Hermitage Maria Reizenborn
The Hermitage Maria Reizenborn , also called Räzebore , is a former hermitage in the Soonwald near Riesweiler . The Hermitage lies on a pilgrimage route from Simmern to Spabrücken , which crossed the Soonwald ridge here. This place was chosen, as the Maria Reizenborn spring was located here , in the Hunsrücker Platt Räzebore , which was said to have healing properties in the Middle Ages based on a legend. It was used by pilgrims and hunters in the 17th century as a resting place. In pre-Christian times there was a Celtic sanctuary here , of which stone figures were walled up around the year 1000 in the Protestant church in Riesweiler, which are still visible there.
history
The first hermit Gerhard settled at Reizenborn in 1718. In 1732 a pilgrimage chapel was consecrated on Pentecost Tuesday. Since August 14, 1732, the resident hermit Bernhard Fritz received permission to hold church services and to lead pilgrimage processions there on Pentecost Tuesday and on the Sunday after the Assumption of Mary. The hermits were the bearers of the pilgrimages. The first procession was held a year after the chapel was inaugurated. The first wedding ceremony took place on April 26, 1736 at Reizenborn. In 1744 the Whitsun procession had a new visitor record, the hermit Anton Bambach needed 10 guilders to maintain the chapel. Pastors from the region visited the chapel again and again. In 1775 a new, large church was built next to the small Hermitage. Due to the armed conflict against the French in 1796, the Hermitage could no longer be inhabited. Abandoned in 1796, the Hermitage was forgotten.
Reconstruction from 1980
At the beginning of August 1983, the local community of Riesweiler began search excavations to find the foundations of the church and the Hermitage. The excavations were carried out between April 1985 and 1986. The foundations of the Hermitage, which are 7.65 meters by 5.65 meters, were exposed first. A few meters away, the ground exposed the foundations of the church, which was built in 1775. They were bigger than expected. The church was 35.90 meters long and 9.10 meters wide. The sanctuary and the sacristy were 8.80 meters by 9.10 meters. From the chancel a step or two led down to the nave of the church. The foundations were 80 centimeters wide. The trees in the foundations were removed and the foundations consolidated and raised. This means that the entire system is clearly visible. In addition, a four-meter-high and three-meter-wide wooden cross with a Christ body was placed in the former chancel. On July 7, 1987, the old pilgrimage site was rededicated.
After 1990
On the night of January 31st to February 1st, 1990 hurricane Wiebke uprooted a large part of the spruce stands in the immediate vicinity of the Räzebore . All uprooted trees fell to the foundation walls, but the cross in the former chancel remained intact.
Since June 24, 1997, the chapel has been rebuilt on the old foundations by volunteers. The former source has also been redrafted. At the beginning of June 1998 the newly built Hermitage was equipped with a two meter high wooden cross, a statue of Mary , a Bible and an altar. Two pews with two prayer chairs followed a year later. The Hermitage was inaugurated on June 8, 1998.
On June 24, 2012, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the reconstruction of the foundation walls, there was an open-air ecumenical service with around 300 participants. The anniversary celebration then took place in the fully occupied Soonblickhalle in Riesweiler . The event was organized by the Association for the Promotion of the Räzebore Cultural Monument. The event was sponsored by the Mayor of Riesweiler Thomas Auler .
Others
Today ecumenical services are held here every summer. The measuring cup, silver-gold-plated, which is 23 centimeters high and was in use by the Hermitage, is still in use in Riesweiler today.
society
In 1997 the Association for the Promotion of the Cultural Monument Räzebore eV was founded in Riesweiler. It has set itself the task of preserving the ruins and the rebuilt Hermitage. The association achieves this with donations and membership fees. In addition, the association helps the Protestant and Catholic Church in Riesweiler to carry out ecumenical services.
Individual evidence
literature
- Willi Wagner: Ortschronik Riesweiler . Local community Riesweiler 1990, page 90 ff.
- Anita Kraemer: The Räzebore - past and present, legend and truth of a historical site in the Soonwald . Pandion Verlag, Simmern 2012, ISBN 978-3-86911-048-6 .
Coordinates: 49 ° 56 ′ 39.6 ″ N , 7 ° 35 ′ 13.9 ″ E