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Lutheran church

The Lutheran parish was founded in Olpe by 150 Lutheran Christians in 1844. The congregation initially assembled for their services in an innkeeper’s dance hall, and from 1848 onwards in what used to be an apothecary’s shop. However, ever since the community had been founded, it was committed to building its own church. In 1887, an opportunity arose to do so in the garden of a house purchased at Frankfurter Strasse 32, particularly as no other site was to be had in Olpe. The then pastor, Albert Otten, succeeded in obtaining large sums of money to build the church through active fundraising far beyond Westphalia, with the result that the foundation stone was laid on 12 September 1897. Plans for the Lutheran church in Hennef completed in 1894 served as a model for the church, which was erected in a historical architectural style. The costs of the building came to about 31,000 marks.
The church was consecrated on 18 October 1898.
With its red brick, which is rather untypical of the area and originated from the Ruegenberg brickworks in Osterseifen near Olpe, the new church was and still is very visible from a distance. In a way, it “provoked” the neighbouring Catholic congregation, which only succeeded with its own plans to build a new, modern church following an arson attack in 1907.
The ground plan of the Lutheran church has remained unchanged to this day. The doors of the entrance porch and the sacristy are also worth noting: they date back to the time the church was built.
You will have no doubt also noticed the wrought-iron cross on the church tower. However, this is no longer the original. It had to be replaced in 2013. The original, however, can be seen in its new location next to the entrance to the church. If you look closely, you can even see bullet holes from World War II.
Viewed from Weiherhohl, the building of the Diakonisches Werk can be seen to the left of the church. This building housed a Lutheran school until 1938. It was built in 1899/1900.

Overview of points of interest