Gustav Adolf Stabkirche

Like a work of art, the Gustav Adolf Stave Church, named after the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf, can be found on a hill at the southern edge of Hahnenklee, at the foot of the Bocksberg.

Like a magnet, it attracts countless visitors to the Harz every year to the village of Hahnenklee-Bocksberg. The building with its three towers and the unusual shape of the roof construction, reminiscent of an inverted Viking ship, captivates and fascinates the observer.

The church is open to visitors all day and awaits guests for choir and classical concerts, readings and church festivities.

The history

The Gustav Adolf Stave Church was built between 1907 and 1908 and named after the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf. Since stave churches already stood in northern Germany during the Christianisation period, the Gustav Adolf Stave Church was built according to the Norwegian model, taking up this architectural style, which had been indigenous to the Harz mountains for a very long time. The church was built by local craftsmen using spruce from the nearby Bocksberg.

The special feature

In the style of the Viking ships, the Gustav Adolf Stave Church was built without nails or screws. Nails and screws were used only for the planking, the boarding and the roof construction, invisible to the observer.

The church is considered unique in Germany due to its construction method and the furnishings of the church interior. Due to its uniqueness, the Gustav Adolf Stave Church is a sought-after place for couples to tie the knot for life.

Like the building, the interior is made entirely of wood. Pagan symbols such as snakes and dragons recall the time of Christianisation. Both the windows, which are reminiscent of portholes, and the wooden chandelier on the ceiling, which is a replica of a ship's steering wheel, create a link to shipbuilding in the Viking era.

A highlight is the tower carillon of the Gustav Adolf Stave Church. With 49 bells cast in bronze, the carillon comprises four octaves and is played from a table with hands and feet. It is played regularly before the Sunday service and on Saturday afternoons.

Carillon and organ concerts are held on Thursday evenings during the summer half-year. The organ of the Gustav Adolf Stave Church has 27 stops and is one of the few organs to have a nightingale stop.