Bosau / Bozowe

Composite baptismal font, the medieval basin made of granite from Sweden and the later base from Gotland limestone; the plain basin is round, rather tub-shaped, wider at the bottom that at the upper rim; the base is a splaying pedestal of round shape [cf. supra]. No cover present. A communication to BSI by Pol Herman (e-mail of 24 September 2022) informs: "The church was built in 1151/1152. Bishop Vicelin suggested the construction and consecrated the church in the summer of 1152 as "St. Peter's Church". Helmold von Bosau reports about it in his "Slawenchronik". The baptismal font is now in front of the choir. This massive granite basin gives the impression that it has always been here. But it has a very eventful history behind it. From what we can surmise, it is the baptismal font that was already in use at the first baptisms in Bosau. Back then, before the church was built, still outdoors. When the church was finished, she came to the entrance. When the tower collapsed, the baptismal font - the base was much higher then - was damaged and it was abandoned for a long time. It was returned to the church around 1960 and used again." Pol Herman forther refers BSI to an interesting article 'Über die mikroskopische Fauna und Flora eines im Freien stehenden Taufbeckens', published by Dr. Otto Zacharias (Plön, Bici. Station) on 24 November 1898, Zoologischer Anzeiger vol. 21, 1898: 670-673 [ZoologischerAnzeiger_21_0670-0673.pdf] [accessed 25 April 2023] deals with the propagation of microscopic flora and fauna inside the basin of a stone baptismal font formerly inside the church at Bosau, but later exposed to the elements outside, in the churchyard; of particular interest to us is the fact that the font was exposed outside the church, and the the depth of the inner basin was 40 cm.