Bühlweg Chapel (Ortenberg)

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View from the northwest

The Bühlwegkapelle or Bühlwegkapelle Mariae Ruh is a Roman Catholic branch church of the parish of St. Bartholomäus Ortenberg in Ortenberg in the Ortenaukreis (Baden). Located in the foothills of the Black Forest on the apex of the “Bühlweg” between the village of Ortenberg and the hamlet of Käfersberg, it is sometimes referred to as “in Käfersberg”. She belongs to the pastoral care unit of the Vorderes Kinzigtal of the Archdiocese of Freiburg . Since 1971 it has also been used for Protestant worship. Besides its location, it owes its fame - it is popular for weddings and concerts - to its late Gothic wall paintings.

The local history researcher Franz X. Vollmer (1922–2011), who originally came from Ortenberg, researched its history - and the history of the place.

history

It was long assumed that the chapel was first mentioned in 1144. According to a check by Franz Vollmer, this is a read error; The Strasbourg document from 1144 does not say “sacerdos de chfferisberg” = “Priest of Käfersberg”, but “sacerdos de chrechilberch” = “Priest of the Glöckelsberg chapel near Bläsheim in Alsace ”. In any case, a parish church must have stood on Bühlweg since the early Middle Ages . But the parish rights passed to the newly founded parish Heilig-Kreuz in Offenburg at the latest in 1182 . At the time of the Reformation, Ortenberg and Offenburg were under the princes of Fürstenberg , and in 1542 Count Wilhelm von Fürstenberg (1491–1549) introduced the evangelical confession. With the assumption of rule by the Habsburgs from 1551 to 1556, it came to recatholicization. In 1616 and 1672 efforts to remove Ortenberg from Heilig-Kreuz failed due to the opposition of the Offenburg pastors. It was only thanks to the reforms of Emperor Joseph II. Ortenberg became an independent parish again in 1787 and the Bühlweg chapel parish church - the latter for a few decades. Due to lack of space, plans were made to demolish the building at the beginning of the 19th century and build a larger church in the same place (see floor plan). Instead, the new parish church of St. Bartholomew was built further west in the Kinzigniederung from 1823 to 1824 . The chapel returned to branch status.

Building history

Floor plan and 1820 new building plan. The situation has hardly changed today (2014).
Chapel with “vestibule” and Pietà on a pilgrimage picture around 1900

The chapel was built in 1497 after the response of the Offenburg priest Lazarus Rapp (1571–1618) to Ortenberg's striving for independence in 1616. Immediately afterwards it was colored in. In the 18th century it was made Baroque . The painted walls were plastered, the nave and choir were given stucco ceilings, the roof turret was reshaped, and three new altars were erected. After urgent repairs at the beginning of the 19th century, the church was restored in 1870 thanks to a donation. 1877 - the parish administrator was Wilhelm Störk (1843–1916), the author of a pilgrimage booklet with the history of the chapel (see literature) - the western churchyard wall collapsed. It was immediately rebuilt and the western entrance to the chapel was also protected by a “practical and elegant vestibule”.

A further donation made the restoration possible from 1902, when the wall paintings were discovered. The Karlsruhe painter Theodor Mader exposed them from 1906 to 1907. In the final report he wrote: “All painted wall surfaces were covered with plaster in the 18th century. In order to make it more adherent to the painted ground, which is evenly interspersed with coal, wood and unslaked chunks of lime and cracklings, all surfaces were pecked with a pointed hammer except for the raw masonry. Where the plaster was most rotten, as in the Laurentius picture, on the choir arch, in the choir painting, there are up to 1,200 picks per square meter. [...] Missing larger parts had to be added, as well as the numerous retouches kept in such a way that they only remain perceptible from a very short distance. ”In addition, the baroque stucco ceiling in the nave was replaced by a fielded wooden ceiling; the stucco ceiling in the choir was retained. The windows in the nave were given their current shape with a central post. While the baroque high altar was preserved, the baroque side altars were redesigned in a neo-Gothic style. On the right side altar was “an excellent group picture in high relief , the death of St. Performing Josef , by the sculptor Dettlinger in Freiburg. “The parapet of the organ gallery was decorated with stucco.

