Village church Birkholz, Architectural heritage monument in Birkholz, Germany.
The Village church Birkholz is a fieldstone building from the late Middle Ages with a tower that was modified over time, standing in Brandenburg's gently rolling glacial landscape. The structure displays the regional building tradition using stones naturally found in the local terrain.
The building was founded in the second half of the 13th century, with the choir section receiving its roof in 1266. Over the following centuries, the structure underwent several modifications and expansions.
The parish was a filial church of Schwanebeck from 1575 and had no resident pastor until 1970, served from Schwanebeck and later Lindenberg. A church register begun in 1599 is still kept by the congregation. In 1681 Eleonora Freifrau von Pölnitz, daughter of Prince Maurice of Orange, donated the pulpit; in 1821 miller Karl Hindenberg gave a crystal-glass chandelier.
The church is located in a small village and is best reached via the roads connecting to nearby Bernau bei Berlin. Visitors should check in advance about open visiting times, as the building continues to serve religious purposes.
Soviet troops shelled the tower in World War II while searching for German snipers, and the damaged structure leaned westward until 1972. The road was closed from 1966 to 1972 before the tower was blown up on 19 October 1972, against the protests of Birkholz parishioners.
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