Altgolßen village church
The Protestant village church Altgolßen is a stone church from the beginning of the 14th century in Altgolßen , part of the municipality of Golßen in the Dahme-Spreewald district in the state of Brandenburg . The church belongs to the parish of Lower Lausitz the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Oberlausitz . The building stands on a former Slavic rampart ; in the surrounding church cemetery there are several important tombs from the 18th and 19th centuries.
location
The village road leads from the west in a northeasterly direction through the village. In the south-eastern part of the district , a cul-de-sac branches off in an easterly direction (also as a village street). The church is located at the end of this street on a plot of land that is enclosed by a wall made of uncut and not layered field stones .
history
The sacred building was erected at the beginning of the 14th century on the remains of a Slavic castle rampart off-center on a recessed plateau. In his elaboration on the restoration of fifteen sandstone graves in the Altgolßen churchyard, Mathias Koch describes the choice of location as "brave" or "even negligent": after the organic wall components rotted, the subsoil gave way. Over the centuries it was therefore necessary to install three powerful buttresses on the west side of the church in order to stabilize the structure. In the 18th century, craftsmen erected a free-standing bell tower a few meters to the west. This was restored in the 1980s.
At the end of the 19th century the church received a patronage box . In the years 1899-1902 the enlarged church windows in neo-baroque forms and let grow a porch at the time.
Building description
For the erection of the original structure, mostly unhewn field stone was used. This was only layered in a few areas. The choir has not been drawn in and is straight out on its east wall. There are three windows: the middle one is raised and arched and its design could have come from the construction period. The two laterally arranged windows are clearly enlarged and provided with plastered walls . Repair work with rock fragments and reddish brick can be seen at the edges . In the northern area of the east wall of the choir, a large, clogged arched gate can be seen. The walls were made with reddish brick and the opening closed with rock fragments and field stones. The east gable is massive and has no opening.
This is followed by the nave with a rectangular floor plan. On the north side there are four large arched windows, the walls of which were made of uncut field stones. On the south side, towards the east, there is initially a narrow arched gate. This is followed by a one-and- a- half- story patron s lodge , which was built from plastered brick. Your east wall is closed; access is via a pressed segment arch-shaped, right-centered portal from the south. Above it is a pressed segment arch-shaped window in the middle, which is let into an ogival panel . Its shape is emphasized again by a brick pointed arch. Above that in the gable is a narrow, high rectangular opening. A brick porch adjoins the extension to the west. It can be entered through an ogival opening. The western area was built from field stones and rock fragments. The end of the nave wall is made by a small pointed arch window that could have come from the construction period.
The west side of the nave is dominated by several buttresses. On the north and south side there is a massive pillar, which is supplemented by a wider, double stepped pillar that extends into the closed gable. The Förderkreis Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg suspects that the church already had a static problem at the time of construction : Due to its location on the heaped-up castle wall, it is conceivable that the subsurface would gradually sink. The supporting pillars were not anchored in the masonry; Over the decades, a joint formed in the spaces between which water penetrated.
A few meters to the west of the building is the rectangular church tower on the western wall crown section. It is boarded up and can be entered from a gate from the east. In the otherwise windowless structure, there are two large acoustic arcades on the west and east side and two smaller sound arcades on the north and south side . The tower ends with a pyramid roof .
Furnishing
The church furnishings are shaped by the renovations between 1899 and 1901 and were restored around 1965. The pulpit altar is described in the Dehio manual as "simple" and was created in the first quarter of the 19th century. He carries a rounded pulpit on four Tuscan columns . On the north wall, the parish installed a smaller than life-size crucifix , which an unknown artist created in the 17th century. A neo-Gothic organ stands on a gallery in the west of the building .
In the eastern interior of the vestibule there is a baroque epitaph that commemorates Margaretha Ehrentruth von Langen, who died in 1725. On the western outside of the vestibule, another epitaph commemorates Eleonora Sophie von Stutterheim, who died in 1725. To the west of it, on the south wall of the nave, stands the tombstone of Hyppolite Sophie von Lietzau, who died in 1743.
At the entrance to the church there is a memorial for those who died in the First World War .
