St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church

Liepājas iela 3, Aizpute

+371 28281449

Opposite the ruins of Aizpute Castle, on the right bank of the Tebra River, stands the 16-meter high ancient Curonian hillfort (now known as Baznīckalns). In 1254, on the site where the German crusaders plundered and destroyed the ancient Curonian castle, a church was built. The St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church has been repeatedly renovated and rebuilt and is now considered one of the oldest church buildings in Kurzeme. Until the 16th century, Catholicism was preached in the church, but later it was handed over to the Evangelical Lutheran congregation. In 1571, the first Lutheran pastor, Joahims Remlings, arrived in Aizpute and worked here for 43 years. The church has been rebuilt several times – the tower was built in 1730, the altar in the second half of the 19th century, and the church acquired its present neo-Gothic appearance in 1860. Of particular note is the church bell, which, after being recast, began to ring again more than 400 years ago (in 1589). The church also houses the famous organ built by the German firm “Sauer” in 1904, as well as paintings “Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane” (by J.I. Eginks, 1833) and “The Crucified Christ” (by J.F. Wagner, 1864). To the right of the altar, you can also see the 16th-century tombstone of the Bishop of Courland, H. Bazedov. The Aizpute St. John's Lutheran Church is one of the oldest churches in Kurzeme, a state-protected architectural monument, and it is also included in the European Cultural Heritage list.