St. Matthew’s Church. Photographs taken in 1959
On the left-hand photograph we can see the tower of St. Matthew’s church while it was being repaired in 1959. The actual year in which the church was built is not known, but we can assume that the community had a church eight hundred years ago, as Jork was first mentioned in a document to the Bishop of Verden, Iso von Bremen, dated 31st May, 1221. In it, reference was made to church taxes (tythes) from the communities Majorc (now Jork) and Zesterfleth (now Borstel). These taxes were levied on the presumption that members of the community had an income and cultivated the land.
There must, therefore, have been a church, although nothing is known about its type or size.
The present building is of brick, built on a knoll or mound. It has been rebuilt, extended or renovated many times since the mid-sixteenth century. The present nave was renewed in two stages in 1664 and 1709. It is 40 metres long and 14 metres wide. Due to the problematic ground conditions, the 35-metre-tall bell tower was purposely built a slight distance apart in 1685.
On the right-hand photograph we see Jork’s master roofer, Friedrich Neemann, risking his life to repair the tip of the church bell-tower. Only as many slates were removed from the church spire as were needed to allow a ladder and himself to pass through from the inside. The employers’ insurance association must almost certainly have turned a blind eye.
