Mountain Chapel (Erzingen)
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The mountain chapel of Erzingen is a sacred building above the village of Erzingen , located in a vineyard. The location around the chapel has since been called the Erzinger Kapellenberg . In 1973 Erzingen became the capital of the new municipality of Klettgau .
The chapel was built in thanks for averting a military measure and is dedicated to the memory of this event in May 1945.
The chapel and its surroundings are currently being renovated: Renovation 2018
history
The region on the Upper Rhine on the border with Switzerland , which was largely spared from military operations in World War II , capitulated at the end of April 1945 after a rapid advance of French colonial troops along the river and in the Black Forest.
The occupation of Erzingen
"On April 25th, the news came that a column of French armored vehicles was approaching from Waldshut ." In consultation with the Catholic priest Deisler and clerk Albert Zölle, the farmer Emil Huber hoisted a white flag at the church tower in Erzingen. Heinrich Winter drove towards the armored car a short distance away.
In the town hall, the French councilor customs officers awaited with director Suter (Swiss textile factory Stehli), the representative of the manufacturer in Erzingen. The Swiss owners also wanted to prevent the plant from being dismantled. After the handover of the village and the weapons, the French troops turned into the Wutach Valley in the direction of Stühlingen . The regular occupation took place on April 28, 1945 by a division of officers with men.
The approximately hundred Wehrmacht members still scattered in the village, who had been turned away at the Swiss border or wanted to cross it, had previously given their weapons to the town hall. But those affected were not just disarmed and then released, as hoped:
“The soldiers were provided with civilian clothes by the residents and some of them managed to return to their homeland by secret routes. The rest of them were taken to France as 'prisoners of war' after the French moved in, together with some customs officials. "
The council clerk initially assumed responsibility for the community, was able to prevent wild requisitions and hid returning soldiers without release papers from the local commandant's office. The roads to Switzerland remained blocked.
Order of evacuation
On an order from the Allied High Command , the military government in Germany issued an order which provided for the establishment of a “restricted border area” along the German borders and only permitted persons with permission to stay or to move goods there. This order, which is said to have provided for a wide border strip, was expanded by the French district command in Waldshut to the effect that the customs exclusion area around Jestetten and the Klettgau villages on the border should be completely cleared of the population. The news caused great consternation in Erzingen and the other places. On May 15, 1945, Jestetten, Lottstetten and Altenburg were already evacuated , and the residents moved their movable belongings via Bühl and Grießen towards the Black Forest.
Resistance in Klettgau
Switzerland's interests in the German neighborhood related to two industrial plants:
"Director Suter and Director Willi of the Bucher company in Grießen contacted Pastor Deisler by telephone with General Director Bührer, Swiss Council of States and Trasadinger citizen's son, who contacted the Swiss Federal Council and the Swiss Embassy in Paris for the withdrawal of the Eviction order related. Furthermore, Messrs. Suter and Willi tried to delay the evacuation via the Swiss consulate in Constance at the command of the French occupying forces in Schachen (Lindau). In addition, Director Suter directed a memorandum from Pastor Deisler on the tragic effects of an evacuation that would have affected 19,000 peaceful people, via the Apostolic Nuncio Bernardi in Bern to the Apostolic Nuncio Roncalli in France, later Pope John XXIII. who campaigned at the Allied headquarters in Paris. "
vow
In the weeks of uncertainty that followed, “the Erzingen people vowed to build a chapel if they weren't driven out of their village.” The vow was signed on May 31, 1945 by 140 citizens.
Withdrawal of the order
On June 4, 1945 “the Swiss consul Dr. Ghisler in Constance received a written notification from the General Staff of the First French Army [dated June 3, 1945] that the population south of the Wutach would not be included in a possible evacuation plan. "
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Lore
In a series of articles in the Südkurier in the spring of 1975, the Waldshut editor and local history researcher Andreas Bader summarized the events of the end of the war in the Waldshut district from the reports available.
- The episode (9) of the series with the title In gratitude, the Erzingen built a neat chapel gave an overview of the time of the occupation of the eastern district with Küssaberg, Klettgau and the customs exclusion area around Jestetten.
- In the section on the mountain chapel (9) of the series That happened in the Waldshut district, the first post-war mayor of Erzingen, Hermann Stoll, is quoted, who wrote an annual Erzingen chronicle, which he also addressed to the "Erzingen Abroad".
- The time span from the occupation of the district, the last battles for the Wutach Valley Railway and the vows to the mountain chapel was documented on the occasion of the 50th anniversary, including events and numerous conversations with contemporary witnesses, in its first broadcast on May 23, 1995 by the local broadcaster TV Eichberg .
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chapel
There is no information about the choice of the building site in the sources used, but there seems to have been a consensus on the choice of location. The ancient domination of the place by the medieval atonement cross could also be triggered. The place was already mentioned in the vow, because a station path was to be renewed at the same time. The construction plan came from master mason Otto Indlekofer. The Jestetter sculptor Peter Fricker was later commissioned to design the Way of the Cross.
Material procurement and construction
The “vine father” Heinrich Winter was a strong personality in the town and also the head of an influential family . He organized the labor service and procured a lot of materials through his Swiss family and trade connections: "Above all, it was he who ensured that building materials, bricks and cement were always available in the truly poor times." (Hermann Stoll)
About Robert Stehli, senior boss of the Stehli company, who was certainly the decisive voice in contact with the bishops: "The copper for the chapel roof, which was hardly available at that time, was donated by him." Was also a contribution to the food supply at that time Robert Stehli has been awarded.
