St. Bartholomäus, Baroque church in Wesselburen, Germany.
St. Bartholomaeus is a Baroque church in Wesselburen located on an elevated mound, with its characteristic onion dome cupola dominating the town's skyline. The brick structure contains the famous Klapmeyer organ from 1740 inside.
After a devastating fire in 1736, Duke Carl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorf commissioned architect Johann Georg Schott to rebuild the church, completed in 1738. This reconstruction shaped the building's current Baroque appearance and design.
The church houses a sandstone baptismal font from the 13th century decorated with reliefs depicting the four rivers of paradise, an example of early Christian art in the region. This ornate work shows how important religious symbols were to the community of that time.
The church is regularly open to visitors and allows you to experience the famous organ in full splendor. It is helpful to check accessibility beforehand since the church remains an active place of worship for the community.
Inside are two distinct galleries with noble boxes, including a red seating area beneath the organ and a blue duke's box funded by wealthy citizens. This arrangement shows the social hierarchy and patronage within the church community.
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