djamilaknopf

Lost Places Part II

Added 2025-07-11 14:00:08 +0000 UTC

Hello freinds!

Last week, I showed you photos of the old printing machine factory in Leipzig. This time, I’m taking you somewhere a little less wild, but just as beautiful: the church ruin in Wachau (“Kirchenruine Wachau”). My friend Lorena (@amaretta_) and I recently made the trip, and it was absolutely worth it.

This stunning structure has been through a lot: storms, heavy damage during WWII, and, ultimately, a lightning strike in 1974 that led to the tower’s demolition the following year. Left to decay during the GDR era, it wasn’t until after reunification that the site began to receive the attention it deserved. Declared a listed monument in 1989, it was cleared, stabilized by 1997, and gradually restored for both cultural and religious use. Today, it’s maintained by the Evangelical-Lutheran parish of Probstheida-Störmthal-Wachau and the volunteer group Kirchenruine Wachau e.V., who oversee its conservation and keep it open to the public. Since the ruin sits within an active graveyard, visitors are asked to be respectful.

When we visited, storm clouds were gathering on the horizon, adding an extra layer of drama and grandeur to the overgrown remains of the church.