Amandus Church (Beihingen)
The Protestant Amandus Church in Beihingen , a district of Freiberg am Neckar , is a late Gothic former village fortified church . Besides the collegiate church in Bad Urach , it is the only church with this name in Baden-Württemberg.
history
middle Ages
The oldest mention of a church at the same place dates from 844. A church in villa Biginga is mentioned on the occasion of a donation from Ingersheim Count Adelold . Nothing can be found in this document about the patronage , but it is very likely that Amandus has not yet been the church patron. Rather, it seems to have originally been a St. Mary's Church, because in 1338 in the Palatinate copy book and in 1486 when the Sebastian and Vitus brotherhood was founded in Beihingen, Maria was mentioned as the patroness of the altar.
The foundation walls of the massive choir tower date back to the late Romanesque or early Gothic period. The choir, the choir tower with its loopholes and the oldest part of the nave were probably not built before 1450, despite the early Gothic appearance of the choir arch. The style epochs in the country are often late compared to those of the main cultural centers of the region. The expansion of the church by the gentlemen Nothaft , who had possessions in Beihingen since the 14th century, is related to the expansion of their castle in Beihingen around 1480. According to the foundation stone on the south wall of the church, the Mainz canon, who came from here, was ordered Peter Nothaft added a chapel that is no longer in existence in 1500, probably a memorial chapel for his father Bernhard V. Nothaft († 1467) and his brother Werner VI. Nothaft († 1492), whose tombs have been preserved in the church. The tracery windows in the choir and the expressive crucifix on the altar were also created in the late Gothic period .
The change of the church patron to Amandus presumably also occurred in the time of these structural redesigns from the late 15th century. The Fabric of Peter von Koblenz had 1474 the Collegiate Church St. Amandus in Urach rebuilt and then the church in Heutingsheim . Some of the stonemason's marks on the Beihinger church can be assigned to the school of Peter von Koblenz. There are no direct references to the Amandus Church in Urach, but the chronological sequence and the dependency of the builders suggest a connection.
Reformation time
In 1534, the majority of Beihingen came to Ludwig von Freyberg († 1569). Although the emergency had already been oriented towards the Reformation and the Reformation took place in Württemberg from 1534 , the new patron saint Freyberg was undecided for a long time and a share of the Löwenstein fief also hindered the immediate Reformation of the church. The first Reformation pastor known by name in Beihingen was Philipp Degen, who worked in the Amandus Church from 1551 to 1558. Patronage lord Ludwig von Freyberg confessed to his adoption in 1558 of the new faith. His tomb is preserved in the church. Until 1570, however, a Catholic Löwenstein chaplain was attached to the pastor .
After Ludwig von Freyberg's death, ownership of Beihingen and thus the right of patronage and the building load on the church came to the Lords of Hallweil through several inheritance . In 1583, Hans Jörg von Hallweil had the upper tower floor of the church renewed, which received late Gothic tracery windows. In 1590 the parsonage, which is still in use today, was built behind the north side of the church and in this context a portal was created at the sacristy as an entrance from the parsonage. In 1596, under Ludwig von Hallweil, the entire choir was painted with murals by the artist Jörg Herzog from Markgröningen. The ship was also painted around this time. The pastor at that time was Georg Ruckenbrodt, who often misbehaved and was chased out of Beihingen by the local lords in 1596.
Plague epidemics and extensions around 1600
In 1597 and 1607 there were plague epidemics in Beihingen, to which Ruckenbrodt's successor Ludwig Münster also fell victim in 1607. The churchyard became too small because of the numerous dead. Therefore, in 1610 the cemetery, which is still in use today, was built in the east of the church.
In 1620 a south transept was added to the building, probably at the expense of the chapel built in 1500. At the same time, the round tower with a Welscher hood was built on the south side as a staircase for the Beihingen landlords. As a result, the church was essentially given its current structural shape, which is mainly characterized by the striking south transept and the stair tower attached to it. The transept took up a large gallery, the so-called "Borkirche", or also called "Fürstenstuhl". This gallery was intended for the local lords.
