Church in Mestlin, Gothic brick church in Mestlin, Germany.
The Church in Mestlin is a Gothic brick church whose oldest part, the fieldstone choir, was built between 1220 and 1250; the brick nave followed in the early 14th century. Two slender octagonal pillars divide the hall into two aisles, and the roof ridge rises as high as the nave is long. A square west tower with timber-framed upper storeys and a pyramidal roof was raised by two storeys after 1745.
The church was originally built around 1250, with the granite choir remaining from that early period. The Gothic brick construction was added around 1370 and has defined the building's appearance ever since.
The village of Mestlin was first recorded as Mustelin in 1312. From 1448/1450 until the Dobbertin monastery office was dissolved in 1919, the church was a patronage church of Dobbertin Abbey. A 1557 visitation protocol notes that pre-Reformation saint veneration was still practised here: images were decorated, a crucifix stood with flax and wool hung before it, and wax lights had recently burned.
The building is generally accessible and maintained by the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Mestlin, which serves seven surrounding communities. A daytime visit works best to appreciate the interior details and furnishings in natural light.
Two bells from 1389 were moved into the tower in 1989, originally coming from another church. The larger bell bears Latin inscriptions that tell of its medieval purpose and origins.
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