graveyard
The Slavic ring wall has served as a cemetery since the church was built. In the north-eastern part and on the south side of the church there are a total of 15 historical grave monuments made of sandstone . Members of the patronage families of the Altgolßen manor from the years 1725 to 1803 are buried there. The Förderkreis Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg describes this arrangement as "an almost unique ensemble for southern Brandenburg (s)". The sponsorship group praises it as an "impressive testimony to the art of tombs between baroque, rococo and classicism ". Of the eight older tombstones, three are placed on the church walls; five deposited on the wall crown. However, the seven younger, fully sculptured tombstones are particularly striking. These are two plastic-figurative steles, three display sarcophagi and two steles with an urn attachment. In 1985, six years later, they were listed as the church. In the following two decades, however, the tombs fell into disrepair. Some slabs were smashed, steles overturned or even overgrown by vegetation. In 2002, however, the cemetery aroused the interest of two landscape architects from the TU Berlin . As part of a thesis in 2002 and 2003, they developed a renovation concept in cooperation with the Brandenburg State Office for Monument Preservation and State Archaeological Museum (BLDAM) . It convinced the Altgolßen parish councilor to salvage the sandstone tombs in addition to the urgently needed renovation of the tower. However, a funding program was discontinued at that time, so that the necessary funds were initially lacking. Some members of the parish church council managed to get the district of Dahme-Spreewald to provide the funds for a renovation, albeit to a lesser extent. The parish council decided not to invest its own funds in the urgently needed repair of the church tower, but in the renovation of the tombs. The first work on the site began in 2005 under the direction of a restorer. Experts found that all the individual parts except for an urn attachment were still there. The surfaces have been cleaned; Reduced salt deposits. The experts decided against a comprehensive restoration of lost details. In 2006 the tombs were put up again.
Margaretha Ehrentruth sandstone slab from Langenn
The epitaph of the lady, who died in 1725, is on the western inner wall of the church porch. There is a high relief with a centrally arranged writing field, which is decorated with acanthus. Above is a life crown carried by two putti with a family coat of arms. Below the writing field, a boy with a coat of arms holds the corpse text . There are suspicions that the epitaph is a replica of the Golßen stonemason Peter Land. However, due to the fine details, Koch assumes an original.
Sandstone slab Eleonora Sophia von Stutterheim
The tombstone of von Stutterheim (nee Lietzau) who died in 1730 is on the western outer wall of the vestibule. It resembles Langenn's epitaph, but this time it is a winged angel holding a slip of paper with the corpse text. The ellipse is wavy and also decorated with acanthus. The lower area could no longer be deciphered. It is conceivable that it was decorated with allegorical representations.
Sandstone slab Hippolyta Sophie von Lietzau
This tombstone is located on the southern outer wall of the nave. Born von Stutterheim died in 1743; the plate is similar to the previous two. The writing field is framed in a much smaller oval, the corpse text is listed in more detail and in a second cartouche . In the upper area the large alliance coat of arms can be seen, next to it two winged putti with a life crown. The acanthus is shown much more discreetly, the details are no longer arranged strictly symmetrically. For this, for the first time, small shell motifs appear on the tombstone.
Sandstone slab Otto Friedrich von Lietzau
The inscription on the tombstone was weathered, but could be found out by researching a reference book of the Houwalds . Otto Friedrich died in 1743 just a few months after his mother Hippolyte Sophie. Koch describes rather "subtle" differences such as the "somewhat more robust-looking foliage", but also refers to the auricle from the 18th century.
Sandstone slab unknown 1 from Lietzau
This plate is located on the eastern wall crest and is placed there as the second from the south. The inscription is so weathered that so far it is only known that it is one of those from Lietzau. Since neither the year of death nor the first name could be deciphered, so far there has been no indication of which person it was. This epitaph also has a text field with two putti and a life crown. An alliance coat of arms is missing, instead two coats of arms were placed in the two lower corners. Despite the fewer rocaille shapes , Koch clearly assigns the work to the Rococo based on its overall impression. He also points out that the plate must originally have been placed in the church because of its design. When lying down, rainwater collects in it, which can potentially damage the panel.
Sandstone slab Beate Tugendreich from Lietzau
This grave is a children's grave for the youngest daughter of Hippolyta Sophie. Beate Tugendreich died in 1709 at the age of only two years. What is striking about the dainty grave is that the inscription cartouche takes up almost the entire surface of the plate. Instead of tendrils, individual leaves were used to decorate the tombstone. They run around the plate and are connected to the family coat of arms below the crown of life.
Sandstone slab unknown 2 (from Lietzau)
The fourth slab, seen from the south, is also located on the eastern wall crown. The inscription is so badly weathered that it has not yet been deciphered. The family coat of arms suggests that it is a member of the von Lietzau family. The text cartouche is bordered by six rocailles. Below is a modeled angel, sitting on a skull and accompanied by two coats of arms, showing the corpse text. In the upper area are the two well-known putti with the life crown. Due to its plasticity, this version was also intended for installation in a church. Koch recommends an enclosure so that the depressions are not damaged further by penetrating and freezing rainwater.
Johanne Lowise sandstone stele by Schmidt
On the eastern wall crown is the last tomb of the family group of those from Lietzau, which already shows the first characteristics of classicism . The person who died in 1788 is commemorated with a stele that seems to grow out of coarse masonry. From this rises a pedestal that tapers and ends with a cornice . A middle section with two cranked pillars was placed on top of this. The inscription tablet takes up the largest part, next to it two mourning angels to the side. Below is a medallion showing a crowned grim reaper next to a palm tree. The bust of a female figure can be seen in this palm, presumably the deceased, who is being sent to her death by the skeleton at this very moment.
