Kirche Garz

The church in Garz stands on the island of Usedom in the county of Vorpommern-Greifswald. Built in the 13th century, it is a small Gothic brick church with a steep roof of red tiles. Inside, visitors find an exhibition about the history of Garz and the war cemetery on the Golm. The building shows clear signs of its long life. The west wall and gables have pointed finials, while the windows and doorways were made of brick. In the 19th century the wooden bell tower was removed because it had become unsafe. The interior still holds a 16th-century sacrament niche and a winter church under the gallery. The altar, pulpit and gallery date from 1780, and the organ was installed in 1856 by Kaltschmidt of Stettin. Outside, two bells hang in a freestanding frame from 1854. One was cast in 1934 by Franz Schilling of Apolda, the other remembers the dead of Swinemünde. The churchyard walls and the closed windows on the north and south walls add to the quiet atmosphere of this historic place.