St. Peter and Paul (Brandenburg an der Havel)

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Cathedral with partly medieval, partly later rebuilt or replaced cathedral enclosure
View of the choir from the main entrance.

The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Brandenburg on the Havel , which is generally referred to as the “cradle of the Mark”, has national cultural and historical significance as the “mother of all churches in the Brandenburg region”. The Protestant cathedral parish belongs to the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Schlesische Oberlausitz . The building was the cathedral of the Diocese of Brandenburg and is located on the cathedral island of Brandenburg , which is named after him , which historically was a separate municipality (Dom Brandenburg) and has been a district (cathedral) since it was incorporated in 1929.

history

West facade: upper part of the west gable and stump of the south tower by K. F. Schinkel veneered and provided with battlements

In winter 928/29 troops of the Saxon-Christian ruler Heinrich I conquered one of the East Elbe Slavic main castles, the Brandenburg . The frozen Havel favored the conquest. This laid the foundation stone for the establishment of the Diocese of Brandenburg, which was carried out by the later Emperor Otto I in 948 - other authors relocate it to the year 964.

A single document from Bishop Wilmar from 1170 indicates that construction of a cathedral was started when the Brandenburg was first conquered . This church was lost on the occasion of the Great Slavic Uprising of 983. To date, their location has not been proven archaeologically.

In the Reformation from 1527 onwards, the Roman Catholic diocese of Brandenburg went under and its cathedral was lost to the Catholic Church. Since then the cathedral has been a Protestant church building. The cathedral chapter of Brandenburg has existed as a Protestant cathedral chapter to this day .

Building history and shape

Tower yoke; South pillar of the vestibule with plastered pilaster strips
South side of the ship
Choir

The Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Brandenburg on the Havel is the first building in the Mark Brandenburg to be completely made of exposed brick . The oldest brick churches in the Mark (foot of the western structure of the St. Gotthardt Church in Brandenburg's old town and the western wall of the St. Petri Chapel at the Brandenburg Cathedral) were built with field stones , a building material that was used in this region until the Renaissance was used for churches and castles.

The nave of the Brandenburg Cathedral has five bays, the side aisles each seven bays up to the beginning of the crossing . The transept arms and choir are single-nave.

On October 11, 1165 the foundation stone for today's cathedral building took place. The former seat of the Brandenburg bishop was in the old town of Brandenburg, which was on the royal territory . For a short time, the Episcopal Church was St. Gotthardt Church , the main church in the old town.

With the start of construction of the relocated Prämonstratenser - Convention on the Cathedral Island.

When choosing the location, it was decided to go to the highest point on the cathedral island. Other aspects to be considered were the division of the former Slavic castle area into a margravial and an episcopal district.

When the cathedral was built, the foundation was built up to seven meters deep, but nowhere did it reach naturally grown soil. The entire construction area is located on inhomogeneous cultivated soil. In particular, filled-in parts of the former ring moat and the ramparts of the Slavic castle cross under the cathedral foundations, which in the subsequent period should lead to considerable static problems.

Another point influencing the structural analysis is the location on an island washed by the Havel with its changing groundwater level . The degree of soaking of the subsoil has a decisive influence on its load-bearing capacity.

Choir with winged altar and stained glass windows

In the first construction phase under Bishop Wilmar , the choir, crossing and transept were built until 1173, still not vaulted, and the foundations for a single-nave nave were laid.

Two changes to the plan followed in the 12th century: Now it was decided to use a flat-roofed pillar basilica. As the foundation excavations show, a transverse bar based on the model of the Havelberg Cathedral was initially to be erected as the western building . Then the aim was to have a two-tower facade, since a cathedral had two towers. Initially, however, only the ground floor of the north tower was built, and a low stump from the south tower. The arched arcades on both sides of the central nave are still preserved from the Romanesque building .

Bishop Gernand , who came from Magdeburg, had the cathedral renovated and expanded in an early Gothic style. The two-aisled, four-bay hall crypt under the high choir was begun under him, actually hardly common at this time. It was not vaulted until the 1st third of the 14th century. The time lag can be seen in the design: The capitals decorated with grotesques are still in Romanesque cube shape , but have Gothic ribbed vaults . The late Gothic choir on the Romanesque foundation walls of the predecessor was built from the middle of the 15th century. The nave was then vaulted.

crypt

According to various authors, the fact that the south tower never rose above its stump level was due to financial and structural reasons.