Sandstone stele Johanna Carolina Christina Schneider
The obelisk on a rectangular plan stands next to the eastern church gable and the eastern wall crown. It commemorates Johanna Carolina Christina Schneider, who died in 1799. The tomb stands out because of its plinth , on which three allegorical figures were placed on a staircase. The middle figure, a female figure, is probably Spes , the hope. She holds out her arm and holds a snake above the urn. This has dogged its own end and is thus a symbol for infinity. In the ring formed in this way, a butterfly is incorporated as a symbol for the soul of the deceased, for their resurrection. The second female figure is sitting next to the stairs with a book on her knees. In her left hand she holds a cross with an extinguished torch. Based on the attributes, this could be history, but also Fama , the Roman goddess of fame and rumor. If the book represents the Bible , belief is also conceivable. The third figure is Chronos with the hourglass and a scythe. In contrast to Johanne Lowise's Grim Reaper, death is now represented figuratively as an old man. On the top step is an urn. Below the top of the obelisk is an inscription tablet; on the back of the corpse text.
Sandstone slab unknown 3 (from Haberkorn)
On the north-eastern wall crown next to the sarcophagus graves there is another sandstone slab, the inscription of which could not be completely deciphered. Since it bears the coat of arms of the von Haberkorn family and the other family members were placed nearby, the deceased could also have belonged to this family. The design is similar to the first unknown sandstone slab, but shows features of the Rococo.
Sandstone sarcophagus Ferdinand Moritz von Haberkorn
A sarcophagus on the northeast wall crown commemorates Ferdinand Moritz von Haberkorn, who died in 1785. A central inscription panel is complemented by a family coat of arms above it. The table emerges clearly from the plate, but is otherwise unadorned. Part of the text table was lost over the decades; during the reconstruction it was decided not to restore them. The stone cheeks could be reconstructed using an inventory volume from 1917.
Sandstone sarcophagus Christiane Gustaphe Elisabeth von Haberkorn
On the northern wall crown there is another sarcophagus, which commemorates Christiane Gustaphe Elisabeth von Haberkorn (née von Pfuhl), who died in 1788, the daughter-in-law of Ferdinand Moritz von Haberkorn. Similar in structure, the inscription panel, for example, differs in its indented corners. Next to the hourglass, the artist placed a mourning angel with a lowered torch and a skull.
Sandstone sarcophagus Erdmuth Elisabeth Christiane Juliane von Haberkorn
The lady died in 1794, so of all comparable graves it is the one with the latest date of death; her sarcophagus was placed on the north-eastern wall crown. The text field is arranged in an ellipse and is framed by laurel. An alliance coat of arms is attached above. Koch describes this execution as a "final breakthrough to classicism", while the earlier sarcophagi left a rather "awkward impression".
Double grave with urn attachments
On the northern wall crown is a double grave, which commemorates the two deceased Hans Ferdinand Moritz von Haberkorn and Johanna Christina von Haberkorn in 1803. There are two steles with an urn attachment. The sculptor placed plinths under the bases, on which column shafts with inscriptions on the front and funeral texts on the back. Of the originally two existing vases, only one has survived in the 21st century. It must have been lost after the inventory volume was created at the beginning of the 20th century. The alliance coat of arms can be seen in the existing vessel, with a crown with acanthus on it. Stylistically, a comparison can be drawn with the hereditary burial of the von Lestwitz-Itzenplitz family in Bliesdorf , a municipality in the Märkisch-Oderland district . The tomb of Helene Charlotte von Friedland was created by the sculptor Heinrich Keller in the same year as the one in Altgolßen. Both works have similar pedestals with identically designed bases and plinths. It is therefore conceivable that an artist in Altgolßen was based on Keller's work.
literature
- Georg Dehio (arr. Gerhard Vinken et al.): Handbook of German Art Monuments - Brandenburg. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich / Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-422-03123-4 , pp. 8–9.
- Mathias Koch: Restoration of fifteen sandstone tombs in the Altgolßen churchyard. In: Anne Gehrmann, Dirk Schumann (Ed.): Village churches in Niederlausitz. History - architecture - monument preservation. Lucas-Verlag, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-86732-054-2 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b The village church of Altgolßen (Dahme-Spreewald) , website of the Förderkreis Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg e. V., accessed on July 1, 2018.
- ↑ Inspection of the restored 15 sandstone graves in the churchyard in Altgolßen , press release from May 9, 2009 on the website of the district of Dahme-Spreewald, accessed on July 1, 2018.
Coordinates: 51 ° 58 ′ 13.3 " N , 13 ° 34 ′ 7.3" E