Discover Kleinschwabhausen

Above the town centre of Kleinschwabhausen stands a church that was originally Romanesque. Cycling and art also offer reasons to see the town from more than one perspective: a section of the Thuringian Cities Chain Cycle Route provides a specific connection to cycling, and a colourful information board explains a Feininger painting. For planning your trip, architectural history, art and the cycle route therefore offer distinct focal points.

The church’s architectural features and history

East of the nave stands a square chancel tower. Around 1587, a single-storey sacristy with a three-eighths polygonal end was built in place of an apse. The term describes the polygonal end of the sacristy and helps explain the form of this architectural feature. A small round-arched window on the south side is a reminder of the 12th-century church. The building’s history can thus be read in its various details: the original Romanesque structure, the form and position of the chancel tower, the later addition of the sacristy, and the window that points to the church’s early period. Those interested in historic architectural styles will find more here than the general description “Romanesque”; the individual features and their dates offer different perspectives. The church rises above the town centre and is defined by these clearly identifiable architectural features.

Pulpit altar, baptismal font and bell

The church’s furnishings also bring together several dates. The pulpit altar dates from 1675 and was refinished in 1810. The five-sided pulpit stands between round-arched panels, with small Tuscan columns at their corners. A pulpit altar combines the altar and pulpit in a single furnishing, while the details of its form describe its specific design. The baptismal font with a hemispherical bowl dates from 1587. The sacristy was built around 1587, so the same year applies here to both an architectural feature and an item of church furnishing. A historic bell cast by Heinrich Rausch in Erfurt in 1675 also hangs in the church tower. The dates around 1587 and 1675 can therefore be linked to different parts of the church, while the pulpit altar’s refinishing in 1810 marks a later period. In this way, architectural form, furnishings and historical dates come together in a specific context.

A connection to Feininger in the town

In Kleinschwabhausen, a colourful information board provides details and explanations about a Feininger painting. The boards are each located close to the depicted subject. This connects information about the painting with the subject it depicts and adds a distinct artistic dimension to the view of the architecture. For art-minded travellers, this offers a different trail from the church’s architectural history: here, the focus is on a painting and the subject it portrays.

Cycling along a section of the Thuringian Cities Chain

In October 2024, the third construction phase of the Thuringian Cities Chain Cycle Route between Kleinschwabhausen and the L1060 towards Großschwabhausen/Jena was completed. On this section, cycle traffic was moved off the district road onto a dedicated cycle path. For planning a trip, the route’s design is a specific point to note: here, cycle traffic is separated from the district road. This information relates to the section described; it does not indicate what conditions are like on other parts of the route. If you are planning a cycling trip, it is worth checking the current condition of this section before setting off.

Discover more destinations

Gaberndorf, Ettersburg, Berlstedt, Kranichfeld, Bad Berka, Großheringen, Nohra, Tonndorf

For the main travel overview: Weimarer Land.