The Thirty Years War and the 17th Century
The faithful and patron saints suffered greatly in the Thirty Years' War . In 1625 an epidemic broke out again, and in the further course of the Thirty Years War there were many years of famine. Many members of the local rule died. Ludwig von Hallweil, who died in 1630, was buried in the church choir, but there was probably no opportunity for a tomb in times of need. For the 18-year-old Elisabeth von Hallweil, who died in 1633, an epitaph has been preserved above the western gallery. After the invasion of the imperial troops in 1634, many residents of Beihingen died on the run, including Pastor Kromppein. In 1640 there was another pastor, Daniel Meyer, but he too died on the run, in 1643 to Marbach.
After the end of the Thirty Years' War, church and village life quickly got going again, as the church and rectory as well as the Beihingen Castle had survived the war without serious damage. The local ruler at that time was Friedrich Georg von Hallweil, who soon got lost in disputes with the local pastors, which even resulted in fights. The dispute culminated in the fact that Hallweil forbade the subjects to attend the sermon under penalty of punishment while the pastor excommunicated the local rulers. Only after Friedrich Georg von Hallweil's death in 1671 did the situation return to normal. The deceased was buried in the church, but was not given a tomb.
When French troops marauded through Württemberg in the Palatinate War of Succession in 1693, the town and the church were badly affected. The pulpit and stalls were burned, doors, windows and bells stolen, and the clock tower destroyed. Pastor Göppel had disappeared. Because the church was in such bad shape, services were held temporarily in the council chamber. Pastor David Flattich from Heutingsheim provided the services. He was an uncle of Johann Friedrich Flattich and was completely transferred to Beihingen in 1696.
In the following period the church was restored. The sound cover was built in 1699 , followed by the pulpit underneath, based on Ludwigsburg models from that time. In the same year an organ was installed in the church for the first time. The south aisle received its stucco ceiling in 1703. In 1706 the bells were replaced.
18th and 19th centuries
After the death of Ludwig Friedrich von Hallweil in 1710, the majority of Beihingen came to the barons of Gemmingen-Hornberg , who were particularly concerned with the peace of the community and the maintenance of the church. Ludwig von Gemmingen (1694–1771) reached an agreement in 1740 with the von Schertlin gentlemen on the long and controversial question of the right of presentation by accepting the pastors proposed by the Württemberg consistory without reservation. Ludwig von Gemmingen also had numerous building and beautification measures carried out in the church. In 1737 the increased population of the community made a further expansion necessary, after which the large wooden north gallery was built for the men of the community with a specially created outer staircase including a stone portal. In 1747 the church received a new tower clock. From 1752 an extensive renovation in the Rococo style took place: the Gothic ceiling, the window and door reveals and the parish chair were painted with bandwork . The same artist, Hans Stiegler , also painted the oil paintings on the gallery parapets. In 1763 the bell was renewed. In 1766 the church received a new organ, the prospect of which has been preserved to this day. In addition to Ludwig von Gemmingen, who died in 1771, some of his relatives were buried in the church before the burials in the church ended in 1798.
After the reorganization of the German south-west as a result of the Napoleonic wars, all of Beihingen became part of Württemberg. The barons of Gemmingen continued to have a say in patronage right up to the middle of the 19th century. Pastor from 1822 to 1844 was Karl Friedrich Amandus Dörner , who wrote a detailed history of the parish, the place and the rule over several years. Otherwise, the church was used as a village church for decades in the 19th and early 20th centuries without any particular incidents, but also without major maintenance measures. In 1869 a new bell was cast by Bachert . In 1894 there was a new paint job, in 1898 the organ work was renewed and a new altar table was set up, and in 1902 the roof was repaired. In 1912, the church was given a simple white interior painting, which at the latest now covered all historical wall paintings that were still visible up to that point.
