Neue St.-Alexander-Kirche, Gothic Revival church in Wallenhorst, Germany.
The Neue St.-Alexander-Kirche is a Roman Catholic church in Wallenhorst, built of rough grey-brown Piesberg sandstone. Its square west tower rises in stages to a pointed spire clad in oxidized copper, with paired pointed-arch windows below; the lower nave has steep green roofing and a round-arched window. Architect Franz Xaver Lütz designed the three-aisled Gothic Revival building, begun in 1878.
In 1852 the parish resolved to build anew because the Old St.-Alexander Church had become too small and damp; after a long search the site on the Bokholt beside the 15th-century Annakapelle was chosen in 1877. Osnabrück architect Franz Xaver Lütz designed the three-aisled Gothic Revival church with an integrated west tower. Construction began in summer 1878, the foundation stone was laid in spring 1879, and the church was blessed on 9 June 1881; Bishop Bernhard Höting consecrated it in 1891.
The church is dedicated to Saint Alexander, a Roman martyr who died around 165; the older church in the Alten Dorf bears the same dedication. The parish raised money for the furnishings through collections and donations, so the interior was fitted out gradually. The oldest piece is a baptismal font from the early 13th century, taken over from the old church.
The church stands on the Bokholt, next to the Gothic Annakapelle from the mid-15th century, and is surrounded by an open square so it can be seen from all sides. The tower, with its copper-clad spire, is on the west side; the three apses close the east end, and the sacristy lies to the south.
The tower's copper cladding dates from 1961, and the weather vane and cross were repaired in 2007 after Hurricane Kyrill damaged their mountings. The church also holds a font from the early 13th century, brought over from the Old St.-Alexander Church.
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