Ev. Kilianskirche Usseln

The first Christian community was founded and the first church was built in Usseln in the early missionary period (around 800). The church, which has been the mother church of Upland for centuries, is dedicated to St. Kilian and has been Protestant since 1529.

The church, which was expanded into a three-aisled basilica in the 13th century, burned down in 1642 except for the Romanesque-early Gothic choir and was rebuilt after the Thirty Years' War. Between 1896 and 1898, the church was completely rebuilt.

From 1996, the Kilianskirche was renovated in stages and has shone in new splendour as the center of Usseln parish life since December 2005.

The altar, a work by the Waldeck Baroque sculptor Josias Wolrat Brützel, dates from 1693 and was completely renovated between 2008 and 2009. The organ was installed in 1898 by the Korbach master organ builder Vogt.

The bells have had an eventful history: destroyed in the fire of 1642, newly procured in 1691, replaced by three new bells in 1897, two of which were used for armaments in the First World War, replaced by new ones in 1929/1930, confiscated again in the Second World War and replaced by steel bells in 1948.
The current bronze bells were ceremoniously handed over in 1988 on the occasion of the 650th anniversary of the village and ring out in E-G-A-C - hopefully in a long time of peace!

Until 1826, the dead from the four parishes of Rattlar, Schwalefeld, Willingen and Usseln were buried around the church.