Lippstadt/Paderborn (dpa/lnw) – The latest aerial photographs show the full extent of the destruction after the tornadoes in Paderborn and Lippstadt. In addition to numerous roofs and facades, the church of St. Clemens, which is several hundred years old and is a listed building, in the Lippstadt community of Hellinghausen (Soest district) was severely damaged last Friday by the storm.
The spire of the church, which according to sexton Paul Dirkwinkel dates back to the 9th century, was broken off by the tornado, fell down and was completely destroyed. From the air you can see a large rectangular hole. “I saw people cry when they stood in front of the church,” Dirkwinkel told the German Press Agency on Tuesday. After being destroyed several times over the centuries, the wedding church was rebuilt in its current form in 1780 and inaugurated a year later.
The roof of the nave was also damaged, but has since been provisionally sealed. Despite the recent rain, “thank God,” no water got in there, the sexton reported. The plan is to rebuild the broken church tower on the ground true to the original and then heave it onto the church. But that will certainly take some time, said Dirkwinkel. “It’s no use. I think we have to be patient.”
