St. Laurentius-Kirche Achim

The church of St. Laurentius was probably built on a former pagan place of worship. First mentioned in a document in 1257, it is the oldest building in the town. The church served as a place of refuge in times of war and fire. Originally built as a Romanesque fieldstone structure (split boulders can be found on the tower and south wall), new windows were added in the late Gothic period (14th century). An extension to the east and the addition of two chapels to the north and south also date from the Gothic period. The existing flat ceiling was replaced by a ribbed vault. In the Mandelsloh and Clüver chapels there are old burial monuments as well as two marble sarcophagi of an old Achim noble family.

The clock in the church tower, which was mentioned in writing as early as 1574, is now electronically controlled. However, there are still remnants of the Furtwängler clock from 1864 on the first floor and the pulpit, built in 1631, depicts the four evangelists. The late baroque altar from 1750 features magnificent gold and ivory-colored side altars. The oldest piece in the church is the late Romanesque baptismal font with a modern bronze lid depicting the story of creation. In the Clüver Chapel there is a figure in a red and gold robe in a wall niche. It is the patron saint of Achim church, St. Laurentius, who died for his faith in 258. According to tradition, he was burned alive on a grate. In 2012, a baroque painting from the 17th century was discovered during an interior renovation.