The Čemšenik parish may have its origins dating back to the 12th century, when the noble family Galle-Gallenberg settled in Gamberk. The parish became independent in 1596. The first mention of the parish dates back to 1184, but the mention of an independent parish only in 1596.
The church of the Assumption of Mary, located at 631 meters above sea level, has a Gothic core. The church was later renovated in the Baroque style and enlarged. Since 1740, its floor plan has been in the shape of a cross. The gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on the main altar is more than 250 years old. Other parts of the altar were crafted by Štefan Šubic’s workshop, and Štefan’s son Janez (1850 – 1889) painted the images of St Michael and Notburga. On the south side altar, there is a painting of St Dominic by the famous Baroque painter Fortunato Bergant (1720 – 1769). The Stations of the Cross are from the renowned Layer workshop.
The church’s interior was fully renovated in 1981. In 2016, the church was closed due to the effects of a significant landslide. Although the avalanche affects a wide area of Čemšenik, the buildings are mostly unaffected, as its movement is slow. However, the church itself, located on the fault edge, visibly feels the effects. The church is currently under reconstruction.
Photo: Janez Mihelčič
The church in Čemšenik has long been more than just a sacred building; it holds great cultural and historical value. During the renovation, it was revealed that the legend of the tomb in the church is not just a myth, but that the roots of Čemšenik extend more than a millennium into the past.
Andrej Benda’s organ
In 1957, organ builder Andrej Benda installed an organ with 19 registers on two manuals and a pedal on the choir loft of the church in Čemšenik. It was his 11th opus.
In Benda’s archive, there is a sheet with Kimovec’s handwriting and the following notes: For the Burdon 8′ (I. man.), Burdonček 8′ (I. man.), and Burdonček 8′ (II. man.), the material-larch-is written in parentheses, indicating the wood from which the pipes were be made. The new registers are also underlined. Instead of Cymbals, Carillon 2 2/3′, 1 3/5′, and 1′ may be used. The Mixture is multiplied by a factor of four and in height by a factor of five. Instead of celesine 8′ + 4′, a dulcian 8′ + 4′ can be used.
In 2017, the organ was removed to the parish storage due to the risk of the church collapsing.
Organ disposition
| I. manual (C – g3) | II. manual (C – g3) | Pedal (C – d1) |
| Principal 8’ | Celestina 8’ + 4’ | Subbas 16′ |
| Gamba 8’ | Burdonček 8’ | Pianobas 16′ |
| Burdon 8’ | Flavta 4’ | Oktava 8’ |
| Oktava 4’ | Fugara 4’ | Burdonal 8’ |
| Burdonček 4’ | Flageolet 2’ | Koral 4’ |
| Superoctava 2’ | Cimbali | Oboa 8’ |
| Mikstura |
Pneumatic tracker action, cone chests
Pneumatic stop action
| Couplers | Fixed combinations | Other |
| II – I | Piano (P) | Bass melody |
| Superokt. I. man. | Mezzoforte (MF) | Pedal automat |
| Superokt. II. man. | Forte (F) | Free combination |
| Superokt. II – I | Fortissimo (FF) | Crescendo |
| Subokt. II – I | Tutti (T) | Tremulant |
| I – P | ||
| II – P |
Planning the renovation of the choir loft
As part of the 2023 church renovation in Čemšenik, the choir loft was also set to be involved. Aleš Razpotnik discussed this with project designer Jože Šafner. Aleš discovered that the planned loft was too small for the choir and the organ to acoustically suit the church. The planned dimensions were: a width of 12.6 m, a depth of 3.8 m, and 5 m in the 3.1 m wide central section.
Photo: Roman Polc
Aleš’s findings were based on his experience, showing that a small choir loft does not allow for proper organ placement and doesn’t provide enough space for the choir. He realized that a different solution was needed and invited the designer to discuss possible adaptations to the choir loft. The designer initially showed interest and requested Aleš’s cooperation. After estimating the church’s volume at approximately 2630 m³, he asked Aleš to draw the proposed organ location on the loft’s floor plan and provide information about the organ’s mass at that location. This was needed for the dimensioning of the reinforced concrete slabs and arched supports that would carry the concrete slab. Additionally, the designer was interested in visiting a choir loft and organ in Zagorje ob Savi to exchange views and ideas for the Čemšenik project.
Unfortunately, the scheduled meeting in Zagorje ob Savi on June 24, 2023, did not take place. To Aleš’s surprise, communication was abruptly cut off. The choir loft in Čemšenik was consequently built according to the old design and is indeed too small. The local parish priest, Mr. Janez Mihelič, who supervised the church renovation, was kept informed throughout but did not respond to the situation.