Balve - St. Blasius

The name of the first known pastor of the parish was "Elbertus de Balleve" in 1202. The church may have existed at that time, at least the main structure. The construction of the church probably began already end of the 10th / early 11th century, but most of the comparably large romanesque hall-church, with a nave, two aisles and a remarkable apse, was done later. The oldest church of this type (north of the Alps!) is the Bartholomew Chapel in Paderborn (100kms northeast), a masterpiece, created by "graecos operarios" (greek workers). So when this church in Balve got consecrated, this was still a sensationel new layout.

The romanesque church (still) has four portals. It may be, that the greenish sandstone used, came from Anroechte (50kms northeast), a town between Soest and Paderborn. Quarries in Annroechte still exist today.

Seen here in the middle are Mary and St. John under the Cross. Left a nativity scene. Mary on the ground, ox and ass above and Joseph wearing a "Jew´s hat", sitting to the right. This scene has parallels to a carving in Ense/Bremen (25kms north). The right part is very weathered. My first impression proved to be wrong, after I found a copy of "Bau- und Kunstdenkmale von Westfalen", volume 18 ("Kreis Arnsberg"). This book, published in 1906, seems to have the oldest photographs taken here in 1890. More than a hundred years ago, it was obvious, that an angel (note the wings / right) is approaching a person: the Annunciation.

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The mountainous "Sauerland", part of the Duchy of Westphalia is known for witch-hunts in the 16th/17th century. Under the terror-regime of barbarous prosecutor Kaspar Reinhard 280 people were burned at the stakes in and around Balve between 1628 and 1630. Some villagers even tried to assassinate him, but he narrowly escaped. The failed assassinators were executed by dismemberment. The believe in witchcraft stayed stable in the Duchy for long time. In 1695 a 12 year old girl was executed in Olpe (50kms south), the last execution took place in Winterberg (60kms east) in 1728.

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Green stones from Anroechte:
www.anroechter-stein.de/