'
Viole de gambe
8th'
Voix céleste
8th'
Flûte octaviante
4 ′
Nazard
2 2 ⁄ 3 ′
Octavine
2 ′
Tierce
1 3 ⁄ 5 ′
Plein jeu
1 1 ⁄ 3 ′
Trompette harmonique
8th'
Basson hautbois
8th'
Pedale C – f 1
Soubasse (ext.)
32 ′
Soubasse
16 ′
Violoncelle (from Récit)
8th'
Flûte (from Récit)
8th'
Bombarde (ext.)
16 ′
Trumpet (from Récit)
8th'
Coupling : I / II, II / I, I 16 ′, I 4 ′, II 16 ′, II 4 ′, II / I 16 ′, II / I 4 ′, I / P, II / P, II / P 4 ′
