St. Mary's Church Loitz

Loitz, Saint Mary's Church
The oldest references to the town parish church date from 1299. The church is a three-nave, five-bay hall church with a straight end in the east and a steeple in the west. Two bays of the church essentially date from the 13th century. The entrance hall and the two aisles followed in the late Middle Ages. However, significant additions and changes were made in the 17th century and additions in the 19th and 20th centuries. The church was built of field stone and brick, later the masonry was plastered.
The conversions from 1600 were financed by the Dowager Duchess Sophia Hedwig. The original enclosing walls of the tower hall to the north and south were demolished and three bays were added to the east; at the same time the chorus was broken off. From 1809 to 1811 the church was again extensively renovated under the direction of Johann Gottfried Quistorp.

At that time Joachim Friedrich Barkow had been appointed pastor by the Swedish king from 1802/03 to 1836 and later superintendent and consistorial councilor. He was buried at the north wall. The church tower was rebuilt in 1832. In 1866 two sacristies were added to the gable wall in the east. In 1906 the two southern entrances were bricked up.
The interior of the Marienkirche includes a baroque altarpiece made in 1720 in the workshop of Elias Kessler, a pulpit made by Johann Gottfried Quistorp, a baptismal font made of granite with four plastic heads on the bowl, thirteen panels with portraits from the princes' pews , and a library donated by the Duchess in 1621. The organ was made in 1941 by the Lübeck company Kemper.
The bells of the church consist of two bronze bells and three small cymbals made in 1996.

Interesting historic church in Loitz.