Kirche "Zum Heiligen Kreuz" in Kirchwahlingen

A chronicle of the church's origins was compiled in 1901 by the pastor at the time. According to him, even before the Thirty Years' War, there was oral tradition that the founder of Walsrode Monastery, Count Walo, was also the founder of the church in Kirchwahlingen, which seems entirely possible from a historical perspective, as the church seal of Kirchwahlingen also bears the inscription "A Walone ad honore St. Cruis", i.e. "From Walo in honor of the Holy Cross". It is assumed that the original church building was a small wooden structure on whose foundation walls the current central nave stands.
A rare feature of Kirchwahlingen church is the so-called hagioscope on the east wall, which is unique in the region. A hagioscope, also known as a leprosy column, is a wall opening in a church building that allows a view of the altar inside the church from the outside. A number of churches were fitted with them in the Middle Ages so that people excluded from the service could follow what was happening at the altar. Those excluded from entering the church were the excommunicated and, above all, people suffering from infectious diseases such as leprosy. Visitors enter the church through the tower and first enter the very dark-looking tower hall. A series of epitaphs and coat of arms plaques also point to the great importance of the Kirchwahling church as a burial place for the noble families of the surrounding area. For several centuries until 1969, the tower hall served as a burial chamber and was not accessible to normal church visitors during this time. This use as a burial place goes back to an agreement between the von Hedemann and v. Schleppegrell families, who had agreed to have the roof of the church, which had been blown down by a strong storm on Christmas night 1698, replaced if the tower room was made available to them as a burial chamber in return.