The weathered stone whispers tales. This is St-Vitus-Kirche in Wilkenburg a Hemmingen district. It stands as a testament to centuries of history.
For over nine hundred years St-Vitus-Kirche has watched over Wilkenburg. Its origins trace back to the early 12th century. A simple Romanesque hall church stood where it now stands. That original nave remains the oldest part of the building. High round arched windows are still visible bricked up in the long walls.
These were not just decorative. They suggest side chapels perhaps used as burial places for the local lord. The church was likely his private chapel. In the 12th century the original choir was replaced by the one we see today. A porch was added to the south side of the church. The tower we see now replaced this porch.
By 1438 St-Vitus-Kirche was a parish church. The Reformation arrived around 1542. Duke Erich of Brunswick-Lüneburg then held the right to appoint the church’s pastor. The Thirty Years War brought hardship. Tilly’s Catholic troops and later Swedish Protestant troops plundered Wilkenburg and its church. Extensive repairs followed. The church received its Baroque interior in the 17th century.
The 18th century brought further changes. A doorway was added to the choir’s outer wall. In 1704 the choir window was enlarged. The nave received larger windows on its south side. A new west facade was built. The church roof was redesigned as a mansard roof with dormers. A self-supporting wooden belfry was installed reaching from ground to the upper floor of the tower. The tower received a half-timbered upper story and a mansard roof cupola. The weather vane bears the date 1778.
World War I and World War II took their toll. Church bells and organ pipes were melted down for war production. They were replaced in the 1920s but this too was repeated during the second war. Air raids in 1943 and 1945 damaged the roof windows walls and ceiling. Part of the roof collapsed in 1945. The Leine River flooded in 1946 causing water damage to walls floors the choir altar and pulpit.
Repairs began in 1946. Further repairs followed to deal with water damage between 1961 and 1963. High groundwater and annual floods continued to cause damage. Major renovations took place until 2001 focusing on the interior.
St Vitus is the patron saint. He is mentioned in 1462 as the church’s patron. A stone over a bricked-up entrance on the north side shows traces of a carved eagle and lion Vitus’s attributes.
The interior largely dates back to the 17th century. A Baroque sandstone altar dominates the space. It features four twisted columns supporting an ornate structure. A painting of the von Alten family served as the altarpiece until 1898. It was replaced by an Ecce Homo by Gustav Otto Müller. A communion painting is the current altarpiece. The wooden pulpit is decorated with figures of the evangelists. A sandstone baptismal font dating to 1643 with three kneeling angels is another highlight. The wooden gallery from 1672 boasts coats of arms of the von Alten and other noble families.
St-Vitus-Kirche continues its active role. It serves the St-Vitus parish Wilkenburg-Harkenbleck. It also hosts regular musical performances. The church’s story is one of resilience. This building has survived wars floods and the passage of time. Step inside and let its stones speak to you.