Christ Church (Offenbach am Main)
| Christ Church
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|---|---|
| Denomination : | Old Catholic |
| Patronage : | Christ |
| Consecration date : | 09/01/1901 |
| Rank: | Parish church |
| Address: | Otto-Steinwachs-Weg 63065 Offenbach |
Coordinates: 50 ° 6 ′ 2.2 ″ N , 8 ° 45 ′ 52 ″ E The Christ Church in Offenbach am Main is an old Catholic sacred building in the center of Offenbach. The church stands between Otto-Steinwachs-Weg and Bismarckstrasse. The building, which was designed by the architect Max Schröder , is a cultural monument under the Hessian Monument Protection Act .
history
An Old Catholic parish has existed in Offenbach since 1873 . As early as October 5, 1872, an article appeared in the Offenbacher Zeitung under the title Call to the Catholics from Offenbach and the Surrounding Area, which is one of the oldest evidence for the existence of the old Catholic movement in Germany. A year later, the members of the Offenbacher (Old) Catholic Association wrote a "Constitution" in which they rejected the dogmas of the infallibility and universal jurisdiction of the Pope and at the same time recognized themselves as Catholics who wanted to remain true to their old faith. This constitution, in which the right to form parishes, to hold church services and to employ clergy, is the founding document of the old Catholic parish in Offenbach. Whoever signed this document (the signatures were countersigned and sealed by the mayor's office) became a member of the municipality. In 1874 the grand ducal government in Darmstadt confirmed the official establishment of an "old Catholic parish in Offenbach and Bieber with the seat in Offenbach".
In the almost 30 years that followed, the congregation was a guest in various Protestant churches until enough money was raised through donations and foundations to build their own church.
Building history
The neo-Gothic church was designed by the Offenbach architect Max Schröder ; the construction costs amounted to 65,000 marks , whereby the building site next to the Jewish cemetery at that time was made available by the city free of charge. The decor, also in neo-Gothic style, was created by the sculptor Valentin Klimm . The foundation stone was laid on June 24, 1900, and Bishop Theodor Weber consecrated the newly built church on September 1, 1901.
After considerable damage in the Second World War , the interior of the church was renovated in 1968, with new colored glazing installed according to designs by Karl Lutz. Of Klimm's works, only the stalls, a few candlesticks and the warrior memorial plaque survived the war. In the 1980s, the exterior was renovated, the most spectacular part of which was the erection of the 16-meter-high and 14-ton spire on September 28, 1981.
A figure of the Madonna on the right and depictions of the four evangelists on the left choir wall , as well as a clay crucifix and the stone carvings on the pulpit and altar, are by Heinrich Voegele.
In addition to its historical and artistic significance, the building is of great urban significance with its location on Bismarckstrasse on the edge of the open space of the former Jewish cemetery. It is a listed building .
"The church is permanent evidence of the spirit that shaped Offenbach: openness, liberality and a home for those who think differently."
Web links
- Official website of the Catholic Parish of Old Catholics in Offenbach
- 1901: A constant symbol of tolerance - Offenbach Christ Church built. City of Offenbach am Main, January 12, 2004, accessed on April 21, 2016 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Building of the Christ Church. Old Catholic Community Offenbach, accessed on August 7, 2014 .
- ^ Historical commission for Nassau (ed.): Felix Genzmer. Architect of late historicism in Wiesbaden. Early creative years and city architect time 1881–1903 (= publications of the Historical Commission for Nassau . Volume 62 ). 1997, ISBN 978-3-930221-02-8 , ISSN 0170-1568 , pp. 266 .
- ↑ Places of Faith. (PDF; 3.11 MB) In: offenbach.de. Offenbach am Main municipal authorities, November 7, 2013, p. 13 , accessed on March 17, 2016 .
- ↑ State Office for Monument Preservation Hesse (ed.): Bismarckstraße 105 In: DenkXweb, online edition of cultural monuments in Hesse .