St. Marien Church Schwege

In 1862, the teacher Mathias Niehaus made a vow to build a chapel. He collected the money and in 1863 the first chapel was built. Only three years later it was converted into a Gothic church made of rubble stones. The once small tower of the church was replaced by a stately tower after the First World War.

Schwege owes the rise from a peasantry to a chapel community to only one man, namely the teacher Mathias Niehaus.

After taking a vow, in 1862 he laid out a calvary with a Way of the Cross, an olive garden and Christ's tomb.

In the same year he founded the Maria-Joseph-Verein, which set itself the task of building a Marienkapelle. The work was successful, and the chapel was inaugurated on August 4th, 1863. On All Souls Day, Vicar Gardhaus arrived in Schwege as deservitor of the chapel and school vicar. Teacher Niehaus, who had begged all the money for building the chapel, served Vicar Gardhaus at the first holy mass. Soon afterwards he fell ill and died on November 15, 1863.

In 1865 the vicariate house was also built. Thus, the Schweger population continued the work of the teacher Niehaus and created the conditions for recognition as a chapel community.

When the chapel became too small, the Schweger citizens built a larger one without permission, only the small tower of the first church remained. The master builder was Johann Gerhard Brömmelkamp from Baccum near Lingen. His cost estimate of March 14, 1866 shows that the shell of the church should cost 1,614 thalers and 18 groschen.

A Gothic church was built from rubble stones with a choir facing north, with 400 seats and a large choir room for the altar, pulpit and confessional, with a tubular vault made of slats and 10 large church windows. The old little tower, which is jokingly said to be pulled under the church roof in rainy weather, only gave way to a stately tower after the First World War. The new church was consecrated on November 29th, 1866 by Pastor Klus from Iburg.

At first only a chapel was built. St. Mary's Church was founded because the chapel was too small for the growing congregation. With 400 seats and a large choir room for the altar, pulpit and confessional, it is a Gothic church made of rubble stone with the choir facing north. It has a tubular vault made of laths and 10 large church windows. A stately tower was only built after the First World War on top of the old small tower, which is jokingly said to be pulled under the church roof when it rains. On November 29, 1866, Pastor Klus from Iburg opened the new church.