Stiepel Village Church

The village church in Stiepel, which has been Protestant 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 rebuilt as a Romanesque basilica, followed by the expansion 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 due to its half-timbered wall. Inside the church, there are wall and ceiling paintings, some of which date from between 1150 and 1200. These paintings depict biblical scenes such as the Flight into Egypt, the Rivers of Paradise, Cain and Abel, and Saint George’s Battle with the Dragon. Most of these Romanesque paintings date from 1180 to 1190, but they were covered over for a long time and were not rediscovered until 1952. Restoration work took place from 1963 to 1965 and again in 2002. Since 2004, the church has had a 15-stop organ, which is regularly used for concerts.