St. Stephani

St. Stephani is a Romanesque church in Osterwieck featuring two sturdy towers built in the early 1100s and taller Gothic-style windows added later. The interior holds several artistic treasures from different periods, including carved wooden furnishings and altar decorations from the late medieval era.

The church was built on the site of an earlier Carolingian missionary settlement dating back to the 700s. A fire in the 1500s damaged the structure, but it was reconstructed and took on its present appearance over the following decades.

The church is named after Saint Stephen, a figure central to medieval Christian devotion across Europe. Visitors can still see the carved pulpit and late Gothic altarpiece today, objects that shaped how people worshipped in this place centuries ago.

The church is open to view from the outside and stands as a landmark in Osterwieck's old town center. Guided visits can be arranged in advance, allowing you to explore the interior and learn more about the building's features and history.

Inside the church sits a 1800s pipe organ built by Carl Voigt with original mechanical parts for playing and changing sounds still in working order. Few visitors expect to find such a well-preserved historical musical instrument with its original mechanical systems intact.