Giflitz Evangelical Church

The Evangelical Church in Giflitz is one of the 14 churches located on the Edersee and along the Eder cycle path. By equipping the churches with a multimedia, barrier-free information system, you can immerse yourself in the history of the church and the respective location, listen to devotions and pieces of music, solve puzzles or get tips on how to continue your journey.   

Above the portal of the Giflitz church, next to the Waldeck star, is the year 1625. The letters CGVHZW mean Christian Graf and Herr zu Waldeck. The reason for this year is not known, as the church is certainly older. Possibly - that's what Pastor i suspects. R. Klaus Mombrei - the entire lintel was installed later from another building. 

As early as 1565, the Giflitz church was assigned to the parish village of Bergheim, which in the Middle Ages was a deanery of the Fritzlar archdeaconry, where an archpriest had his seat. There is no information as to whether the church was partially destroyed in the Thirty Years' War. In any case, major construction work must have been carried out in the middle of the 18th century. Because when the church of the Johanniter Hospital in the Wildetal near Nieder-Wildungen was demolished, stones from there ended up in Giflitz. Even without a mighty tower like in Bergheim, Königshagen or Affoldern, the Giflitz church may have once been a place of refuge for people in times of war. 

The church received its current appearance through a renovation between 1947 and 1954. The plaster was removed from the outer walls and the quarry stones were exposed again. The roof turret received a new slate coat at the expense of the political community. The weather vane with a star was made by local master blacksmiths Karl Kuntzemann and Hans Schmeißer. 

Inside the church, the choir, separated by a round arch, the gallery and the old stalls create a harmonious atmosphere. The gallery, like the wooden pulpit, dates from the 17th century. In the past, women and men sat separately during church services. The gallery was the place for the men. The pews with their curved, profiled side panels are dated to the 18th century. In earlier times, each family had its named bench or “stand.” In the commemorative publication for the 1200th anniversary, Klaus Mombrei reports on the sale of the church pews - an important source of income for the church at the time.  

The old organ stood in the center of the chancel above the altar. The current one was built in 1903 by the organ builder Vogt in Korbach It was created and installed on the gallery. The pulpit was moved from the chancel arch to the south wall of the nave, and the Renaissance baptismal font was placed in the chancel. 

A special treasure are the four lime wood figures attached to the choir walls, which were discovered on the church floor around 1950 during renovation work: Mary and the Evangelist John under the cross, and probably Mary Magdalene and Saint Ludmilla. Like the crucified Jesus on the altar, they were restored or preserved in 2009. The carved figures come from an altar made at the end of the 15th century.

During the renovation from 1992 to 1994, wall paintings were discovered throughout the church. They show scenes from the New Testament. Behind the organ, the condemnation of Pontius Pilate and the scourging are permanently exposed. The then district curator Prof. Dr. Michael Neumann dated the painting to the end of the 15th century. Accordingly, the Giflitz church must be older than previously assumed.