St. Nikolai-Kirche

The 42-metre-high tower of St. Nikolai Church with its cross and weathercock on the globe, which can be seen from afar, is a good signpost for those not familiar with the town. All around St. Nikolai's Church are sandstone epitaphs (tombstones) of the von dem Bussche family from the beginning of the 17th century, some of which are difficult to read. This is presumably due to the fact that the slabs used to lie on the floor and were worn away by the churchgoers. The church was first mentioned in 1221. During a feud between the bishops of Osnabrück and Minden in 1436, most of the building was burnt down. The church became Protestant towards the end of the 16th century. A look inside the church should not be missed. 

History:

• The first documented mention of St. Nikolai Church Bad Essen was in 1221 or 1224.
  
• The last Catholic priest at St. Nikolai resigned in 1593. His successor Flote preached in Wittlager Platt for the common people and professed the Lutheran faith at the church visitation in 1625. The parish remained Lutheran throughout the Counter-Reformation and the Thirty Years' War.
• The first renovation of the church in the spirit of the Renaissance and the Reformation took place in 1602-24. The main focus was on a new altar and a new pulpit.
• In accordance with the 21st article, Bad Essen remained Lutheran in 1650. Over the years, a southern extension was necessary, as after the Thirty Years' War the Lutherans from the surrounding Catholic parishes came to Bad Essen to worship and so there was a lack of space. Due to the revival movement in the 19th century, additional side galleries were built.
• The church has a church hall, which was also the burial place of the noble von dem Bussche family until 1808.
• The patronage lies jointly with the von dem Bussche-Ippenburg and von dem Bussche-Hünnefeld families. Today's church square, the former mausoleum, is considered a war memorial.