St. Dionysius and St. James Church, Lütau

Lütau is one of the oldest parishes in the Sadelbande, the southern part of the Duchy of Lauenburg district.
The church tower of the St. Dionys and St. James Church in Lütau dates from the 12th century, while the nave of the church was built in the classicist style in the 19th century after the previous church was demolished.Of the previous church, which was demolished in 1845 due to dilapidation, only the church tower remains, which dates back to the 12th century.The loophole-like windows in the tower staircase on the south side indicate that the tower may also have served as a defensive tower. The current appearance of the church tower is influenced by alterations from the early 18th century, when an upper floor made of brick framework was added to the fieldstone tower between 1701 and 1705. When the church was rebuilt in the 19th century, the tower was connected to the nave by an intermediate structure. In addition, a massive retaining wall made of bricks was added to the south side.The nave of the church was built in 1845/46 according to plans by the state architect Georg Wilhelm Timmermann in the late classicist style. The interior of the nave is also uniformly classicist. The central space is vaulted with a wooden barrel vault,
which is supported by a two-story row of supports with a gallery in between. On the east side above the altar there is a semicircular stained glass window,
which shows the risen Christ between two angels and a reclining guard.
The furnishings also date from the time the church was built.
The wooden altarpiece is decorated with a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper",
which was donated in 1847 by Madame Bösch and Inspector Baumann from Dalldorf and made by the painter Dreß from Ratzeburg. Above the picture rises the crucifix by the Hamburg sculptor Ernst Gottfried Vivié. The church was extensively renovated in 2005, with the church interior being returned to its original classicist style. kirche-ll.de/gemeinden/lauenburg/luetau/geschichte.html