St. Marien, Parish church in Lebach, Germany

St. Marien is the Catholic parish church of Lebach, a Neo-Gothic hall church with a red-brown brick body and a steep grey slate roof. A tall pointed spire rises from the left side, with a grey slate roof, a red-painted octagonal belfry with vertical slats, a clock with a red face and gold hands, and a small cross at its peak. The lower walls are brick, and a line of trees and a white building stand in front.

The parish of Lebach is first documented in the 10th century, and its medieval church, begun around that time, was replaced in 1774/1775 by a Baroque hall church built under Abbess Sophia von Neuenstein of Fraulautern, with Joseph Thomann of Hottingen as architect. A Romanesque tower from the 10th or 11th century stood at its northeast corner. The present Neo-Gothic church replaced this predecessor; three early modern grave slabs of the Freiherrn von Hagen zur Motten survive beneath the gallery.

The church holds two patronal feasts: Trinity Sunday and the Nativity of Mary on 8 September. The September date is tied to the Mariä-Geburts-Markt, a market held in Lebach each September for the Marian feast. Three early modern grave slabs of the Freiherrn von Hagen zur Motten are kept inside, under the gallery.

The church is accessible from outside and visitors can admire its architecture anytime. If you wish to attend services, it helps to check the current schedule beforehand.

Under the organ gallery, three early modern grave slabs of the Freiherrn von Hagen zur Motten survive; the family resided near Lebach and held close ties to the parish from the Middle Ages until the late 18th century. The church's second patronal feast, Mariä Geburt on 8 September, is still linked to the Mariä-Geburts-Markt held in Lebach each September.