St Michael's Lutheran Church - Hahndorf - Adelaide Hills

LOCATION: Corner Balhannah Road and Church Street, Hahndorf

Heritage Listing No. 26049

State Heritage ID: 21249 - This outstanding Lutheran Church building was constructed by the followers of Pastor Fritzsche in 1857-8 on the site of Hahndorf's first church, and is the place of worship for Australia's oldest Lutheran congregation. (Mount Barker Heritage Survey 2004).

St Michaels in 1920 at the 90th Anniversary of the Hahndorf Lutheran congregation, and the 70th of the church building.This church was opened in 1859 and named St. Michael as the foundation stone was laid on St. Michael’s Day, 29 September 1858. St Michael’s Lutheran Congregation was originally established in 1839 and is the oldest surviving Lutheran congregation in Australia. In 1840 a mud-walled church was built on the site of the present church and dedicated by Pastor Kavel. However, the congregation split in 1846 when doctrinal differences between Pastor Kavel and Pastor Fritzsche became official. Pastor Fritzsche and his followers retained the original church property while those of Pastor Kavel built a small brick church at the southern end of Hahndorf which became the home of St Paul’s United Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. In 1966 the rift between the two churches was healed when they both became members of the Lutheran Church of Australia.

Additional Information

Addition information is available regarding St Michael's Lutheran Church as follows:

Early Ownership

Information from The Hahndorf Allotments Database compiled by Reg Butler.

Old Lot No.	New Lot No.	Street No.	Street Name
Farm 13	N.H. 30	18	Church Street

Year Sold	New Owner	Occupation	Owner's Home	Personal
1839	Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hahndorf		Hahndorf
1857	Christian Thiele Friedrich Thiele Wilhelm Wittwer jun	farmer farmer miller	Hahndorf Hahndorf Hahndorf	Trustee GRO title Trustee St Michael's Lutheran Trustee Congregation.
1931	Ferdinand Altmann Gottlob Jaensch Christoph Liebelt Heinrich Storch Hermann Storch Heinrich Thiele	farmer butcher farmer farmer farmer farmer	Balhannah Hahndorf Hahndorf Grunthal Grunthal Hahndorf	Trustee LTO title Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee St Michael's Lutheran Trustee Congregation.
1939	Alfred Altmann Leslie Hill Gottlob Jaensch Christoph Liebelt Edgar Liebelt Friedrich Liebelt Heinrich Paech	farmer labourer butcher farmer farmer farmer farmer	Balhannah Hahndorf Hahndorf Mt Barker Hahndorf Mt Barker Hahndorf	Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee St Michael's Lutheran Trustee Congregation.
1977	St Michael's Lutheran Church Hahndorf

Notes:

NH 30: The street numbers No 5 Balhannah Road; No 7 Balhannah Road; No 9 Balhannah Road; No 11 Balhannah Road have also been given to this allotment. St Michael's Lutheran Church owns all of this undivided allotment.
The site of St Michael's Lutheran Church & cemetery, Hahndorf.
1839 – Hahndorf Lutheran School near the German Arms.
1840 – Hahndorf Lutheran School held in Hahndorf's first Lutheran Church on this site.
c1850 – Hahndorf Lutheran School shifted to No 62 Main Street.
4127/215 Metric title