Religion Nordhorn

nordhorn, church

when first church built in nordhorn unknown. story goes, however, stood @ guildfield , named after saint ludger. ludger 1 of first christian missionaries in area, , in 804 became first bishop of münster. in 809 died near billerbeck.

in municipal area s northwest, monastery of augustinian canons (chorherrenstift) founded in frenswegen, earlier known marienwolde, in 1394. church, consecrated in 1444, destroyed in 1881 lightning strike. monastery of great importance nordhorn , places far beyond. bit bit monastery building arose, , in 15th century, did church.

also in nordhorn, bigger church needed. on 6 july 1445, both churches consecrated auxiliary bishop münster. new nordhorn church s patron once again saint ludger. three-naved late gothic market church built out of bentheim sandstone , 71-m-high steeple, dominated town s skyline.

after reformation (1517), count arnold – , along him whole county – adopted lutheran faith in 1544. in 1588, county of bentheim (grafschaft bentheim) converted reformed faith under count arnold ii. thereafter, church @ market belonged reformed parish. count arnold ii, however, had come contact calvin s teachings while studying in strasbourg. further link faith came marriage countess magdalena of neuenahr, confessed reformed faith. few catholics left in nordhorn had go services @ frenswegen monastery.

in 1578, augustinian canons bought castle on vechte island in nordhorn. in manor house established, among other things, chapel. catholics once more had room services, albeit small one. in 1712 small church built next castle. augustinian canons chose – alongside saint ludger, order s patron saint – saint augustine of hippo church s first patron.

at time of secularization reichsdeputationshauptschluss, monastery @ frenswegen abolished. year 1824 important 1 augustinian community: county, centuries had belonged either bishopric of utrecht or bishopric of münster, assigned diocese of osnabrück, while community raised parish. first minister augustinian canon johann b. cordes, had been overseeing community since 1810.

in 1826, castle converted church. in late 19th century, community grew quickly; plans made build new, big church on castle square on vechte. castle torn down. models new church found in italy architect keith hamburg, instance pantheon in rome or san giorgio in venice. church s footprint octagonal. 1911 1913, building work finished , church s consecration celebrated. steeple built church. offset influence tower might have on impression dome meant give, tower stands side. two-story arcade joins steeple church. 45 m high , houses 4 bells. church s dome – peculiarity in northern germany – shapes nordhorn s skyline. on massive iron-concrete dome arches wooden, copper-covered outer dome, crowned lantern. total height 35 m.

synagogue memorial

nordhorn s lutheran christians first served lingen, , bentheim. once had established own parish, kreuzkirche ( cross church ) built in 1929 , 1930. today 20% of nordhorners count lutherans. there 3 lutheran churches.

all together, there twelve houses of god available in nordhorn, 7 of have been built since second world war.

nordhorn s synagogue destroyed on kristallnacht (9 november 1938). town s jews either emigrated or deported , murdered, event marked memorial.