Bonifatius Church Arle

In a document from the period between 1106 and 1116, the church was first mentioned. There is only a copy from the 30s of the 20th Century, in which the Arler church is mentioned and is attributed by the provost Werner the cathedral chapter in Bremen. Due to dilapidated or more space, the old wooden church was demolished in the early 13th century. For the construction of the new church, the warft was extended to a height of 8.50 m above sea level and set a 7.50 m deep foundation of granite blocks. The single-nave church building itself was built of tuff stone (on the north side still preserved over a large area) and had the dimensions of 45.30 m long, 12.80 m wide and 9.50 m in height.Around 1400, a passage through the arch was added to separate the sanctuary from the nave. In addition, altars were erected in the lateral arches. In the Romanesque period small, high-set windows were created on the walls. Large late Gothic windows were added in the 15th century in the south wall of the church to improve the lighting conditions.The church lost its lead roof in 1532 by soldiers of the Duke of Geldern, who camped in Esens. The dome vault of the sanctuary was canceled in 1778 to be replaced by a flat ceiling; This created space for an organ. After the removal of the apse in 1798, the wall of the church was raised and the beam ceiling was completely drawn to the east, thus giving the interior a neoclassical character. For the organ on the west gable a gallery was moved in 1896 in the church. Precious paintings were lost by this conversion.

The oldest bell still in existence was cast as a striking bell in 1356 and installed outside at the top of the church tower. Today there are two bells hanging in the bell tower, one from the end of the 19th century and the second from 1957.

The Bonifatius Church in Arle is a striking building that gives cyclists a point of orientation from afar in this flat country. You know that right away: that's where Arle is.