Recall the year 1877. Today we stand before the Zionkirche. This church replaced the dilapidated St. Bartholomäus Church. Locals knew it as the Ochsenkirche. The Zionkirche’s foundation stone was laid on May 5th, 1877. It was consecrated on the first Advent of the same year.
August Schwägermann from Stade planned the new brick building. Carl Pogge from Bremerhaven designed the east tower. Some say Pogge modeled it after the Bürgermeister Smidt Memorial Church. Like that church, it features triangle gables on all four sides of the open bell storey.
The Zionkirche is now a protected monument. It earned this distinction in 2015. But let’s delve into what makes the Zionkirche so special.
Inside the Zionkirche, the restored colours of the chancel catch the eye. The partially open, three-part suspended vaulting of the roof truss defines the interior’s character.
The Zionkirche houses treasures from the old church. These include late medieval bronze castings. The Zionkirche also owns communion utensils dating from around 1400 to 1800. A wooden epitaph from 1712 is also present. A series of baroque reliefs completes the collection.
The oldest artwork is the baptismal font. Six standing figures support its body. They stand on a ring. Three figures share the same casting mould. Flat figural reliefs adorn the walls. They depict Mary with Child, a bishop, and a warrior. The warrior has an added coat of arms.
The mirrored inscription reads: “Ao DN Mo CCCo L XXX III In PROFESTO ANNUNCIACIONIS BEATEMARIE VIRGINIS FUSUM BAPTISTERIUM ISTUD”. This translates to: “In the year of the Lord 1384 on the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, this baptismal font was cast”. The font’s diameter is 74 cm.
Two chalices from around 1400 and 1408 also originate from the old church. The bell, dated 1455, was moved from the Ochsenturm. Hermann Klinghe, with his father and brothers, created it. They ran a bronze foundry from Bremen in the 15th century. A bell from 1781 was melted down in World War II.
Thirteen reliefs from the Baroque period decorate the sacristy doors and gallery staircase. They are from a pulpit built in 1672. These scenes from the Old and New Testaments are attributed to Jürgen Heitmann the Younger. He also created a signed altar in Dorum in 1670. The mount was renovated in 1928.
For the new church’s altar, the painting “Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane Approaching His Disciples” was acquired. It came from the estate of the painter Adolf Wichmann.
Heinrich Oidtmann’s stained glass workshop created the three choir windows. They depict biblical themes. The side windows are ornamental. Hermann Schaper painted four evangelists on the pulpit. He later became a famous church painter. He also directed the painting of the Bremen Cathedral.
The parish of the Zion Church is responsible for two locations in different federal states. These are Weddewarden in Bremen and Imsum in Lower Saxony. Special activities include church with children. Another activity is Café Klingelbütel. Open-air services take place at the Ochsenturm. Zion was originally a tower castle in Jerusalem. Since the 10th century BC, it became a synonym for God’s dwelling. This happened with the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem under King Solomon.
As you leave, remember the Zionkirche. It is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a testament to faith. It is a bridge between centuries. It is a reminder of the enduring human spirit.