Discovery tour to treasure troves: peasant baroque churches in East Hesse!

Discovery tour to treasure troves: peasant baroque churches in East Hesse!

The peasant baroque churches of East Hesse were the setting for a special event on June 17, 2025, at which over 100 culture enthusiasts immersed themselves in the fascinating world of the regional churches. The Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck invited people to the second discovery tour, where history, art and delicious food were not neglected. The starting point was the church in Odensaxony, where Pastor Thomas Funk provided information about the history of the nave from 1740/41 and the older defensive tower. Visitors particularly noticed the magnificent interiors, which were supported by donations from noble families.

With musical performances by Burghard Keth on the organ and Pastor Funk, who struck the final chord with the lute to continue the pilgrimage, the participants were immediately captivated by the event. The path led them to the next stop, the church in Bodes, where Jutta Warninghoff introduced the compact church with its double gallery. The a capella quartet “4singen” thrilled those present with two impressive choirs, while Stefan Kasper presented a handwritten hymn book from 1675 that brought historical audio snippets of the church services to life.

A journey through time

Another highlight of the tour was the hearty Ploatz in different flavors, which were prepared by the Bodes village community. The social gathering was also not neglected on this occasion. The third stop on the discovery tour was Mansbach, which is considered the oldest baroque peasant church in East Hesse. Pastor Harald Krüger informed the visitors about the history of this church, which appears simple from the outside but has an impressive interior. The organist Matthias Steinmacher provided musical accompaniment with compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, which reinforced the baroque flair.

The last stop took the visitors to Ausbach, where Pastor Dorothee Becker ended the discovery tour. In addition to mentioning the magnificently painted wooden barrel vault with musical angels, there was also a cozy ending with the Schenklengsfeld trombone choir under the direction of Sabine Pilz. With coffee and cake, served under the old church linden tree, the community and the experiences were celebrated again. The tour participants agreed: This journey of discovery to the peasant baroque churches of East Hesse not only offers cultural insights, but is also a celebration of shared experience.

A look at the upcoming events

The discovery tours in the peasant baroque churches of Eastern Hesse are part of a larger project that the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck organizes in cooperation with eleven parishes and the tourism promotion agency of the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district. In total, two more tours are planned for the period from May to June 2025, which will deal with other impressive churches under the motto “Churches from the Haune to the Kuppenrhön” on June 14, 2025 and “Churches along Ulfe and Fulda” on June 28, 2025. These tours are intended to give participants insights into the deeper religiosity and artistic design of the regional churches, which are still living witnesses of the Baroque period today.

For those interested in the upcoming discovery tours, bus transfers are available and registration for the events is required. Registrations and further information are available from the Evangelical Church and from the respective contact persons. So if you want to experience the cultural heritage of East Hesse up close, these tours are the perfect opportunity to find out more about the treasures, secrets and stories of the village churches. HNA reported that the first discovery tour took place ten years ago and now has a permanent place in the region's calendar. [Osthessen-News](https://osthessen-news.de/n11775951/entdeckertouren-im- Glanz-des-bauern-barock.html) also highlights how important these events are for the cultural identity of the region.