The main entrance below the nave gable has a narrow but elaborately designed limestone warrior band . There are three-dimensional representations, e.g. B. a fox preaching geese, other birds and a monkey.

The upper floors of the north tower were only built in Gothic form in 1669–1672 and therefore belong to the post-Gothic period . The west side is decorated with the coats of arms of the Great Elector and the canons of the time.

The architect and chief Prussian construction officer Karl Friedrich Schinkel carried out decisive rescue and renovation measures on the cathedral in the 19th century. Among other things, he veneered the west gable of the nave in a neo-Gothic style. Furthermore, the access to the crypt was relocated to the nave with a wide staircase. The latter work was undone in the 1960s and the medieval state restored.

Schlabrendorff family crypt

The crypt of the Schlabrendorf family is an unadorned extension from 1695 on the north transept of the cathedral. Access to the family crypt on the ground floor is from inside the church and consists of a magnificent portal. The first burial took place in 1705; the last one took place around 1835. In 1976 the upper floor of the crypt was demolished. In 1988 the wooden frame on which the coffins were stored collapsed. As a result, there was an initial inspection of the holdings by employees of the cathedral monastery archive and the cathedral museum. The coffins were photographed and the deceased identified by means of inscription panels or paintings, which was not possible in all cases. The contents of opened coffins were also documented photographically. It was found that most of the furnishings were well preserved and that the dead were mummified . A few coffins were then sorted out and buried again in the cemetery behind the colorful chapel, most of them returned to the crypt. The 33 coffins in the crypt were placed directly on top of each other this time. In the course of conservation measures on the structure of the crypt in 2002, the coffins should be cleared out again. Therefore, in July and August 2002, several specialists examined the holdings of Schlabrendorff's crypt. The contents of eleven opened coffins were documented and described. In addition to the coffin fittings, the mummified dead themselves were part of the investigation. Due to the favorable climate, which was based in particular on constant air circulation, the corpses were mostly well mummified through drying out. The coloring of the organic tissue varied between yellowish and reddish-brown and showed no clear connection to the degree of mummification. Most of the buried were over 60 years old. Diseases could only be seen sporadically. The sawed-up skull of Wilhelm Karl Otto von Schlabrendorff was remarkable, which indicated that the brain had been removed, which was probably related to the transfer to the crypt. Many of the Schlabrendorff coffins are provided with brightly painted coats of arms, some of which cover the entire head - a representative ornament that is not known in this special design from any other crypt.

Furnishing

Three-gable shrine from the high choir of the Brandenburg Cathedral

From the early days of the episcopal church, a remarkable number of medieval tombstones of bishops, provosts , canons and lay people have been preserved, which were placed on the walls of the church and in the cloister . In the cathedral church, for example, there are tombstones of the bishops Joachim von Bredow , Johannes von Thuchem , Stephan Bodecker , Friedrich von Plötzke , Arnold von Burgsdorf and Dietrich von der Schulenburg , which depict them in three-dimensional form or as scratches . In the nave there is an artistic epitaph made of marble and alabaster for the dean Adam von Königsmarck, who died in 1621, which is attributed to Christoph Dehne . Among the altars , the Lehniner altar, which has been restored at great expense, is worth mentioning.

In the high choir there is an approximately six hundred year old three-gable shrine for the storage of liturgical vestments, a Gothic tabernacle ( sacrament house ), choir stalls and above the end of the choir after the crossing a large crucifixion group from the 15th century. A triumphal cross , the crucifix of which is dated to around 1250, is in the crypt. Further valuable furniture from the Middle Ages can be found in the cathedral museum. In addition to an extensive inventory of liturgical vestments and other textiles, books, sculptures and altars etc. a. also a panel from the 15th century, the "populous Calvary ".

The crypt houses a late Romanesque man of sorrows and the aforementioned “Colorful Chapel” has a unique medieval plaster painting. The cathedral treasures also include an excellently preserved medieval hunger cloth , the so-called Brandenburg hunger cloth , an elaborate picture embroidery from the 13th century.

