Bronze baptism (Hildesheim Cathedral)

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The bronze baptism in Hildesheim Cathedral, side chapel (until 2010)
The bronze baptism in the central nave of the cathedral (since 2014)

The bronze baptism of Hildesheim Cathedral is a late Romanesque baptismal font that was probably cast from bronze in Hildesheim in the first third of the 13th century . It is characterized by picture decorations of the highest quality and perfect proportions and is counted among the most outstanding works of its kind.

Location

For centuries, the bronze baptism stood in the western part of the nave of the cathedral, and since 1653 in the last of the northern side chapels ( St. George's Chapel ). During the cathedral renovation (2010-2014) it was exhibited in the Bode Museum in Berlin . Since the cathedral reopened, it has been standing in the middle of the nave under the Hezilo chandelier .

description

The Hildesheim bronze baptism consists of the round baptismal font, which widens slightly towards the top, a tapered lid with a tall flower and four allegorical portrayals. It has a total height of 1.70 m and a diameter of 96 cm.

The lively and decorative style already heralds the Gothic , but also shows Byzantine influences , especially in the architectural elements. The body postures and faces in their relationships and emotions are particularly expressive.

Image program

The pictorial program is very expressive, creating contexts of meaning both in the three levels (horizontal) and in the four axes (vertical) and offering a biblical- ascetic mystagogy of baptism . The images are also explained by means of Latin titles and scrolls.

The lowest level, the foundation and starting point, is made up of four male figures who carry the whole thing. They are personifications of the four streams of life that emanate from paradise ( Gen 2: 10-14  EU ). All four pour rivers of water out of jugs: what was dried up by sin begins to flow again with baptism. At the same time, they are clearly differentiated in clothing, posture and hairstyle and represent different ages and levels of life. She assigns a small field of view to the cardinal virtues : Phison to prudence , Geon  to moderation , Euphrates  to justice and Tigris to bravery . The soldier armor of the “brave” is particularly striking. The natural virtues are perfected through baptism.

The second level, on the kettle wall, shows the central aspects of baptism in four scenes from the Old and New Testaments:

  • The baptism of Christ indicates the incorporation into Christ and the uniformity with his death and resurrection that brings about baptism ( Rom. 6 : 3-8  EU ).
  • The image of Mary with the child on the opposite side shows the baptized the mother of Jesus , who through baptism also became their mother and intercessor, as well as in the cathedral cartridges Epiphanius and Godehard the community of saints to which they now belong. This scene is also the dedication image, because a small donor figure kneels at the feet of the Blessed Mother , whose name is given as Wilbern . It is probably Wilbrand von Oldenburg , who was canon in Hildesheim at the time of its creation.
  • The depiction of the passage through the Red Sea ( Ex 14  EU ), in which a crowd of men with Jewish hats follows Moses through the dividing waters, equates immersion and emergence in the water of baptism with the danger of death, salvation and liberation of Israel and interprets all the baptized as members of the people of God who are on their way to the land of promise.
  • The fourth picture shows the arrival in the Promised Land again as a water passage, this time through the Jordan ( JosEU ). Now in are Ark received at Sinai bids supported, a sign of commitment to the one God and his will, which is included in the baptismal covenant.

The top level is made up of the four scenes on the lid. They develop the importance of baptism for the Christian life.

  • The image of Christ washing the feet by the “sinner”, traditionally equated with Mary Magdalene , ( Lk 7.36-50  EU ) points to repentance and penance, but also to the inexhaustible nature of grace and the love that arises from it.
  • The blooming staff of Aarons ( Num. 17,16-25  EU ) symbolizes the fertile virginity of Mary and the chastity of the baptized.
  • The child murder of Bethlehem ordered by Herod ( Mt 2,16-18  EU ) reminds of the communion with Christ in the testimony of faith (Greek: martyrion ) and of the possibility of baptism in blood .
  • Finally, the personification of Misericordia , a royal enthroned woman who practices the works of mercy , shows how the stream of grace of baptism works in concrete life.

In vertical correspondence, the baptism of Christ is connected with the washing of the feet by the sinner, Our Lady with the Aaron's staff, the Exodus with the murder of children and the Ark of the Covenant with the works of mercy.

Between the main motifs on the second level, three smaller image fields are arranged one above the other above the supporting figures. The bearer figures symbolizing the rivers are assigned the four virtues in the first row, the Old Testament prophets in the second row and the four evangelists in the top row as follows:

The connection between the axes of meaning is established by the inscription on the upper edge of the baptismal font:

“The four rivers of Paradise water the world, and so many virtues wet the heart that is pure from sin. What the mouths of the prophets had foretold, the evangelists proclaimed to be valid. "

literature

  • Victor H. Elbern : Cathedral and cathedral treasure in Hildesheim , Königstein i. T. 1979, p. 16f. and 48f.
  • Claudia Höhl: The Wilbernus baptismal font - treasures from Hildesheim Cathedral . Schnell & Steiner publishing house, Regensburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-7954-2047-5 .
  • Gabriela Dreßel: Investigations into the paradies river representations on the bronze baptismal font of the Hildesheim cathedral . In: Die Diözese Hildesheim in the past and present , vol. 55 (1987), pp. 45–73.

Footnotes

  1. See information page of the diocese ( Memento of the original from May 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.domsanierung.de
  2. a b Claudia Höhl: The baptismal font of Wilbernus - treasures from the cathedral in Hildesheim , Verlag Schnell & Steiner GmbH, Regensburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-7954-2047-5 , pp. 25-29

Web links

Commons : Bronze Baptism  - collection of images, videos and audio files