Hanseatic
modern
St Wilhadi's Church
The leaning tower of Stade
The church of St Wilhadi is not only the town’s ‘bishop’s church’, it is also the oldest church in Stade. It was first mentioned in the 11th century. The current Gothic hall church dates back to the 14th century. Its outer walls have just been restored by the regional church and the church district. Both the church and its majestic tower have been given a new lease of life.
When you enter the church, the massive pillars supporting the high ribbed ceiling are impressive: as you walk past them, you reach the altar. When the sun shines through the stained glass windows, the interior shines with its baroque décor. The window behind the altar, which was reopened as part of the exterior restoration, lets in even more light. A coloured glass panel was placed in front of the plain window, matching the blue and yellow tones of the other windows.
The history of St Wilhadi
The three-nave Gothic hall church, the largest in the archbishopric of Bremen, dates back to the first half of the 14th century and was built in place of a previous building that likely can be dated back to the 11th century. The only part that was built the 13th century is the west tower. The interior of the church was destroyed in the town fire of 1659 and then refurbished.
The tower was given a high spire, which was destroyed by lightning in 1724 and replaced by a flat tent roof. Notable features of the interior are the altar and pulpit from 1660, chandeliers from the 16th and 17th centuries and a series of epitaphs.
The interior of the church was largely restored in 1958-60 and 1991. Part of the old ceiling painting was restored in the process.
The Erasmus Bielfeldt organ
As in the church of St Cosmae, the organ in the church of St Wilhadi is a culturally and historically significant treasure. It was built in 1731-36 by the master organ maker Erasmus Bielfeldt. Bielfeldt, who was probably born in Stade, was trained by Matthias Dropa, a student of Schnitger, in Lüneburg.
Bielfeldt mainly worked in the region between the Elbe and Weser rivers. Thanks to the restoration of his organ in the church of St Wilhadi by the organ builder Jürgen Ahrend in 1990, the organ has been restored to its historical sound.
Latest information:
From January to March 2023, all church services and concerts will take place in St Cosmae Church for energy-saving reasons.
Both churches will be heated to 12 °C (54 °F) for the events. Warm clothing is recommended.
Church services
The parishes of St Wilhadi and St Cosmae have a joint service schedule. The main services take place on Sundays at at 11 am, alternating between the two inner-city churches. Current dates can be found in the notice boards and on the homepage of the parish (German).
Contact
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