Gottfried Indlekofer broke ground. The slogan for the groundbreaking ceremony - written by Pastor Deisler - was placed as an inscription on the chapel.
inauguration
After the construction, which took almost two years to complete, the inauguration took place with the uphill way of the cross. The Way of the Cross formerly led to the atonement cross (1671) on the hill, but this was dilapidated and its repair was also part of the vow.
The celebrations took place on Pentecost in 1947:
“The inauguration ceremony began on Pentecost Sunday with a solemnly levitated high mass and the sermon of the Jesuit Father Wiedemann from St. Blasien . The church choir sang the festival mass, accompanied by an organ by Max Filke. In the afternoon there was the solemn procession from the church to the chapel with the inauguration of the stations of the cross. Dean Armbruster from Obereggingen carried out the inauguration of the chapel . The sermon was given by the local pastor Deisler. The celebration came to a worthy end with the “Dutch thanksgiving prayer”, played by the music association and some beautiful choirs, sung by the church and school choir, as well as the “Te Deum” accompanied by the music association. On Whit Monday there was a mountain service in the new chapel for all fallen, missing and captured soldiers. In the afternoon the music and journeyman's association organized a legend game. A large crowd took part in the game, with all of the contributors doing their best. In the evening, at the end of this beautiful festival, the youth also got their right with a village dance. "
Not mentioned, but still working tirelessly in the background in the preparation and implementation as well as in the care and supply, was the `` Elisabethenverein '' , the association of the Erzingen women in the sponsorship of the nuns of the Holy Cross of the Allensbach-Hegne monastery .
"Today there is still a day of remembrance every year", which took place in 1995 on the occasion of the "50. Anniversary of the creation of the mountain chapel in Erzingen, looking back on a special event ”.
The chapel also gave its name to the traditional Erzinger Blauburgunder wine - the Erzinger Kapellenberg .
Renovation 2018
The outdoor area, the Way of the Cross and the "Atonement Cross" have been renovated since August 2018: "On the initiative of the Catholic priest Thomas Mitzkus, the community team of the pastoral care unit Klettgau-Wutöschingen [...] collected around € 20,000 for the renovation of the mountain chapel." The damage was considerable: "The the old stairs and the walls had to be completely demolished and all plantings removed. ”The tower of the chapel will also be renewed, as will the 13 stations of the cross. The Erzingen stonemason, Walter Boll, is restoring the wayside cross from 1671, which was erected out of jealousy after a murder. The construction work should be completed in autumn, the new inauguration is planned for Pentecost 2019.
The stonemason explained that the wayside cross was “amazingly well preserved” and “had already been moved”. “The lower part of the base is made of Mägenwil shell limestone and the actual cross is made of limestone. […] It is also unusual that the cross was chiseled out of a stone and not put together. ”The body of Christ is made of sandstone from Bühlem and is reminiscent of the style of the Jestetter sculptor Siegfried Fricker . "The body would then be less than 100 years old."
literature
- Author editing : Klettgauer themenweg . Ed .: Municipality of Klettgau, 2013
- Südkurier : Historical series, Andreas Bader: That happened in the Waldshut district , episode (9): Out of gratitude, the Erzinger built a neat chapel .
- Info sheet for the 70th anniversary 2015 (Author: Peter Weißenberger)
annotation
- ↑ The wording of the vow in the information sheet for the 70th anniversary (author: Peter Weißenberger): “O Maria, you mother of Christians. We are anxious about our future and our home. Have mercy on our children. We promise you to especially holy Sundays and to keep them free from unnecessary servile labor. We promise you, if you will keep us from leaving our homeland through your prayer: that we want to hold a procession every year for 20 years, that we will rebuild and always maintain the station path, that we will have a small chapel at the end of this crossroad want to build. O Maria, hold your mother's hands protectively over us and the whole of Klettgau. Holy Notburga von Bühl (patroness of the Klettgau) help. Erzingen, May 31, 1945. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ Andreas Bader: As a thank you, the Erzingen built a neat chapel , article (9) in the series That happened in the Waldshut district at the end of the war in 1945 in the Waldshut district , June 1975.
- ^ Copy of the "Law No. 161" of the "Military Government - Germany, Control Area of the Supreme Commander" in the archive of TV Eichberg . In this order, the non-indigenous population had to be expelled by May 21, 1945.
- ↑ Südkurier: Memories of a Vow , Christmas 1995. According to another statement, there were 270 signatures.
- ^ Illustration of the document in the contribution by A. Bader, Das geschah im Kreis Waldshut , episode (9), Südkurier, June 1975.
- ↑ Info sheet for the 70th anniversary (author: Peter Weißenberger).
- ^ Südkurier: In the post-war years, earned services to Erzingen. , February 2, 1973.
- ^ According to: Bergkapelle , (HR) in: klettgauer themenweg (authors' editorial team), Ed .: Municipality of Klettgau, 2013, p. 32.
- ^ Elisabethenverein Erzingen, Rechberg, Weisweil eV: Festschrift for the 60th anniversary on March 17, 1996. Ed .: Parish St. Georg, Erzingen 1996.
- ^ Südkurier , Christmas 1995.
- ^ Thomas Güntert: Renovation from a single source. Albbote, August 16, 2018.
- ↑ : Thomas Güntert: The Erzinger Murder Cross. In: Hochrhein-Anzeiger (Südkurier), July 25, 2018.
Coordinates: 47 ° 39 ′ 58.7 " N , 8 ° 24 ′ 42.5" E