Village church of Blankenfelde - history and origins
There is (so far) no document for the founding of Blankenfelde, there is no written proof of the laying of the foundation stone of the church.
The time of its origins can only be determined approximately. When the Barnim region was acquired by the Ascanian margraves Johann I and Otto III around 1230, a lively settlement activity began and the neighboring towns of Buchholz, Schönerlinde and Lübars are first mentioned in documents at this time.
It is therefore assumed that Blankenfelde was founded around 1260.
One proof that churches were also built in newly founded towns is the fact that the towns were equipped with parish and church "hoofs". A Hufe is the amount of land that secured the livelihood of a farming family - around 7.5 hectares.
Most of the fieldstone churches in Barnim were built between 1250 and 1280, with the visible surfaces of the outer walls being regularly hewn fieldstone blocks. The churches with unworked fieldstones, some of which were hewn on one side, such as the church in Blankenfelde, were only built later. They were usually a successor to wooden churches. The narrow Gothic windows suggest that they were built in the 13th century.
In 1995, a report was drawn up for the Blankenfelde church, which examined the wood of two beams - with regard to the felling date of the trees used for them. The result: 1393 and 1406. But these two beams were not directly connected to the oldest masonry. You can see from the east gable that the slope of the roof has been changed.
Evidence that the church must have existed before 1393 can be found in the land register of Emperor Charles IV from 1375. It states for Blankenfelde:
“In Blankenfelde there are 54 acres, of which the priest has 4 and the church 1 (tax-free).… Bornewitz has the upper and lower jurisdiction, the carriage service and the right of patronage.”
The general conservator, who led the major reconstruction of our church in the years 1938 – 1942, determined the age of the church as:
“Before 1300, around 1260.”
(Contributions and research: Maritta Schödel)