Paluküla Church

Paluküla Church was established by the local great landlords Ungern- Sternbergs in the second decade of the 19th century. No documentation of the construction period has been preserved, but the elegant style of the building reflects an educated craftsman, who understood the German architecture of that time period. It seems that the building was meant to be the family’s burial site as there is a barrel vaulted chamber in the basement resulting in the unusually high base for this church.

The church was dedicated in 1820. The weather vane on the spire bears the year 1815 which likely indicates the year of construction (historical certified statement 1989). The plan to have this as a burial church failed because of the unexpectedly high groundwater level, so the sanctuary operated as an auxiliary church of Kärdla until the summer of 1939.

There are 100 seats in the building.

The church steeple was used as a seamark for a century and a half – the steeple height is 29 metres.

In 1939, when the soviet military bases were established in Hiiumaa, the church was taken over by the soviet army and used for storage and as a lookout tower. The church was still used as a storage facility after World War II until it gradually fell into disre- pair and burned to ruin on 26. April 1990.

The roof of the long building was restored in 1994 and the church’s steeple in 1996.