Groß Breesen church with baptismal angel

Historical Monuments

Description

In the district north of Guben called Groß Breesen, a former rural commune, amidst a rich oak tree plot stands a 19th-century Evangelical village church topped with a tall bell tower, a parish farm, and a cemetery. The one-hall, white-plastered temple is characterized by architectural elements typical of the thrifty rural religious buildings from the mid-nineteenth century. Arched windows and a portal were built into the simple rectangular building. The whole is closed with a sleek gable roof, from which a fairly high tower with a pointed dome and a cross at the top protrudes. Inside, there is a large hall with a wooden ceiling and a gallery, a separate sacristy, and an organ from 1820. In front of the altar there is a unique wooden statue of a baptismal angel, 1.4 meters long, holding a tape in his hands with the words "I want to bless you, Gen. 12, 2" (Ger.: “Ich will Dich segnen, Gen. 12, 2").

Historical background

Already in the mid-fourteenth century appeared the first mentions of a church in the Groß Breesen. It is documented that around 1700 a simple timbered church was built on the site of today's temple. The present form was put into use in 1852. The tower, which is characteristic today, was added over 31 years later, thus replacing the existing wooden structure. A significant part of the existing interior elements and the tombstones located in the adjacent cemeteries are over 300 years old and come from an earlier temple. I. e. in the vestibule of the church, you can see tombstones dating back to the beginning of the 18th century. The wooden statue of a baptismal angel by Heinrich Bernhardow Hattenkerellow was donated to the community as early as 1705. After 27 years the sculpture fell over, sustaining significant damage. It was not until 2010 that it was comprehensively restored, giving back it its old, unique character.

In the years 1984-1989, the church underwent extensive renovation and conservation works.