Wagner organ

The nave of the Brandenburg Cathedral to the west with a view of the Wagner organ, on the right the Dehne epitaph Adam von Königsmarcks

The organ of Joachim Wagner from the years 1723 to 1725. Your from the Schlüter -Students Johann Georg Glume created brochure rises above the incorporated by Schinkel in the partition wall of the nave to the tower porch Stained Glass rosette . The bass pipes are worn by the patron saints as atlases in protruding projections . The instrument has 33 registers (2010 pipes) on two manuals and pedal . In the years 1997–1999 the instrument was restored by Schuke (Potsdam).

I Hauptwerk C, D – c 3
1. Principal 8th'
2. Drone 16 ′
3. Viola di gamba 8th'
4th Reed flute 8th'
5. Quintadena 8th'
6th Octav 4 ′
7th Pointed flute 4 ′
8th. Quinta 3 ′
9. Octav 2 ′
10. Cornett V
11. Scharff V
12. Cimbel III
13. Trumpet 8th'
II upper structure C, D – c 3
14th Principal 8th'
15th Quintadena 16 ′
16. Salicional 8th'
17th Dumped 8th'
18th Octav 4 ′
19th Reed flute 4 ′
20th Nassat 3 ′
21st Octav 2 ′
22nd Tertia 2 ′
23. Sif flute 1'
24. Mixture IV
25th Vox humana 8th'
Pedal C, D – c 1
26th Principal 16 ′
27. Violon 16 ′
28. Gemshorn 8th'
29 Quinta 6 ′
30th Octav 4 ′
31. Mixture VI
32. trombone 16 ′
33. Trumpet 8th'
Playing aids: valves (to the main work, upper work, pedal), tremulant, cymbal stars, calcant bell

Peripheral buildings

Oldest known " Judensau " at Brandenburg Cathedral, western cloister, around 1230

In the north of the cathedral there is a monastery complex, which is provided with refectories , dormitories , cloister and adjoining rooms (including the “colorful chapel”) and a central cemetery . The west wing of this complex was laid down in the 18th century to be replaced by the building of the knight academy . In the northwest, a larger, multi-storey building protrudes from the rectangular floor plan of the monastery complex, which is called "Spiegelburg" in old scripts. The previous use of this building is unclear; it probably served as an episcopal residence. The monastery itself was the center of life for the resident canons in the early days .

The buildings of the monastery complex now house the cathedral museum, in which, among other things, the foundation deed of the Brandenburg diocese and the first mention of the cities of Cölln and Berlin are stored.

In the eastern cloister there is a so-called " Judensau " in the capital of a column . She mocks the named Jew Pineas or Pinne. In the Middle Ages, such a representation was intended to defamantly portray the inferiority of the old, Jewish religion . The Jewish suckling sow symbolizes the synagogue . The fact that the pig is considered unclean by the Jews is particularly hurtful. A similar representation can be found on the Marienburg of the Teutonic Order on the Nogat .

Spread across the castle courtyard are a number of separate houses, called curiae , which later served the canons as accommodation.

Episcopal use

The Brandenburg Cathedral was given up early on as the “residence” of its bishops. They preferred to reside on their possessions - initially in the nearby Pritzerbe Castle , later in Ziesar Castle, about 30 km away . The administration of the cathedral was taken over by the provosts on site.

Modern use

Recent Prussian history

In 1848, the Brandenburg Cathedral served as a meeting place for the Prussian National Assembly after it was moved there from Berlin . However, there was only one rump parliament in Brandenburg an der Havel.

present

The Brandenburg Cathedral is actively used by the Evangelical Church of Brandenburg. In addition to the regular church services, the church is also the location for cultural events such as summer music, concerts and exhibitions. The cathedral also makes its church rooms available for special exhibitions on contemporary history.

Attached to the cathedral is the cathedral museum, which exhibits sacred art from ten centuries.

The cathedral archive is the oldest archive in the Mark Brandenburg and has been working continuously since 1161. It contains valuable documents from the Saxon expansion to the east and the subsequent settler era.

The cathedral and its outbuildings, especially the house of Baron Heinrich August de la Motte Fouqué and the other curiae, are often used as cultural venues, for example the Brandenburg Theater with its “Exquisite Cathedral” series. An important contribution to the preservation of this important building is made by the support association “Cathedral of Brandenburg”, whose honorary chairman was former Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker for a long time .

On the night of December 11, 2002, the main building of the castle mill on the cathedral island burned down due to arson and has been rebuilt since 2011.

