The church of St. Nikolai Domherrenhagen is also known as the "desert church" - a ruined church
From the history of Domherrenhagen
- The village (ca. 1200) is assigned to Güstrow Cathedral Abbey after 1226 and is mentioned several times in its records until 1500. The church is purely Romanesque.
- 1271 - The church is completed. Rambow is assigned to this church. The church is dedicated to HI. Nicholas of Myra (*270+326/265).
- 1272 - A will from Rostock establishes a pilgrimage to "Sunte Klawens bi Ulrickshusen".
- 1458 - Deserted for unknown reasons (climatic disasters, epidemics?). Hence the name "Deserted Church". Dorfmark is annexed to Ulrichshusen (J.v.Moltzahn) in 1458. 4 churches and village area, with 4 large woodland plots remain with the church in Rambow to provide for the pastor and schoolmaster.
- 1486 - Church built in Rambow. Altar and inventory (chalices and books) are moved there.
- 1634 - War comes to Mecklenburg with changing troops. Those who can, flee to towns. Berndt Ludolf Molzan (Ulrichshusen) is Wallenstein's quartermaster general.
- The church burns down in the turmoil of war. A layer of fire is still visible.
- 1638 - The Swedish General Baner is quartered in Grubenhagen.
- 1645 - The ruins are mentioned as "Wüste Kirche" or "De verwäust Kirch" in Low German.
- 1839 - Pastor Reuschel has the cemetery wall torn down to make way for a larger field
- 1902 - "The whole ruin." gives the impression that it will soon be blown apart by the slow but steady work of tree roots in the ground.
- 1945 - 1953 - Misused as a quarry for road construction. The east gable is endangered, the ruins have long been a paradise for vandals. What was found during wild "excavations" disappeared privately and was unfortunately lost to us all.
- 1985 - the ruins are used as grazing land for cattle. From 1985, efforts were made to signpost and secure the site. Wild excavations stopped. From 1988 - Easter service in the early morning.
- 1991 / 92 - Cemetery wall, pond and oak avenue rebuilt according to historical model.
- 2003 - Renovation. Originally, 7 large beech trees were to provide protection. However, all the trees were felled, the rock masonry grouted and the ruins secured. Occasional church services, weddings, baptisms and concerts.
- 2017 / 18 - "de verwäust Kirch" St. Nikolai Domherrenhagen is integrated into the Mecklenburg Chapel Trail and receives a cross, bench and bronze sculpture "I am the bread of life" (Kathrin Wetzel, Gessin). Overall design: Eckart Hübener, Rambow.
Special features of local legends:
The desert church is the backdrop to an extraordinarily rich world of legends and ghosts around Ulrichshusen and Rambow, documented by Prof. Richard Wossidlo (Waren/M. 1839-1939) between 1886 and 1939.
