Suurhusen: Church with a Leaning Tower and Farm Labourers’ Museum

Two historical perspectives come together in Suurhusen: the church tells the story of medieval building phases, while the Farm Labourers’ Museum explores the living and working conditions in the marsh villages between around 1900 and 1950. One striking feature of the church is the officially documented 5.19-degree tilt of its tower. If you want culture to be the common thread of your trip, the two places offer different subjects to explore.

Church: Several Building Phases, One Leaning Tower

The historic church was built in the first half of the 13th century. When the tower was added in 1450, the nave had to be shortened by about a quarter. The building’s history can therefore be traced through two specific changes: the older church was followed by the tower, whose addition required a substantial alteration to the nave. The documented 5.19-degree tilt gives the tower another distinctive feature.

The tower can be visited by prior arrangement; guided tours are also available by arrangement. Confirm the visiting arrangements locally before your trip. This allows you to prepare for your planned visit without having to assume there is a fixed schedule.

The Suurhusen Farm Labourers’ Museum

The Suurhusen Farm Labourers’ Museum presents the living and working conditions of farm labourer families in the marsh villages from around 1900 to 1950. It is housed in a historic building dating from 1688, which was restored based on its condition around 1900. A visit therefore brings together two historical perspectives: the history of the building and a look at the everyday lives of the families whose living and working conditions the museum explores. This complements the church’s architectural history with a different approach to the region’s past.

In the wider destination of Hinte: culture and routes

If you would like to include more cultural sites beyond Suurhusen, the wider destination of Hinte offers additional points of interest. The mill there is a three-storey gallery Dutch windmill dating from 1869. The art gallery and the Frisian Room can be opened by prior arrangement; mill tours are also available by prior arrangement.

The water castle in Hinte was built in 1438 on the remains of Osterburg and has retained the character of an East Frisian chieftain’s castle to this day. It is privately owned and inhabited, so it can only be viewed from the outside. Confirm the visiting arrangements locally before your trip.

The church in Hinte also offers its own architectural and art-historical highlights. Built in the late 15th or early 16th century, it is a hall church with a polygonal choir and is one of the few late Gothic church buildings in East Frisia. Remains of late Gothic floral murals have been preserved in the choir, including a depiction of Christ as Judge of the World, created around 1500. The furnishings also include a chalice-shaped sandstone baptismal font dating from 1569.

Walking, cycling and finding the right accommodation

There are different ways to explore the area actively: the Nünepad is a walking route along the Knockster Tief to Suurhusen and through the landscape around Hinte. The “Over the Great Sea to Emden” cycling tour starts in Hinte at the windmill. When planning, you can begin by distinguishing between the two: a walking route with Suurhusen as its destination, or a cycling tour starting at the windmill in Hinte.

Consider whether the church and Farm Labourers’ Museum in Suurhusen are to be the main focus of your trip, or whether you would also like to include the cultural sites and routes in the wider destination of Hinte. Base your search on the places you want to include in your itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Loppersum

Return to the wider travel overview: Hinte.