View of the choir around 1905. On the right, Dettlinger's Josefsaltar
Look at the choir today

After the war damage had been repaired, the side altars were restored to Baroque style in 1955 under Pastor Friedrich Isenmann (pastor from 1954 until his death in 1975). In 1968 the vestibule was replaced by a monopitch roof and the roof turret was clad with sheet copper. The last interior renovation took place in 1990. In 1994 an organ was installed.

building

The church is 12 m long and 7 m wide, with a single nave, a polygonal closed choir and a sacristy to the south, in the old cemetery. The roof turret consists of a hexagonal substructure and a multi-storey hood above. Two low, unstructured windows on both sides illuminate the nave, three high tracery windows illuminate the choir, which is separated from the nave by a pointed triumphal arch .

Furnishing

The nave is dimly lit by yellowish slugs , the choir is brighter through the high windows.

Altars

  • Left side altar

  • High altar

  • Right side altar

The rococo high altar was made by unknown artists around 1750. On the tabernacle there is a crucifix, on the sides Mary and John mourn . The image of the Assumption of Mary , framed by volute clips , takes up the entire height of the choir. Mary in a blue cloak stands with her left foot on a crescent moon. Three little angels on the right hand her red flowers, a larger angel on the left hand her a white lily. "The robes of the figures shine wonderfully in the colors of the other brown tones of the picture." On each side of the altar there are two columns at an angle to the spatial axis and between them James the Elder on the left and Augustine of Hippo on the right .

On the left side altar, in a niche that imitates the Baroque, stands a pietà venerated as a miraculous image , "an exquisite late Gothic work that is inspired and breathed through silent sorrow".

On the right side altar stands the Apostle Bartholomew in the same niche richly decorated with vine leaves and grapes . The knife of his shear is designed as a vine knife . On Bartholomew's Day, August 24th, the saint received the first grapes ripened in Ortenberg on this altar. Between the restorations in 1902 and 1955, the figure had stood in the new parish church of St. Bartholomew .

Mural

Anna herself the third
crucifixion

The pictures on the south wall of the choir are the older ones. They are very faded, barely visible from the nave and cut off at the top by the baroque stucco ceiling that has been preserved here. In the middle stands Mary as Immaculata , Immaculate Received. On the side half-length portraits of the four Latin Doctors of the Church Hieronymus , Ambrosius of Milan , Augustine of Hippo and Pope Gregory the Great are added. At the bottom left a donor kneels in the robe of a cleric .

At the top of the triumphal arch, a coat of arms from the Ortenau knighthood is attached between the leaves and flowers. On the side of the wall to the choir are shown in equally sized fields

  • above the left side altar in front of a red curtain and on tiles that taper in perspective into the depths " Anna selbdritt ", i.e. Anna , the mother of Mary, Mary and the baby Jesus, underneath, small and kneeling, a knightly donor with the slogan "O mother of mercy, pray for all Christianity ”;
  • Above the right side altar a crucifixion group with the crucified, Mary and John, underneath again, small and kneeling, a knightly donor with the slogan “O Jesus, St. be yours, my refuge ”.

Foliage similar to that on the choir arch, but painted more finely and lively, decorates the reveals of the four windows of the nave. Symbols above the windows indicate the church year , namely

  • on the left in front a lamb with the cross flag on Easter,
  • in front right the handkerchief of Veronica on the suffering of Christ and with it the Passion time ,
  • left behind the Christ child on Christmas and
  • right behind the dove of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
West wall: death
West wall: Anna herself third

Next to the western entrance door, death and life face each other. Death strides hurriedly across grassy ground as a naked, emaciated woman, eaten by worms and snakes. In his left hand he holds an hourglass. With his right hand he points to a tape “Mach uns <…> ungys”, the center of which has been lost due to the installation of the gallery. Mother Anna herself is the bringer of life, as she carries Mary on her right arm and Jesus on her left arm. A cross of the Apostles appears on each of the pictures . “The two frescoes of Death and St. Anna Selbdritt, in contrast to the full-color paintings on the north and south walls, are only treated as lightly colored drawings on white whitewash. "

The north and south walls are designed identically. From the corner to the triumphal arch wall to the front windows, two saints appear one above the other. Large format paintings occupy the walls further west. They are likely to be the latest, “honorable achievements by an artist from the first half of the 16th century. Their character already points to this art epoch; because here there is full color treatment, rich grouping, location and spatial representation, costume loyalty, in short a realistic move. "

North face

Laurentius picture before the restoration of 1902
Laurentius picture today

Following the Anna selbdritt picture on the north wall of the choir arch, the holy vintner patron Pope Urban I with a tiara and a grapevine is depicted on the north wall, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria with sword and wheel below.

