Schrotholzkirche Wespen, Timber log church in Wespen, Germany.
Schrotholzkirche Wespen is a rectangular wooden structure with a polygonal eastern end and a bell tower above the western gable covered in wooden boards. The entire exterior is built from logs and timber, giving the building a distinctive wooden appearance throughout.
Bohemian religious refugees built this wooden church between 1687 and 1689 after Duke August invited them to settle in the abandoned village. The settlement had been deserted before their arrival, and they revived it with their own church constructed using this distinctive timber technique.
Inside you can see an octagonal Gothic baptismal font and two sandstone epitaphs from the 1720s with carved figures beside inscriptions. These pieces reveal how the community here lived and remembered its members across generations.
The church sits on elevated ground in the center of Wespen village near a pond, making it easy to find within the settlement. It underwent complete restoration between 1991 and 1996, so the wooden structure is today stable and safe for visitors to explore.
This church is the only timber log church in Germany covered with wooden shingles, a building technique common in Silesia. The Bohemian builders brought their own craftwork traditions with them, creating an architectural piece found nowhere else in the country.
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