Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Waldeck The Steeple in the Edersee

The Steeple in the Edersee

A century-long search for a church that was never there.

Waldeck, Germany

Added By
Christine Williamson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Steeple in the lake   rjh49
The steeple under construction   photo courtesy of HNA
Putting the top on   photo courtesy of HNA
The completed steeple   photo courtesy of HNA
It’s in an overflow basis for the Edersee, at the village of Nieder-Werbe   Edersee Tourism
Village of Nieder-Werbe, around turn of the 20th century - the church is at the right   Vintage photo (exact date unknown)
“Here’s the church and here’s the steeple…” - before the flood   Vintage photo (exact date unknown)
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

About 75 miles north of Frankfurt, Germany is a reservoir called the Edersee. During normal weather, the manmade lake covers over four and a half square miles, but these last few seasons have been anything but normal. It’s been so dry, the banks have receded to reveal parts of villages that had long been lost to watery memory.

During the driest months, crowds have come to the Edersee to poke around the old village streets and foundations that have reemerged, and to try to find the remains of a small church—a church that was never there in the first place.

In 1914, the tiny village of Nieder-Werbe became a little bit famous. Although it is a mile or so north of the reservoir, part of the village was flooded to make way for two overflow basins. In addition to the few farms and homes that were lost, there was a small wood frame and stucco church in the water’s path. Several newspaper articles about the Edersee included a picture of this little church, with its steeple left behind and peeking out of the water.

When people came to see the new reservoir they wanted to see the little “church in the lake” too, but it had been misidentified as being in the Edersee rather than in the overflow basin to the north, leaving most people on a wild goose chase. A lucky few managed to find it over in Nieder-Werbe, and so the story of the steeple continued to grow. Today, more than a century later, people still search for it in the reservoir.

To celebrate the anniversary of the Edersee, and to finally set the record straight, the village of Nieder-Werbe decided they’d give the people what they wanted. Although the timbers and stucco of the original church didn’t last long underwater, they still knew where it had been. They went to work building a replica and placed it in the basin, thereby recreating a curious image from over a century ago.

Now, when visitors to the Edersee ask “where’s the church? where’s the steeple?”, there’s a good answer for them. It’s right where it always was. Just not here.

Related Tags

Churches Flooded Towers Floods Villages Architectural Oddities Architecture Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The village of Nieder-Werbe is part of the larger town of Waldeck in central German. It is about a mile north of the Edersee reservoir, and there are two control basins there. The steeple is in the one to the east called the Reiherbach Vorbecken, visible from the Uferstraße along the banks of the basin. There are a couple of plaques that tell the story of the flood and the little church.

Community Contributors

Added By

Christine Williamson

Edited By

Blindcolour

  • Blindcolour

Published

October 18, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieder-Werbe
  • http://www.waldeckischer-geschichtsverein.de/vortrag_vier_kirchen/seite004.html
  • http://www.edersee.com/kircheimsee.html
  • http://www.hna.de/lokales/korbach-waldeck/edersee-ort101460/nieder-werbe-ragt-kirchturm-wasser-3460430.html
The Steeple in the Edersee
30 Uferstraße
Waldeck
Germany
51.208502, 9.006168
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Drowned Convent and Village of Berich

Waldeck, Germany

miles away

Love Island and Castle Bring

Edertal, Germany

miles away

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

Kassel, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Waldeck

Waldeck

Germany

Places 2

Nearby Places

The Drowned Convent and Village of Berich

Waldeck, Germany

miles away

Love Island and Castle Bring

Edertal, Germany

miles away

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

Kassel, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Waldeck

Waldeck

Germany

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

18 Slightly Submerged Architectural Wonders

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Cross Island Chapel

    Oneida, New York

    Cross Island Chapel

    Possibly the smallest church in the world floats in the middle of a pond.

  • Ascoli Piceno, Italy

    Basilica di San Frances Musical Pillars

    These pillars at the main entrance of this church are actually a hidden musical instrument.

  • Drumheller, Alberta

    The Little Church

    A six-person chapel in the middle of Alberta's badlands.

  • Front view.

    Nafplio, Greece

    Church of Agioi Pantes

    A staircase made of gravestones leads up to this church built into a giant rock.

  • Église du Bon-Pasteur

    Lyon, France

    Église du Bon-Pasteur

    This abandoned church in central Lyon is missing its front stairs.

  • Templo del Señor de los Rayos.

    Aguascalientes, Mexico

    Templo del Señor de los Rayos (Temple of the Lord of the Rays)

    The history of this futuristic crypt-turned-temple is as curious as its facade.

  • View of the church and its spire.

    Copenhagen, Denmark

    Church of Our Saviour

    Climb to the top of its spiral spire for spectacular views of Copenhagen.

  • Normanton Church.

    Normanton, England

    Normanton Church

    The sanctuary seems to either float atop the water or sink into the dirt, depending on the water level.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.