This is followed by the large Laurentius picture, the best preserved and artistically best painting in the chapel. As Archdeacon of Rome, Laurentius had to administer the church property. When the Emperor Valerian asked to hand it over, he distributed it to the poor and brought the poor before the Emperor, saying that they were "the true treasures of the Church". He was then tortured to death on a grate over fire. The painter combined three occurrences.

  • In the middle, Laurentius in a deacon's robe and a bearded turban wearer with a scepter, probably the emperor, stand side by side. Arch-like banners reflect their conversation. The emperor says: “The treasure of the churches must be given to me, or I want to live for it.” Laurentius replies: “I have given the treasure of the churches to these poor people, so that with us they can gain eternal life.”
  • On the right, where Laurentius points with his right hand, arms crowd around a three-legged round table with heaps of money, in the foreground a patient with a bandaged leg and a crutch under his right arm, a young woman who is receiving something from Laurentius, and in Boy with hands raised pleadingly.
  • To the left, where the emperor points with his right hand, is Laurentius, clad only in a loincloth, on a grate. A man seems to be pushing coals under the grate; another kindles the fire with a bellows.

The scenes are held together by an architecture with Renaissance arches and late Gothic decorations. On the right a gate opens the view into the scenic distance. The vine knife at the bottom right shows the vine people's guild as the founder.

The unknown painter could have come from Strasbourg. “The tripartite division of the picture was wonderfully designed.” The middle part of the painting, although a scene in itself, also connects the two side pictures. The Freiburg conservator Max Wingenroth (1872–1922) judged as early as 1908 in the volume on the Offenburg district of “ The Art Monuments of the Grand Duchy of Baden ”: “The image, of effective composition, is also in the sign language, in the treatment of the human body and its movements an excellent achievement from the first decade of the 16th century. ”Similarly at the same time the art historian and theologian Karl Künstle (1859–1932):“ The great martyrdom of St. Laurentius reveals the spirit of the Renaissance; worked according to Italian models, it is to be counted among the best products of south German wall paintings from the beginning of the 16th century. "

South wall

Passion cycle before the 1902 restoration
Passion cycle today

Following the crucifixion of the south wall of the choir arch, St. Sebastian, pierced by arrows, is depicted on the south wall above and St. Barbara of Nicomedia with her three-pronged tower below.

This is followed by an eleven-part cycle of the Passion of Christ, which is supplemented by a picture of St. Odilia for the number twelve. The pictures show

  • the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem ( Mt 21.6–10  EU ).
  • the last supper . Jesus hands Judas Iscariot , who has a purse around his neck and the only one who does not have a halo, the bread, so that the moment could be meant when Jesus said: “The one who dipped his hand with me into the bowl, will betray me ”( Mt 26,23  EU ).
  • the prayer on the Mount of Olives ( Mt 26,36-46  EU ).
  • the capture ( Mt 26,47-54  EU ). Peter holds up the sword with which he cut off Malchus' ear. Jesus holds the ear in his hand to heal it.
  • Jesus before Pilate ( Mt 27 : 11-14  EU ).
  • the flagellation ( Mt 27.26  EU ).
  • the mockery and the crowning of thorns ( Mt 27,27-30  EU ).
  • the carrying of the cross ( Mt 27.31  EU ). According to apocryphal legend, Veronica holds the handkerchief in which an imprint of Jesus' face has remained. Jesus touches her temple comfortingly.
  • Jesus on the cross between Mary and John ( Joh 19.25–30  EU ).
  • the entombment with Joseph of Arimathäa and four mourning women ( Mt 27 : 57-61  EU ).
  • the resurrection ( Mt 28 : 1-4  EU ). Christ holds a flag of the cross. Four guards lie asleep around the open grave.
  • St. Odilia, particularly venerated in Alsace , kneels in a nun's robe in front of a church. At her prayer, an angel pulls a crowned, naked man from the flames of purgatory , according to legend, her father, the Alsatian Duke Eticho . It is likely that Ortenberg's relationship with Strasbourg inspired the portrayal of Odilias. The middle-class man in the foreground on the right is likely to be the founder of the Passion Cycle.

The passion painting was particularly badly damaged when it was rediscovered. Theodor Mader practically had to repaint the carrying of the cross, Christ on the cross and the entombment. Wingenroth considers the painter of the Passion cycle to be identical to that of the Laurentius picture, but suspects the greater involvement of an assistant. In addition to artistic mastery, there would be "a struggle with the imperfections of the 15th century."