In 2006 the Domgymnasium opened its doors, continuing the educational tradition brought to life by the Knight Academy. A well-known graduate of the knight academy in the recent past was Otto Graf Lambsdorff .

Cathedral chapter and curator

The cathedral chapter as a voluntary supervisory board of the Brandenburg Cathedral has 24 members, u. a. (As of June 2019):

The curator is responsible for the management, administration and legal representation of the cathedral (as of January 19, 2018):

  • Curator Cord-Georg Hasselmann

literature

  • Altlust. 1000 years of re-use in the Brandenburg Cathedral. Edited by Rüdiger von Schnurbein. Verlag für Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-945256-84-8 (exhibition catalog).
  • Ernst Badstübner , Carljürgen Gertler: The Brandenburg Cathedral on the Havel (= Great Art Guide. Volume 222). Schnell & Steiner publishing house, Regensburg 2006, ISBN 3-7954-1770-8 .
  • Matthias Barth: Romanesque and Gothic in Brandenburg and Berlin. Medieval architecture and decor. Bergstadtverlag, Würzburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-87057-304-1 ; Nicolai, Berlin 2015, ISBN 978-3-89479-942-7 .
  • Arnt Cobbers, Peter Feist : The cathedral island in Brandenburg. The place that gave the country its name (= the historical place. Volume 34). Kai Homilius Verlag, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-89706-033-7 .
  • Joachim Fait: Cathedral and Cathedral Treasure to Brandenburg (= The Christian Monument. Volume 20). Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2003, ISBN 3-7954-5643-6 .
  • Renate Johne : The bishop's graves. Brandenburg bishops in the mirror of their grave slabs (= Ancient Art in the Brandenburg Cathedral. Volume 2). Druckhaus Köthen, Brandenburg an der Havel 2005, ISBN 3-936303-02-9 .

Web links

Commons : St. Peter and Paul (Brandenburg an der Havel)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chronology of the construction work on the Brandenburg Cathedral on the Havel from 1960. (PDF; 143 kB) (No longer available online.) In: havelstadt.de. 2015, archived from the original on December 25, 2017 ; Retrieved June 19, 2017 .
  2. ↑ Andreas Ströbl, Dana Vick: "May the body rest in the grave, there is no tomb for the soul" . Modern burial customs reflected in Protestant tombs. In: Communications of the German Society for Archeology of the Middle Ages and Modern Times . tape 23 , 2011, ISSN  1619-1439 , pp. 97-104 ( uni-heidelberg.de [PDF; 1.6 MB ; accessed on June 19, 2017]).
  3. ↑ Nadja Diane: Botanical investigations on the plant additions in the coffins of the Schlabrendorff crypt in the Brandenburg Cathedral on the Havel . In: Annual report of the Historisches Verein Brandenburg (Havel) e. V. No. 14 , 2005, pp. 101-104 .
  4. ↑ Bettina Jungklaus : The mummified dead in the Schlabrendorff crypt, Brandenburg Cathedral (Havel) . Results of the anthropological study. In: Historischer Verein Brandenburg, Havel (Hrsg.): Annual report . No. 14 , 2005, pp. 105-109 .
  5. ↑ Daniel Krebs: Historical investigations on the buried in the Schlabrendorff crypt vault of the cathedral in Brandenburg a. d. H. In: Annual report of the Historic Association Brandenburg (Havel) . No. 14 , 2004, DNB  012730777 , p. 81-87 .
  6. ^ Project Brandenburg / Havel, Schlabrendorff Crypt. In: anthropologie-jungklaus.de. Jungklaus Anthropology Office, accessed on June 4, 2017 .
  7. ^ The Wagner organ in the Brandenburg Cathedral. On the website of the Brandenburg Cathedral Foundation, accessed on September 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ References on the website of Alexander Schuke Potsdam Orgelbau GmbH, accessed on May 17, 2015 (with disposition ).
  9. ↑ A general cleaning and tuning as well as repair of the wind chests were carried out in 2014 by the same company. Queen with qualities: Wagner organ sounds again. In: Märkische Allgemeine . August 28, 2014, accessed September 14, 2014.
  10. ↑ the church . No. 45, November 6, 2016, p. 9, column 5 (section People & Quotes ).
  11. ↑ a b About us. In: dom-brandenburg.de, accessed on June 5, 2019.

Coordinates: 52 ° 24 '54.6 "  N , 12 ° 34' 2.6"  E