Refurbishment of the Barenburg church: cracks in the plaster require measures!

Refurbishment of the Barenburg church: cracks in the plaster require measures!

The Barenburg church faces a necessary renovation, while the visible cracks in the plaster increased more and more. This situation forces the parish of Barenburg to deal with the extensive renovation work. Head of Office Wiebke Kromarck has confirmed that despite the cracks there is no risk of collapse. Pastor Reinhard Thies informed the community about the upcoming measures in a parish letter. The background to the renovation work is salt crystals in the masonry that indicate moisture and have been documented as part of crack monitoring for two years.

The exact scope of the required work is currently still unclear. A specialist team, including the engineering office Götz & Ilsemann, was commissioned to investigate the church. The planned renovation concept is to be created in the course of 2025, whereby the previous test results will be the basis for the further steps.

Financial support

The financial basis for the renovation is promising because funds in the six -figure area were approved by the Hanover regional church. The Diepholz church district also plans to support the work. The parish itself will not have to bear any costs, but may be planning its own beautification measures. During the renovation, the paintings inside the church must be particularly protected to ensure their preservation.

Pastor Thies has expressed the wish to develop a clear schedule for the construction work in order to provide the community as quickly as possible. The next service will take place on June 8th in the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche.

historical context

The Barenburg church has a long and moving story. It was built as a flat -covered field stone building in the 13th century and expanded and renovated several times over the centuries. In the 14th century it was converted into a Gothic hall church. The church was not only a center for religious meetings, but also a place of community care and education, with a demonstrably existing school since the Thirty Years' War, as can be seen from the historical records.

over time, the church experienced various renovations, most recently in 1966/69. Among other things, the equipment includes a baroque altarming and a Renaissance-style pulpit. These valuable elements are part of the inheritance of the church that needs to be preserved.

public funding opportunities

The planned renovation work not only benefits from funds from church circles, but also from public funding programs. Due to limited inner church financing options, there is a risk that parishes in need of renovation must be closed. Therefore, close cooperation with local monument authorities and the application for public funding is essential for the preservation of the church. Funding opportunities that are in the interest of monument protection include urban development and special programs for promoting smaller cities and municipalities.

Overall, the renovation of the Barenburg church will be a complex process that has to reconcile both historical preservation and modern construction requests.