Zarpen

Centuries old Zarpen whispers secrets. Stand here before its modest church. Built in 1221 it’s a testament to faith. Bishop Bertold of Lubeck granted permission. The abbot of Reinfeld Monastery held the patronage rights. Zarpen was once a town. It held Lubeck Law until the 15th century. Danish King Christian I replaced it with Holstein Law. Zarpen’s central role shifted to Reinfeld. The church’s style bridges Romanesque and Gothic. Its bricks tell tales of skilled masons. Perhaps they were the same who built Lubeck’s Rathaus. Notice the paired windows the pointed archway. The church tower stands tall 33 meters high. Its spire is capped with shingles. Its three bells ring out through the ages. The oldest one ‘the little Zarpen girl’ dates back to 1464. It tolls during the Lord’s Prayer and baptisms. The middle bell survived two World Wars. It now sounds for funerals. The largest bell joined the choir in 1959. Its predecessor was destroyed in World War I. Look upwards at the vault paintings. Late Gothic ornaments adorn the arches. Baroque vines add a touch of later artistry. Three baroque angels gaze down. Their banners proclaim ‘Te Deum laudamus’. The church organ arrived in 1883. It’s from the Danish firm Marcussen & Sohn. It boasts a baroque facade from the Kiel Thaulow Museum. The organ originally played in Heiligenhafen. The little town of Zarpen a place of history and faith. It’s a quiet reminder of a rich past. It still stands proudly near Lubeck.