Need for renovation and renewal from 1900
The long use of the church without extensive renovations led a Württemberg government councilor to describe it in 1913 as the most neglected, most run-down [church] in the entire Oberamt . A comprehensive renovation was planned afterwards, but the First World War left the plans for this unrealized. Only the rectory was renovated in 1914. The largest and smallest of the bells had to be delivered in 1917 for armament purposes, replacement bells could not be afforded until 1925. In 1931 the church received electric lighting. In 1938 a new tower clock was procured. During the Second World War, the larger and the middle of the three bells had to be delivered in 1942. Otherwise, the church survived the Second World War without major damage. Nevertheless, it was still in a desolate condition, as the general renovation planned in 1913 was decades overdue.
After the Second World War, the focus was initially on the replacement of church bells, which could be consecrated in 1953. This was followed by a renewal of the ailing roofs on the ship and tower and, from 1958, a thorough restoration of the interior of the church. On this occasion, paintings made in the Middle Ages and around 1600 and later whitewashed were discovered. Most of them were restored in the years that followed. The too small altar in front of the organ was replaced by a stone altar table in 1960; the Gothic crucifix found its place on it. In 1981 the body of the organ was renewed while keeping the case from 1766.
construction
Due to the various extensions and fixtures, the church appears angled, lively and rich in contrast. The massive, strict Gothic choir tower stands in a peculiar contrast to the church house, which with its attached southern nave and even more through the adjacent semicircular staircase extension gives the cheerful impression of a Renaissance palace. Nevertheless, the overall building appears harmonious. Ornamental elements that are repeated on the various parts of the building, for example the design of the windows, the visible stones on the building edges, as well as all-round landing, make it clear that it is a whole that belongs together. The bright white exterior color and its exposed location do the rest to emphasize the building and at the same time convey a holistic impression.
Inside, the first thing you notice when you enter are the galleries, which are extraordinarily large in relation to the size of the room. It almost gives the impression of a second room floor. In contrast to this, the choir is a classic tower choir, as can be found in many churches in southern Germany. A Gothic choir arch, which is significantly narrower than the width of the nave, separates the choir from the main nave. The south aisle is also clearly separated from the rest of the room. A round column plastered with colored plaster between two large round arches carries the ceiling load between the main and side aisles. The view of the choir and thus the altar is obstructed in some places in the aisle.
The richly decorated baroque sermon pulpit with its sound cover can be seen very well from almost every seat .
Painting
On the west wall of the church, there is a large, colorful medieval fresco showing a resurrection scene. It was discovered during the 1958 restoration. On some old parts of the walls of the nave, which date back to the time before the church was enlarged in 1620, the remainder of a cycle of prophets has been preserved, which also includes the fully preserved king figure above the pulpit.
The basic painting of the coffered ceiling and the two crossbeams also date from the Middle Ages. It is still recognizable under Hans Stiegler's bandwork overpainting from the Rococo. On the occasion of this painting, the decoration with golden hemispheres was brought into the fields of the ceiling.
The most striking results of this embellishment, however, are Stiegler's oil paintings, which cover the entire length of the gallery parapets. They show Christ, the 12 apostles and the four evangelists on the noble gallery in the south. On the men's gallery, the biblical story from the creation of the world to the Last Judgment and the Trinity is continuously presented from the west to the north side .
The renaissance painting by Jörg Herzog in the choir shows the creation of man in paradise as well as the story of Cain and Abel above the sacristy entrance. To the left of the east window of the choir you can see Moses with the 10 commandments, to the right of the window his brother Aaron. The representation of the creation of the world on the choir side above the choir arch could no longer be restored due to earlier work. On the west wall, Herzog created an inscription cartouche in which, in clumsy Latin, the expulsion of Pastor Georg Ruckenbrodt, who had fallen out of favor because of improper behavior, is reported in 1596.
Medieval fresco on the west wall
Coffered ceiling over the nave
Renaissance painting and banding on the east window of the choir
Detail of the south pore: the evangelists
Detail of the north gallery: Baptism of Jesus ; Martin Luther with the swan, Luther's attribute
Detail of the north gallery: Resurrection and Ascension (note the shoes left behind)
Putto , wall painting on the passage to the stair tower
organ
The organ, inaugurated in 1766, comes from the respected master organ builder Johannes Weinmar from Bondorf . It is adorned with the figures of angels making music and with richly gilded tendrils. It originally stood on a specially made gallery. The latter was omitted when the organ was renovated in 1898. During that renovation, the soundwork was also replaced by something that corresponded to the taste of the time. During the second renovation in 1981, a new sound mechanism was used, which should come as close as possible to the original baroque model.
