Schinkel Church Straupitz

With its light-coloured plaster and striking double towers, the Schinkel church in Straupitz radiates far beyond the town itself. A Classicist building, it was designed by master builder Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The church resembles an old Roman basilica, which makes it unique in the Spreewald region.
The church is probably the third to stand on this site. The first one burned down in 1624, while its successor was probably a wooden structure typical of the Spreewald – it had two entrance doors and hallways, one for the Wends and one for the Germans. This church was so dilapidated by the end of the 18th century that the patron at the time, Carl Heinrich Ferdinand von Houwald, decided to have it rebuilt. The church that remains standing today was consecrated in 1832. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the foundations were elaborately renewed in order to save the building from collapsing.
The interior furnishings are almost completely preserved, including paintings by Johan Karl Ulrich Bähr and Friedrich Matthäi which date from the middle of the 19th century. They can be seen in the apse. The organ was built by Friedrich Morgenstern in 1832, the year of the church's consecration, and has since been renovated and converted several times.
This church is taking part in the “Open Church” initiative and can be visited during the season from May to October, Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., and also on Sundays after the service. Further information and registration for guided tours at the parish office, Kirchstr. 5, Telephone +49 35475-496.