St. Christian's Church (Garding)

The church, originally consecrated to Saints Christian, Bartholomew and Maria Magdalena, was supposedly founded in 1109 as the main church of Everschop. At first it was just a wooden chapel, which was replaced by the cruciform brick building from 1117 onwards. The side walls of the nave with two walled-in Romanesque arched windows are still preserved from this. The originally short cross arms were later extended. The Gothic west tower was added in the 13th century (Wikipedia).

The St. Christians Church is in the center of the town of Garding on the highest elevation in Eiderstedt. The church tower is still the highest point in Eiderstedt and served as a navigation mark for a long time.Originally dedicated to Saints Christian, Bartholomew and Mary Magdalene, the church is said to have been founded in 1109 as Everschop's main church. At first it was just a wooden chapel, which was replaced by the cross-shaped brick building from 1117. The side walls of the nave with two walled-in Romanesque arched windows are still preserved. The originally short cross arms were later lengthened. The Gothic west tower was added in the 13th century.1483-1488 the church was redesigned in Gothic style. Instead of an older sanctuary, the two-bay choir was built and the originally flat ceiling was replaced by a ribbed vault over two pillars. The Romanesque chancel arch was preserved. St. Christian is the only church in Eiderstedt whose vaulting is still intact and, alongside the Johanniskirche (Krummesse) and St. Johannis-Kirche (Petersdorf on Fehmarn), it is the only church with two naves in northern Germany. As a result of the reconstruction, the church received a high, pointed roof. At the same time the upper part of the tower was built. Parts of the painting from that time are still preserved.1610/20 the galleries were drawn in. In 1637 on St. John's Day the church tower was struck by lightning. The courageous intervention of the carpenters saved the church and the surrounding houses.
In 1660 the roof was flattened. Today's hipped roof dates from 1848. The outer walls were later covered, and the Gothic windows and portals were reshaped. The tower received its helmet at the beginning of the 19th century.In 1981 the level of the floor was lowered back to its original level. The foundation of a late Gothic baptismal platform was found on the western pillar.de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St.-Christians-Kirche_(Garding)

The first mention of Garding is in 1109, when a church was built "on the high cliff" on the edge of the Süderhever and converted into a two-nave Gothic hall church between 1483 and 1488. After Hermann Tast held Eiderstedt's first Reformation sermon on the market square in 1524, the Reformation continued under Christian III. from Denmark to 1527 in the region.This is visible in the church on the broken altar panel with the inscription: Hic sunt reliquiae reconditae (here the relics are kept). In 1563 the congregation built the first church pulpit in Eiderstedt - its hexagonal floor plan became the model for almost all other pulpits in the country.The organ case is the oldest in Northern Germany and dates back to 1512. The church has the oldest clockwork in Schleswig-Holstein, which was formerly associated with a clock striking man and a figure of St George fighting a dragon. The Dutch-Tönninger painter Marten van Acht created the three-winged Mannerist painting altar.eiderstedter-kultursaison.de/garding/kirche-st-christian