Dorfkirche Alt Lönnewitz, Medieval church ruins in Mühlberg/Elbe, Germany
Dorfkirche Alt Lönnewitz is a church ruin built from red brick with bog iron ore, featuring pointed arch windows throughout the remaining walls. The structure sits within a dense forest setting near Federal Road 183, surrounded by the Lönnewitzer Heide nature reserve that frames the site today.
The church was built in the 13th century and heavily damaged during the Thirty Years War. It was rebuilt in 1682 under the direction of Dam von Weltewitz, creating the structure visible today.
A memorial stone inside the ruins documents the village's existence from 1251 until 1948, when military restrictions forced its disappearance. Visitors can sense the story of a community that once gathered here for worship and then vanished from the landscape.
The site is easily accessible from Federal Road 183 and sits within a nature reserve with good walking paths in the surrounding area. Bring appropriate clothing for forest environments, as the ruins can be visited throughout the year regardless of season.
A brass baptismal font from the church's founding era remains inside the ruins, while most other liturgical equipment was looted during wartime. This vessel is one of few surviving objects that speaks to the original religious function of the place.
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