Christ Church (Kassel)
The Christ Church is a largely unchanged Protestant church building from the Wilhelmine era in Kassel . It is located in the Bad Wilhelmshöhe district in the formerly independent village of Wahlershausen .
history
In 1894, the Wahlershausen community made a call to collect donations for the construction of a new church. However, this appeal had only moderate success. Only when the mayor Heinrich Wimmer took on the matter as part of the planned incorporation into the city of Kassel did the project advance. At a time when Wahlershausen was losing its communal independence, the desire for an independent parish grew, and so on March 3, 1900, the parish representatives decided to rebuild the church. In 1902, the construction work (1860 born January 11, began after the architect John Roth Bad Kreuznach 30, † August 1911 in Kassel), which includes the Church of Peace in the Middle West designed in Kassel.
The foundation stone was laid on November 10, 1902, Martin Luther's birthday , and it was inaugurated on December 20, 1903. It received its name Christ Church. For the inauguration ceremony, Empress Auguste Viktoria donated an altar Bible , which is now kept in the parish archive. Due to the great demand, tickets were issued for the festival service.
Foundation stone certificate of the Christ Church
Christ Church as a construction site on November 10, 1902
Christ Church around 1910 still in the open
Rectory and today's parish office of the Christ Church - the ornaments of the church are repeated in the balcony parapet.
The total costs of the church were borne by the political community of Wahlershausen and amounted to 265,000 gold marks or, together with the horticultural facilities, 318,000 gold marks. A little later a rectory was built in the immediate vicinity.
The figure of Christ, which was originally located inside the church on the right side of the triumphal arch, was donated by the Wahlerhausen doctor and spa director Moritz Wiederhold. Since the church was renovated in 1953, it has been in the left area of the anteroom of the church. It is a copy of the figure of Christ by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen from 1827, which was designed for the Frauenkirche in Copenhagen. The figure in the Christ Church was created by Arthur Trebst (1861–1922) from French champagne lime .
The colored glass windows donated by various parishioners were destroyed by an aerial mine on the north side of the Second World War in 1942 . However, this remained the only damage to the church during the war.
Renovations
The Christ Church has been renovated several times over the years. In 1908 the organ was fitted with an electric fan and in 1910 the bells were given an electric drive.
In 1952 the church was extensively renovated and the interior of the church was redesigned. The colored paintings from 1903 were replaced by a plain white. The pulpit and the triumphal arch were excluded from this. The old confirmation hall was removed and the organ, which until then was located above the confirmation hall, was relocated to the west gallery. In the now enlarged area of the altar, a 6.50 m high wooden cross made of Spessart oak was set up and the altar was moved back. In addition, some window openings have been changed. The previous baptismal font, which was located under the figure of Christ, was replaced by a free-standing baptismal font to the right of the altar. Instead of the previous two large chandeliers, pendant lights and wall arms were attached.
In 1961 a new Bosch organ was installed.
Another complete renovation took place between 1980 and spring 1981. First and foremost, the load-bearing beams and the electrical lines were renovated. Part of the roofing slate and the original zinc gutters were replaced by copper ones; the heating system and the floor were also renewed. In the interior of the church, based on the original painting from 1903, the triumphal arch and the pulpit were provided with ornaments and symbols by the Offenbach draftsman Rudolf Koch. The pews were re-glazed, the altar was moved further forward and part of the imperial box was converted into a tea kitchen. These last two renovations and the purchase of the new organ in 1961 were partly financed by donations from parishioners. On May 5, 1981, the church was renovated and reopened.
In 1996 the city of Kassel transferred a triangular plot of land to the parish in order to build a community center there. For this purpose, after a heated discussion about the exact location, a competition was announced on May 31, 2000 for the construction east of the church in Landgraf-Karl-Straße. The Kassel architecture office Prof. Karl Berthold Penkhues won this competition and was entrusted with the construction. The inauguration took place on December 2, 2001. This new building was also financed by numerous donations and a generous inheritance.
In 2004 and 2005, the sanctuary was redesigned, with the stone walls kept in a simple white. Behind the cross is now the work of art "Decalogue and Cross" by Dagmar Weissinger. The lighting and sound system has been modernized to enable differential lighting and sound.
Sanctuary
Baptismal font
Building description
The three-aisled floor plan of the church is based on the specifications of the Eisenach regulation of 1861 and has a narrower north and a wider south aisle. The choir with the northern sacristy connects to the nave with a triumphal arch . Inside, flat arched arcades with squat columns separate the low aisles from the three- bay central nave, which, like the choir, is vaulted with cross ribs . The nave has five glazed arched windows (three in the north and two in the south) which are filled with two-part gothic tracery . The lower aisles have five round windows, flanked on both sides by rectangular wall openings. There are also windows in the form of four-snowflakes on the northern choir wall and on the imperial box . In the original building there were two round windows in the form of four-snowflakes and two rows of windows for the confirmation hall in the upper area on the back of the choir. Both were bricked up together with the west rosette during renovation work in 1952 . However, the former window openings can still be seen on the outer skin.
A special feature of the church is the imperial box, which clearly defines both the interior and exterior architecture. It jumps out of the south transept like its own transept and once had a separate entrance, which is now walled up, with a staircase that is still clearly visible. The imperial box was built for the then Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife Auguste Viktoria as a court church for their visits to Wilhelmshöhe. While Auguste Viktoria also often attended church services, Wilhelm II never visited the church. Today the Kaiserloge serves as a meeting room with a tea kitchen.
The church was built of sandstone and has now darkened. The roof was covered with natural slate. The red-painted wooden doors are fitted with black iron fittings.
