On the German Baltic Sea island of Rügen there are 49 church buildings, of which 43 are Evangelical, three are New Apostolic and three are Roman Catholic churches. The Rügen Roman Catholic parish, the northernmost in the Archdiocese of Berlin, has its seat in St. Bonifatius in Bergen auf Rügen. The oldest churches on Rügen date from the 12th century. The most recent churches were built in the 20th century, in order to satisfy the growing demand of the seaside resorts.
Overview map
List of churches In many cases it is difficult to give precise information about construction dates, because the churches were converted and extended. The overriding factor is the construction phase in which the building was given its present shape. Earliest recorded dates are usually just a terminus ante quem which only indicates the earliest date when the building must have existed, but not for how long up to that time. Sometimes it is also unclear whether a date refers to the current building or to a predecessor.
The churches marked in bold font in the table are the parish churches of their respective parishes.
Location ParishChurch Primary building periodFeaturesImage Altefähr Altefähr St. Nicholas' Church, Altefähr Valuable wall murals from the 15th century Altenkirchen Altenkirchen Altenkirchen Parish Church 1168 One of the oldest churches on the island Baabe Sellin Baabe Village Church 1929 One of the newest church buildings on Rügen Bergen auf Rügen St. Boniface's, Bergen St. Bonifatius, Bergen 1912 Roman Catholic Parish Church Bergen auf Rügen Bergen St. Mary's Church, Bergen 1193 One of the oldest churches on the island Bergen auf Rügen Parish of Bergen auf Rügen New Apostolic Church Bessin Rambin Bessin Chapel 1482 Chapel Binz Binz Binz Village Church 1913 Chapel, 1911–1913 built in the Neo-Gothic style Binz St. Boniface's, Bergen Stella Maris (Binz) 1925 Roman Catholic daughter church Binz Parish of Binz auf Rügen New Apostolic Church Bobbin Altenkirchen St. Paul's Church, Bobbin 1400 Pilgrimage church Boldevitz Bergen Castle Chapel, Boldevitz 1839 Classicist chapel (1839) in which wedding are held. Garz/Rügen Garz St. Peter's Church, Garz 1400 Granite font probably older than the church Garz/Rügen St. Boniface's, Bergen Church of the Sacred Heart, Garz 1913 Roman Catholic daughter church Gingst Gingst St. James' Church, Gingst Baroque organ Glowe Altenkirchen Glowe Chapel 1982 Built in the style of a Finnhütte Göhren Groß Zicker Göhren Village Church 1930 Groß Zicker Groß Zicker Groß Zicker Village Church 1400 Oldest building on the Mönchgut Gustow Poseritz Gustow Village Church Carved figures from the 15th century Kasnevitz Putbus St. James' Church, Kasnevitz Lancken-Granitz Sellin Lancken-Granitz Village Church Ceiling paintings from the 15th century Landow Rambin Landow Village Church 1312 Probably the oldest timber-framed church in Central Europe Middelhagen Groß Zicker St. Catherine's Church, Middelhagen 1455 Neuenkirchen Neuenkirchen Church of Mary Magdalene, Neuenkirchen Bell from 1367 Patzig Schaprode St. Margaret's Church, Patzig 1500 Gothic hall church, baptismal font of granite made around 1250 Poseritz Poseritz St. Mary's Church, Poseritz 1325 Medieval altar with crucifixion group Putbus Putbus Putbus Castle Church 1845 Late Classicist church with basilica cross-section Ralswiek Bergen Ralswiek Wooden Church 1907 Swedish wooden church, first sited in Stockholm Rambin Rambin St. John's Church, Rambin 1300 Baptismal font from the 13th century, one of the oldest churches on the island Rappin Neuenkirchen St. Andrew's Church, Rappin 1305 Font basin from the second half of the 13th century Sagard Sassnitz St. Michael's Church, Sagard 1210 Second oldest and largest baroque organ on Rügen Samtens Rambin Samtens Church Brick church, interior converted to the baroque style Sassnitz Sassnitz St. John's Church, Sassnitz 1883 Asymmetric, Neo-Gothic church Sassnitz Parish of Sassnitz auf Rügen New Apostolic Church Schaprode Schaprode St. John's Church, Schaprode Pilgrimage church, predecessor dates to the 12th century Sehlen Garz Dankeskirche (Sehlen) 1866 Sellin Sellin Church of Grace, Sellin 1912 Grüneberg organ Sellin St. Boniface's, Bergen Maria Meeresstern (Sellin) 1912 Roman Catholic daughter church Swantow Poseritz St. Stephen's Church, Swantow Mixed design of fieldstone and brick Thiessow Sellin Jesu-Sieg-Kapelle Trent Schaprode St. Catherine's Church, Trent Gothic, triple-aisled church with wooden, carved, baroque altar Vilmnitz Putbus Church of Mary Magdalene, Vilmnitz Vitt Altenkirchen Vitter Chapel 1816 Octagonal building Wiek Wiek St. George of Wiek Parish Church Gothic brick church with wooden equestrian painting Ritter Georg zu Pferde (around 1500) Zirkow Binz St. John's Church, Zirkow Brick church with pulpit altar, confessional boxes and baptismal angel from the first half of the 18th century Zudar Garz St. Laurence's Church, Zudar 1318 Pilgrimage church
Literature Tourismuszentrale Rügen (Herausgeber): Gotteshäuser: Dorf- und Stadtkirchen auf Rügen und in Stralsund, Bergen 2003
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