Dreikönigskirche Bad Bevensen

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The Dreikönigskirche Bad Bevensen is part of the Evangelical-Lutheran general parish Bevensen-Medingen in the parish of Uelzen of the Evangelical-Lutheran regional church of Hanover . It stands on the church square of the spa town of Bad Bevensen in the Lüneburg Heath and has a length of about 33 meters and a width of 17.5 meters.

Dreikönigskirche
Tower of the Dreikönigskirche
Interior with altar and chandeliers

The beginnings of the church

Presumably the first small Franconian baptistery was built in 833 on the site of today's Dreikönigskirche, which was subordinate to the patronage of the Virgin Mary or St. Dionysius . Today's patronage of the Magi goes back to a pre-Reformation side altar and did not establish itself as the name of the church until the 19th century. It is highly probable that in 1025 this small church was converted into a Romanesque cruciform church. It had a mighty tower made of field stones and, at 51 meters, was slightly larger than today's church.

The modern Epiphany Church

In 1734 it had to be demolished due to its dilapidation. A smaller church was built in its place and consecrated in 1736. The two middle wrought iron digits 7 and 3 of the year of construction are still visible on the west side . This church fell victim to a major fire in 1811, in which a total of 47 houses were destroyed. It burned to the ground. Reconstruction only began in 1812 due to the lack of financial resources. On St. Martin's Day, 1812, the rebuilt church was consecrated again. In 1814 stalls , pulpit and gallery were built in and the organ was installed in 1867. The tower was raised by 6.5 meters in 1869.

Expansion and design of the Dreikönigskirche

Several renovations in 1903, 1937, 1964 and 2008 gave the church its present-day appearance. The white of a festive, gold and velvet red radiant interior can with the Empire style brought the 18th century combined. The altar wall, with its two passageways, columns in Doric shape and the gable on top, indicates the shape of the temple, which the Bible tells of as a place of connection between man and God.

The inscription “I am the Lord your God” introduces the 10 commandments that Christians still consider to be the guideline for life. The Roman number X (“ten”) on an open book above the left passage also indicates the 10 commandments. The first letters of the Greek word Christ (X and P) are placed above the passage on the right. This indicates that Jesus Christ, like the 10 commandments, leads to a true - that is, a meaningful and socially acceptable - life. Golden ears of corn and vines can be seen above the altar. They refer to the Lord's Supper, when Jesus shared bread and wine with his followers shortly before his death. The Lord's Supper, at which true body and blood are distributed according to the Lutheran teaching of Christ, symbolizes God's presence among people to this day. In the Dreikönigskirche the Lord's Supper is celebrated at least once a month - among other things with the valuable and repeatedly restored chalice from 1507.

The standing cross on the altar dates from 1937 and shows Christ not as a suffering person on the cross, but as a sovereign victor over death. It represents the hope that Jesus and his resurrection can mean for our lives. A hope greater than death. To the left of the altar there is a baptismal image that reminds of the baptism of Saxony. It shows a bend in the river, which is probably at about the level of the Savior's Cross.

The golden chandeliers, the front of which is from the 16th century, also add to the splendor of the church; the rear candlestick was added as a refill in 1937. In 2008 the East Prussia Association donated a third candlestick that hangs in the middle between the other candlesticks. From 1953 to 1955 the tower hall was rebuilt in honor of the victims of the Second World War . There is a memorial book with the names of the victims. In the window above the memorial book it says: I called you by your name, you are mine. (Isaiah 43).

The organ from 1864 was made by Philipp Furtwängler from Elze near Hanover. It has 10 registers in the main work and 6 or 5 registers each in the swell and pedal work. A special feature is the game accompaniment by cymbals during the Advent season.

Web links

Commons : Dreikönigskirche (Bad Bevensen)  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 53 ° 4 ′ 49 ″  N , 10 ° 34 ′ 53 ″  E