Stiepel village church

The village church of Stiepel, a Protestant church since 1610, was built in 1008 as a hall church for Countess Imma and is considered Bochum's oldest building. Between 1130 and 1170, it was converted into a Romanesque basilica, followed by the extension of the side aisles and the addition of a tower by 1500 in the style of a hall church. The choir is in the Gothic style, while the east gable of the nave stands out with its half-timbered wall. Inside the church there are wall and ceiling paintings, some of which were created between 1150 and 1200. These paintings depict biblical scenes such as the flight to Egypt, the rivers of paradise, Cain and Abel and the dragon fight of St. George. Most of these Romanesque paintings date from the years 1180 to 1190, but were painted over for a long time and only rediscovered in 1952. Restorations were carried out from 1963 to 1965 and again in 2002. Since 2004, the church has had a 15-stop organ, which is regularly used for concerts.