“Our church by the dike” the Rablinghausen locals call their beloved Kirche Rablinghausen. This unassuming church holds a fascinating history. It stands as a testament to Bremen’s influence in the Niedervieland region. Kirche Rablinghausen wasn’t built because Rablinghausen was a significant settlement. It was a power play by the Bremen city council. They sought to strengthen their authority in the area through a controlled church policy.
Before 1746 the villagers belonged to the Martinikirche in Bremen’s Old Town. For some villagers the new church was a welcome improvement. For the Bremen council it was a strategic move. The new parish included Woltmershausen Lankenau and Neuenland. Seehausen however remained separate. Its church was Lutheran under a different patron.
Construction began in 1748 on raised ground by the dike. The church opened on May 7 1750. The design was by Bremen’s master mason Johann Hinrich Grütter. Hermann Ficke designed the distinctive octagonal roof turret. The simple brick church with its gabled roof was a common style in the Netherlands. It was inspired by the St Pauli Church in Bremen Neustadt. Kirche Rablinghausen is the last example of this type of church in Bremen.
Tragically a bombing raid in August 1944 destroyed the church. It was reduced to its walls. Reconstruction took place from 1950 to 1951. In 1964/65 a major renovation occurred. The six windows were framed in sandstone. A new copper-covered roof turret was added. It houses a bell cast in 1953. The church’s sandstone coats of arms are a noteworthy feature. These were created in 1749 by Bremen stonemason Werner Schreiber. They depict the mayors and church visitors of that era. Four more coats of arms adorn the interior wall opposite the pulpit.
The church has a unique baptismal font. It originates from a Romanesque cloister around 1100. The pulpit and its staircase incorporate elements from a Bremen house around 1750. The altar candelabra and lantern by the church portal are also 18th century pieces. The brass candelabra are copies of ones from the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem. The church organ built by Alfred Führer in 1965 features two manuals and fifteen stops. Its design is based on an 18th-century model. Kirche Rablinghausen a small church with a big history continues to serve its community. It stands as a symbol of resilience and faith.