Bērzaune Evangelical Lutheran Church

The Bērzaune church is one of the oldest buildings in a wide area. It returned to its previous form and meaning more than 20 years ago.

For events For groups (11+) History and culture In winter Urban environment

An unlimited number of people can view the building from the outside.

The first information in written sources about the territory of the current Bērzaune rural territory dates back to 1229, when Bērzaune was ceded to the Tiesenhausens. A parish was founded in 1334, Bērzaune Castle was built in 1340. The Latvian Conversation Dictionary states that "the church was built at the same time as Bērzaune Castle in 1340; it is believed that the current altar room has been preserved from those times." Unfortunately, the data found in different sources is scant and even contradictory. In 1594, the tombstone of the owner of the Beerzaune manor, Johann von Tiesenhausen and his wife Anna Kursel, was embedded in the floor of the church. This tombstone is an artistic monument of national importance. In 1694, Charles XI ordered the church premises to be rebuilt. In 1851, the new tower was built, the church has 160 seats. The coat of arms and the years 1694, 1894 and 1928 embedded in the facade of the church testify to the major reconstructions. In 1938, 2,500 members were registered in the Bērzaune Evangelical Lutheran church, 34 were baptized, 17 were consecrated, 23 were married, 21 were buried. The church was destroyed at the end of the Second World War, when it burned down completely. Only the sacristy was preserved in good condition, where the congregation continued to gather for some time in the first post-war years. After the parish ceased to exist, the sacristy was vandalized. The church building stayed in ruins for 56 years. There was an attempt to restore the church in the 1990s, but it turned out to be unsuccessful. In February 2001, the church restoration initiative group, in cooperation with and in accordance with the then rector of the Madona district, Modris Plāte, invited the people of Bērzaune to a conversation about the possibility of restoring the church. This time there was a response. Pastor Ingus Dāboliņš was invited and, as a result, the Bērzaune Evangelical Lutheran church was founded on August 5, 2001. There were 18 members then. Currently, the Bērzaune Evangelical Lutheran church has 43 members. From 10 to 20 people attend services regularly.

It is possible to perform a marriage ceremony in the church.

The Bērzaune church belongs to the type of churches built during the Livonian Order times. It has a rectangular congregation room and a narrower square altar apse and a steeple at the western end of the roof. The oldest part of the church is one of the few architectural monuments of the Gothic period in Latvia.

The church can be visited at any time of the year.