The organ has a total of 21 stops, divided into main work, positive and pedal.
Angel playing music on the left
Right side with angel figure
Tombs and epitaphs
The Amandus Church served not only as a village church, but also as a place of representation and burial place for the local ruling houses. The two tombs of Bernhard († 1467) and Werner († 1492) Nothaft, both members of the knight family Nothaft, bear witness to this on the southern east wall . Next to it, occupying the entire height of the wall, is the colorful and richly decorated Rococo tomb of Ludwig von Gemmingen (1694–1771). His ten-year-old son Eberhard and his son Ernst's two-year-old daughter Albertina were also buried there. The funeral of Albertina von Gemmingen in 1798 was the last burial in the church.
In the choir there are a number of tombs and epitaphs , some of which are remarkable because of the sculptural design and some because of the coloring . They remind of members of the aristocratic families Hallweil , Freyberg , Stammheim , Sachsenheim and Breitenbach from the Renaissance period. The bricked up burial place of these families is under the choir.
Tomb Ludwig von Freyberg († 1569)
Grave of Friedrich von Breitenbach († 1588) and his wife Radigunda b. from Freyberg
Grave of Hans Georg von Hallweil († 1593) and his wife Maria Magdalena, b. from Freyberg
Ludwig von Gemmingen tomb († 1771)
Church clock
The old clockwork of the church tower clock came from the middle of the 18th century. It was made in the workshop of the watchmaker and locksmith Georg Daniel Seyffer from Großbottwar . In 1856 it was repaired by the Ludwigsburg watchmaker Bauer. Ultimately, it could only be kept running through numerous expensive repairs, so in 1938 a new watch with an electric movement was purchased. Since then, the old clockwork has been neglected in storage rooms.
It has a mechanism and three striking mechanisms . From the quarter-hour strike, the striking mechanism of the hour was triggered via a lever. As a special convenience, the hour mechanism has a look-up with a different stroke of the bell. In this way, the residents, aware of the first strike of the hour, were able to count while looking up. The excellent blacksmithing is also remarkable. The frame is almost only stiffened with wedges; there are hardly any screws.
In 2015 the Freiberg watch enthusiast Helmut Meffle and the watch specialist Klaus Keith from Schwäbisch Hall restored the movement in a joint effort . Keith used to run the watch museum in Mainhardt . They dismantled the old clockwork, de-rusted the parts and protected them against corrosion with a wax coating. Keith restored missing parts like pendulum , pendulum rod , pendulum spring and some shafts by hand. With some loose parts that were only tied with wire, you had to try out where they belong. The original weights, which weighed 40 kg - 50 kg, were also missing. However, they were not replaced.
The clockwork is now on display in the entrance hall of the Freiberg town hall so that the mechanics are visible and can be explained. By virtue of a contract dating from 1892 that is still valid today, the community is obliged to bear the cost of the tower clock. The original costs were also borne by the community administration with 263 guilders . The parish maintenance had only paid a grant of 50 guilders.
literature
- Amandus Church Freiberg am Neckar, church leader . (Available from the parish).
- Friedrich Winter: Amandus Church in Beihingen. The chronicle of a church between rule and citizenship . Memminger, Freiberg am Neckar 2001, ISBN 3-9807733-0-2 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Markus Otto: Post-Reformation paintings in the churches of the Ludwigsburg district. In: Ludwigsburg history sheets XVI. 1964, pp. 30-56, here pp. 42-44.
- ^ Markus Otto: Post-Reformation paintings in the churches of the Ludwigsburg district. In: Ludwigsburg history sheets XVI. 1964, pp. 30-56, here pp. 40-42.
- ↑ a b c d Beate Volmari: Movement from 1747 is now being repaired . In: Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung . Ludwigsburg September 24, 2015, p. 11 .
Coordinates: 48 ° 56 ′ 15 ″ N , 9 ° 12 ′ 18 ″ E