Hans Arndt

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As beautiful and venerable the Protestant church might stand here before you, it is not the first place of worship built in Hornburg. Our town developed slowly and over centuries in the shadow of the castle that gave it its name. And accordingly, the oldest place of worship in Hornburg was the old castle chapel – which doesn´t exist anymore. But the town church is rooted in its tradition, as the old castle chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary for many centuries.
It was not until the 16th century that Hornburg became what it is today. Hop cultivation brought prosperity to the town and population growth, which brought with it a number of changes. During this time, Hornburg became a town with fortified gates, a documented right to a market and self-government. Also a first church for the inhabitants was built, and it stood on the same site as the current. However, it was much smaller and did not have the same structural solidity as its successor. When it was examined by experts in 1612, the decision was made very quickly that a new building was urgently needed. In addition, meanwhile another significant change had taken place. 16th century was the time of Reformation and the people of Hornburg changed into Lutherans.
But that doesn´t mean, that some of the traditions didn´t live on - as can be seen from the traditional Latin name of the church. Nevertheless, the church in Hornburg is a very early example of genuine Protestant church building as a "citizen's church". From the very beginning, the congregation saw itself as a community of those who are all equal placed before God. Nonetheless a number of important noble donations can be found in the church, such as the pulpit.
The number "1616", which can be seen at the top of the tower, tells us the year of construction. The following year, the new church and its altarpiece were completely finished. Although the Gothic period had already passed in the 17th century and the Baroque was beginning to triumph, the buildings in Hornburg still used a number of traditional Gothic forms, for example the tapered window design. This is why this style is described as "Post-Gothic".
From the outside, the church would have looked largely the same as it does today, only the tower had to be improved later. During the Thirty Years' War Hornburg was conquered numerous times and the church was heavily involved, especially when the Swedish general von Königsmarck misused the church tower as a gun emplacement in order to bombard the castle from here.
The church is not just a gem from the outside. By the way, the interior fittings and inventory, which date back to the 16th century, are also a real must-see!