Church in Dreveskirchen, church

Church in Dreveskirchen is a brick structure built in the Gothic style during the second half of the 13th century. The building has a simple rectangular nave with two sections, a square chancel, and a western tower from the 14th century with an upper section added in 1888.

Dreveskirchen was separated from the Neuburg parish in 1229, when Bishop Brunward permitted a church to be built; its remote setting gave it the name Oedeskerken, "church in the wilderness". From 1306 the abbot of Doberan held the patronage, which the monastery kept until its dissolution in 1552. It then passed between the territorial lords and the families von Strahlendorf on Goldebee and von Goeden on Damekow, and from 1873 to the von Viereck family.

The village was called Oedeskerken, 'church in the wilderness', because of its remote setting. The pulpit of 1736 is deliberately lower than the patron's pew, a reminder of the von Viereck family's patronage from 1873. The apostle heads on the triumphal arch were carved by Karl Andreae during the restoration begun in 1873.

The church stands in Dreveskirchen, part of Blowatz, and is reached by the village road; the 56-metre west tower is the landmark to aim for. Inside, look up: the vault ribs carry medieval painting and the vaults baroque painting, uncovered in 1995. The pulpit sits lower than the patron's pew, so sightlines differ from a typical village church.

The 1995 restoration uncovered medieval paintings on the ribs and baroque paintings on the vaults, both hidden under later layers. The same work added a new ring anchor to secure the building's statics. On 6 September 2013 thieves stole two large chandeliers, two candlesticks and a crucifix from the church.