- no entry possible
- open on request / for events
Parish church of St. Johannes Baptist and St. Agatha Altenbüren
Church
The history of Altenbüren's parish church
by Willi Mester, chronicler and archivist "Altenbüren Dorfgemeinschaft e. V.")
The first written records of the Altenbüren church date back to the 16th century.
However, the beginnings can be dated much earlier, as there was already a church here much earlier. Old documents show that there was already an old parish at that time. The church, probably more of a chapel, was built of wood and was looked after by a vicar from Brilon, who was also the parish priest of Altenbüren.
Address
Parish church of St. Johannes Baptist and St. Agatha Altenbüren
Briloner Tor 3
59929 Brilon
Properties:
The tower as it still stands today dates back to the middle of the 16th century. It was also known as a fortified tower. An old map from 1538 by Justus Möser shows a church near Altenbüren. This can be seen as proof that it had existed for a long time and was a parish church.
The oldest document, dated February 10, 1553, names Johannes Baptist as the church patron. Pastor Jakobus Elias took up permanent residence in Altenbüren from 1655 to 1682 and compiled the first church records and a chronicle.
Due to a fire in 1657, the village celebrated the feast of St. Agatha for the first time and vowed to do so for all time.
In 1785-86, work began on the construction of a new nave, as the church was in a very poor state. In the visitation report of 1799, the choir is recorded as new, but the nave of the church as dilapidated. Due to a lack of funds, construction was suspended and resumed in 1804 after a long process with the tithing lord, Count Bocholtz from Alme, had clarified the obligation to build. The church building was completed in 1807.
Until August 1849, the deceased were buried around the church, then in a newly created cemetery on the Haar.