According to an old legend, the people of Stolzenau persuaded the devil to build the church on the pretext that they wanted to build a huge inn. When the devil realized after completion what the building was actually going to be, he wanted to tear it out and pulled on the spire, but was unable to do more than twist it a little. In fact, the tower of St. Jacob's Church, built in 1679, has a strikingly twisted pointed spire, which has become Stolzenau's landmark. Investigations show that this special feature of the 45-metre-high Stolzenau church tower is a planned carpenter's work. The tower was extensively renovated in 2007.
The stone sundial next to the bell windows on the street side dates back to 1737. The oldest of the four bells in the tower chimes dates back to 1639 and was already hanging in the previous tower. The chiming bells hanging on the outside are operated by a mechanical clockwork mechanism dating from 1887. The present church was added to the tower between 1828 and 1830 in the classicist style. The exterior is characterized above all by a mighty main portal in the form of Greek temple facades. The interior of the church was largely restored to its neoclassical origins during the last renovation in 1982/1983.
The coffered barrel ceiling and the neoclassical pulpit wall with the pulpit altar are particularly noteworthy. The oldest exhibit is a Romanesque baptismal font, which comes from the mother church in Holzhausen and dates back to around 1200. The large organ with its historic façade was extensively restored in 2001 by the organ company Rudolf Jahnke and also given a new sound. With its 2166 pipes spread over 32 stops, it is one of the largest instruments in the southern district of Nienburg/Weser.
The stone sundial next to the bell windows on the street side dates back to 1737. The oldest of the four bells in the tower chimes dates back to 1639 and was already hanging in the previous tower. The chiming bells hanging on the outside are operated by a mechanical clockwork mechanism dating from 1887. The present church was added to the tower between 1828 and 1830 in the classicist style. The exterior is characterized above all by a mighty main portal in the form of Greek temple facades. The interior of the church was largely restored to its neoclassical origins during the last renovation in 1982/1983.
The coffered barrel ceiling and the neoclassical pulpit wall with the pulpit altar are particularly noteworthy. The oldest exhibit is a Romanesque baptismal font, which comes from the mother church in Holzhausen and dates back to around 1200. The large organ with its historic façade was extensively restored in 2001 by the organ company Rudolf Jahnke and also given a new sound. With its 2166 pipes spread over 32 stops, it is one of the largest instruments in the southern district of Nienburg/Weser.
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Author
Mittelweser-Touristik GmbH
Lange Straße 18
31582 Nienburg/Weser
Organization