Appreciation

With the restoration, it is said in the description by Wilhelm Störk in 1909, “this sanctuary became a real treasure chest, an art-historical sight.” In 1974 the room is ascribed “a high cultural charisma”. One will be captured by the venerability of the chapel. The murals are her most beautiful and certainly most valuable jewelry.

literature

  • Friedrich Isenmann, Hugo Schnell : The churches of Ortenberg and Käfersberg. Schnell and Steiner publishing house, Munich and Zurich 1974.
  • Ortenberg. In: Landesarchivdirektion Baden-Württemberg (ed.): The state of Baden-Württemberg. Official description by district and municipality. Volume VI. Freiburg administrative district. Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart 1982. ISBN 3-17-007174-2 , pp. 398-399 ( digitized version ).
  • Wilhelm Störk: The veneration of the painful Mother of God in Maria Ruh in Bühlweg near Ortenberg and in rooms near Urloffen: a pilgrimage and prayer booklet. Roth, Offenburg 1909.
  • Franz Vollmer: Ortenberg Castle and Bühlweg Chapel. Two witnesses of Ortenau's past. Ortenberg 1976.
  • Franz X. Vollmer: Ortenberg. Steps back into the past of an Ortenau village. Self-published by the municipality of Ortenberg (Baden) in 1986.
  • Max Wingenroth : The art monuments of the Grand Duchy of Baden , Volume 7: The art monuments of the Offenburg district . Mohr Siebeck Verlag, Tübingen 1908, pp. 523-526 ( digitized version ).
  • Hans Jakob Wörner , Ursula Stampfer: Catholic parish church St. Bartholomäus - Bühlwegkirche Mariae Ruh - Ortenberg. Kunstverlag Josef Fink, Lindenberg im Allgäu 2001. ISBN 3-89870-000-3 .
  • Dagmar Zimdars u. a. (Ed.): Georg Dehio, Handbuch der Deutschen Kunstdenkmäler ( Dehio-Handbuch ) Baden-Württemberg II . Deutscher Kunstverlag, Berlin / Munich 1997, ISBN 3-422-03030-1 , pp. 524-525.

Web links

Commons : Bühlwegkapelle  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ so Isenmann and Schnell 1974.
  2. ↑ Honorary citizen died. , in: Badische Zeitung, December 19, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  3. ↑ so still Zimdars 1997, p. 524.
  4. ↑ Vollmer 1986, p. 782.
  5. ↑ “In the chapel of our women at the rest on Bühlweg near Ortenberg, which with the consent of Mr. Ordinarii Elector. Palatinate as the then owner of the care Ortenau and Mr. Heinrici de Sachs of the church lord, however, in all cases with reservation of the parish and the mother church justice was built anno 1497, happened in the year 2 sermons on Bartholomä des heil. Apostle days with a sung office and 2 sung Vespers and there is so often someone dies and this is indicated from Ortenberg, Käfersberg, Fessenbach a soul mass including a funeral sermon, as well as the children's teaching held at this place every 14 days, which changes according to the places . “From K. Walter: Report of the church lord Lazarus Rapp on the parish of Offenburg from September 26, 1616. A. Reiff & Cie, Offenburg 1892, pp. 16-17.
  6. ↑ Vollmer 1986, pp. 338-339.
  7. ↑ Störk 1909, p. 19.
  8. ↑ Vollmer 1976, p. 126.
  9. ↑ Störk 1909, p. 36.
  10. ↑ Vollmer 1976, p. 130.
  11. ↑ a b Isenmann and Schnell 1974, p. 6.
  12. ↑ Wörner and Stampfer 2001, p. 27.
  13. ↑ Vollmer 1976, p. 133.
  14. ↑ Vollmer 1976, p. 144.
  15. ↑ Vollmer 1976, p. 135.
  16. ↑ Störk 1909, p. 26.
  17. ↑ Lawrence of Rome. In: Ecumenical Church Lexicon . Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  18. ↑ Vollmer 1976, p. 143.
  19. ↑ a b Wingenroth 1908, p. 526.
  20. ↑ Quoted in Störk 1909, p. 35.
  21. ↑ Veronika in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints . Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  22. ↑ Störk 1909, p. 37.
  23. ↑ Isenmann and Schnell 1974.
  24. ↑ Vollmer 1976, pp. 117 and 145.

Coordinates: 48 ° 27 ′ 18.6 ″  N , 7 ° 58 ′ 30.6 ″  E