Kirche Eckersweiler
Kirche Eckersweiler
Where to find this church
Church Information
This church with no dedication is located in Eckersweiler, a village in Rheinland-Pfalz within the Verbandsgemeinde Baumholder.
This church is usually locked; contact information where to obtain a key can be found on the website below
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Visiting Kirche Eckersweiler
The church in Eckersweiler is locked and there is no keyholder shown, which I was sorry to discover during my visit. But once again I was lucky, because I met someone in the village and asked if he knew who had a key to the church. As it is a very small village, this information was probably common knowledge, and so I was able to take photos of the very simple interior of the church. On the link to the Verbandsgemeinde in the info box, there is a telephone number that you can call to get the key. But I didn’t have this information when I visited.
Unfortunately, much of the history of the church in Eckersweiler is based on legends and myths. Facts about the time of its construction are obviously difficult to find. The Baumholder Weistum of 1571 states that the tower was built in the early Middle Ages; this would correspond with a document from 1733, which “officially certifies and adds that this church has stood for over 1100 years” – which, however, seems very old. The tower was apparently built in two sections, as indicated by the different quality of the mortar used. A first exact dating is only possible with another document from 1470: in this document Duke Ludwig of Zweibrücken initiated a foundation for the erection of a chapel in Eckersweiler. This was probably the second church, which was added to the tower in the southwest, giving it an unusual shape to this day. It was completed in 1491 and consecrated to St Lambertus. It became a popular pilgrimage destination.
In 1733 this church had become so dilapidated that a request was made by the local parish priests to the church administration to be allowed to rebuild it, and to hold a “collect” for this purpose. This was granted, and the rebuilt hall church – as it still stands today – could be consecrated in 1741. In 1961/62, fundamental renovation work was carried out, during which the church was given the modern and very simple interior that can still be seen today. On the west wall of the nave is a gallery with the organ, and in the east wall behind the altar is a stained glass window from the 1990s. There is not much more to report about the interior of the church.