In terms of style, the architect deviated from the Eisenach regulation, and the building is not built in a purely neo-Gothic style. There are also elements of the Renaissance style and the baroque-style tail gables .
The tower has a total height of 53.75 m. It is solidly walled over three quarters of its height. Above that there are arched sound openings and then a cornice staggered four times . The roof house that follows has curved gables and houses the clock with dials on all four sides of the tower. The tower is completed by an octagonal structure and the spire, on which there is a cross with a weathercock.
The individual components
- 1 : The main portal: round arch with an incorporated rose strand. A decorative strip in the shape of an egg stick runs underneath . On the sides and in the middle there are three angel or children's heads.
- 2 : anteroom of the church: on the left there is the figure of Christ.
- 3 : Memorial plaques: On the right there are plaques for the soldiers of the community who died in the two world wars. They were designed in 1951 by the architect Alfons Niemann and executed using the scratch-plaster technique. In the middle there is a figure of Christ as a good shepherd .
- 4 : Pulpit: It is located on the left side of the choir and has been preserved in its original shape from 1903. However, during the renovation of the church in 1952, it was painted according to designs by the Offenbach draftsman Rudolf Koch. The illustrations show the church year in symbols. The star stands for Advent and Christmas, the snake for Passion and Easter, the Jerusalem Cross for Pentecost and the three interlocking rings for the Trinity . The inscription reads: Go into all the world and teach all peoples .
- 5 : The triumphal arch: In 1952 it was also provided with symbols by Rudolf Koch. On the left is a dove as a symbol for the Holy Spirit and a crown of thorns for the suffering of Christ. On the right there is a chalice with a wafer and anchor, which stand for the Lord's Supper or hope. Between the symbols there is an ornament line as a picture for eternity.
- 6 : Altar: The altar consists of the Lord's Supper on two sandstone slabs. For the inauguration of the church, Empress Auguste Viktoria donated an artistically designed altar Bible. The Bible bears the dedication Let my grace be enough for you; for my strength is powerful for the weak .
- 7 : Baptismal font: The baptismal font was made according to the design of the Kassel painter Johann Reinhold and was installed in the church in 1952 at the earliest. The only symbol on all four sides is a fish, which was the secret symbol of the persecuted Christians.
- 8 : Cross: The cross is on the wall of the chancel and was placed during the renovation in 1952.
- 9 : Sacristy: The sacristy is on the left side of the sanctuary. She will u. a. also used for weddings and baptisms on a small scale. It is equipped with a wooden altar and a wall cross by Gotthold Schönwandt. On the opposite wall there are photos of the past pastors of the Christ Church.
- 10 : Kaiserloge: The Kaiserloge used to be accessible via a separate entrance and is located on the right front side of the church. There is a hand-forged imperial eagle in the banister of the staircase to the Imperial Lodge. The imperial chairs are decorated with the coat of arms of the imperial couple.
Seating of the imperial box
Wrought iron imperial eagle
Entrance to the Imperial Lodge
- 11 : Organ: The organ was manufactured in 1961 by Werner Bosch Orgelbau from Sandershausen. The pipes visible in the organ's prospectus are only a fraction of the actual work . Most of the pipes are behind the prospectus. The registers can be played individually and combined with each other. This results in new timbres and the number of register combinations runs into the millions.
- 12 : Tower: The tower is on the western gable wall. The tip was completely renewed in 1966. Three cast steel bells are attached below the tower room. They get their names from Corinthians 13:13: Faith, Love, Hope. With them the worship service is initiated, the prayer is accompanied and they should lead to inner contemplation. The largest bell weighs 1700 kg, carries the cross as a sign of faith and has the tone D. The middle bell has a weight of 1400 kg, carries a burning heart as a symbol of love and has the tone F sharp. The small bell weighs 800 kg and bears the symbol of the anchor which stands for hope. It has the tone A. The big bell is only rung for funerals in the Wahlershausen cemetery. The small bell is rung at weddings and the blessing of the confirmands. When the New Year, Sunday on Saturday evening and church services ring in, the full bell rings. The original hand-operated bell was converted to an electric drive as early as 1910. The mechanical tower clock from 1903 by master watchmaker Friedrich Weule was replaced by a new electric clock in 1968.
Organs
The organ in the new church building in 1903 was built by the Euler organ building company in Hofgeismar. It was on the east gallery above the confirmation hall. During the renovation in 1952, the organ was moved from this location to the west gallery. In 1960 the original organ was handed over to the Fatima Church in Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe and in 1961 an organ was finally procured from the Werner Bosch company from Sandershausen.
Parish
With the inauguration of the Christ Church as the parish church of Wahlershausen, the branch parish became the independent parish of Wahlershausen, which after the incorporation of the political parish into the city of Kassel in 1906 was called the parish of Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe. Since the recognition of the Wilhelmshöhe district as a thermal brine spa in December 2000, the parish has been called Kassel-Bad Wilhelmshöhe.
literature
- Karl Apel: 90 years of the Christ Church . Kassel 1993
- Evangelical parish Kassel-Bad Wilhelmshöhe (Hrsg.): One hundred years Christ Church Kassel Bad Wilhelmshöhe . Kassel 2003
Individual evidence
- ↑ Foundation stone certificate of the church
Web links
- Homepage of the parish
- Christ Church on the pages of the Evangelical Church in Kassel
- Christ Church on the website of the church building documentation office
- HNA: Images of the Christ Church
- Tour through the Christ Church Kassel
Coordinates: 51 ° 18 ′ 43.1 " N , 9 ° 25 ′ 59.6" E