Findorff-Kirche - Iselersheim

In the 1950s, a considerable number of new churches were built in our country. One of them is the Jürgen-Christian-Findorff-Kirche Iselersheim, which was consecrated in 1958.

It was a long way

before this church was built. Early on - for the first time in 1780 - the settlers of Ostenmoor asked the relevant authorities to have their own church. However, their request was rejected by the Royal Chamber. The reason given was that the "five state-owned moorland villages of Ostendorf, Mehedorf, Iselersheim, Neuendamm and Hönau" did not have such a considerable number of inhabitants that they needed their own church; moreover, it "could not be maintained by the farmers". In the following years, further applications for the construction of a church were made, but were still unsuccessful. In 1896, a compromise was finally reached whereby a service was offered every three weeks in the Iselersheim school.

Namesake Jürgen Christian Findorff

It was thanks to the personal commitment of the superintendent Friedrich Schwekendiek and the pastor Helmut Tiedemann that, following a renewed application to the regional church office in Hanover, the foundation stone for the church was finally laid on 6 April 1957. It was finally possible to lay the foundation stone for the church in Iselersheim on April 6, 1957, which was consecrated on October 4, 1958 with the name Jürgen-Christian-Findorff-Kirche. It is named after the Royal Hanoverian Moor Commissioner Jürgen Christian Findorff, whose burial and memorial site is located in the immediate vicinity of the church.

Young parish

After the parish was initially organizationally assigned to other parishes, the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Iselersheim was founded on 1 January 1994.Today, it comprises the villages of Hönau-Lindorf, Iselersheim, Mehedorf, Ostendorf and Nieder Ochtenhausen - four moorland villages and one Geestdorf. The unity of the five villages in one parish is symbolized by a forged village coat of arms chandelier in the chancel of the church. Here, the parishes are united in the form of a five-masted nave with the respective village coat of arms.

Initially a rather simple church

The Findorff church was initially rather simple - as was probably the life of the people who once settled here in the 18th and 19th centuries. The church tower was built with rock and is therefore a symbol of the constancy of the word of God.
From the very beginning, the church was able to call an organ by organ builder Alfred Führer its own. Of its total of around 600 organ pipes, only 35 are visible in the organ case.

Over time, the church was equipped with further exhibits. These included a baptismal font and a pulpit panel by the wood sculptor Otto Flath. The baptismal font was donated by the children of the former elementary school on the initiative of their teacher Moritz Buse. From children for children - a great gesture!
On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Jürgen Christian Findorf's death in 1992, the church and in particular the chancel were redesigned. Since then, a blue and colorful round window directly above the altar has been a special eye-catcher.

Parish and parish house

A parish house was first built next to the church at the end of 1994. And most recently in 1999, the neighboring parish hall was renovated and extended.

You are welcome to visit us, we look forward to seeing you!