Lindenberg Village Church was built around 1580 using fieldstone and brick. Its construction, furnishings and later alterations span several clearly distinguishable periods. Together with the town’s Slavic history, these features offer a focus in which different eras stand apart from one another.
The Village Church: Construction and Furnishings
The church has a Renaissance-style altarpiece and altar rails, as well as a pulpit and pews for the clergy from the 17th century. The wall paintings inside also contribute to the historical sequence: they depict biblical motifs, date from 1597 and were uncovered during restoration work in 1956. Their date of creation and their discovery represent different periods in their history.
The organ was built in 1867 at the workshop of Barnim Grüneberg in Stettin. As a result, the furnishings bring together Renaissance style, objects from the 17th century, wall paintings from the late 16th century and an instrument from the 19th century. The dates make clear that the furnishings do not come from a single period, but encompass various historical layers.
The bell tower also has its own construction history: it burned down in 1920 and was rebuilt on a solid shaft in 2012. These two dates mark the loss of the former tower and its later reconstruction. To understand the church’s chronology, it is therefore helpful to distinguish the construction date of the church building from the later changes to the tower.
Slavic Traces and Local History
Lindenberg traces its origins to the old Slavic settlement of Relyn. Another visible trace of Slavic history lies northeast of Lindenberg, on the Augraben: the remains of a large Slavic fortification are still clearly visible there. Locally, they are called “Schwedenschanzen” (Swedish entrenchments), but the name has no connection with the Swedes. The name and the historical interpretation should therefore not be confused.
Another account concerns the history of the municipality of Lindenberg: it originated from a Slavic fortification dating from the 8th or 9th century. This municipality-related account sits alongside the history of the old settlement of Relyn and the clearly visible remains on the Augraben. The historical perspective thus covers both Lindenberg’s origins and evidence of Slavic settlement.
Geographical Orientation
For orientation at the municipal level: Federal Highway 194 runs west of the municipality of Lindenberg. This indicates the road’s location in relation to the municipality and provides a general geographical reference point.
Mecklenburg Lake District: Regional Natural Setting
The Mecklenburg Lake District is a separate, broader context. Müritz National Park is part of this region and is characterized by forests, moors, lakes and wide meadows. The Müritz National Park Trail traverses the park’s landscape types and distinctive features in nine stages: it runs along lakes, through primeval forests, past inland dunes and to the source of the Havel. The sequence of stages and variety of landscapes give this regional nature theme a different focus from Lindenberg’s emphasis on architectural and local history.
Certified nature and landscape guides offer informative tours in Müritz National Park. These include tours in the Serrahn UNESCO World Heritage beech forest and trips from the water. The Mecklenburg Lake District therefore offers both a multi-stage hiking trail and guided nature experiences: the trail passes through different landscape types, while the tours explore the national park with expert guides.
Another nature attraction in the Mecklenburg Lake District is the Damerower Werder bison reserve. It is located on a peninsula in Lake Kölpin and in Nossentiner/Schwinzer Heath Nature Park. Visitors can observe animals there. The reserve also has a forest experience trail with climbing opportunities, an ant house, an exhibition with touch-and-see panels, and a dendrophone. These attractions differ in content from the landscapes and hiking trails of Müritz National Park and form a distinct regional destination.
Discover more destinations: Sommersdorf, Borrentin, Sarow, Beggerow, Utzedel, Kentzlin, Kletzin, Verchen
For the broader travel overview: Amt Demmin-Land.
