Melkof Manor Church
The Gutskirche Melkof is a listed church building in the Melkof district of the Vellahn municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania . Erected in 1868/70, it is now part of the Mecklenburg parish of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany .
history
As early as 1230 Melkof belonged to the parish of Vellahn and remained so until 1870. Melkof had until then had a small granite chapel without a tower.
After Julius von der Betten's death , his widow Anna Hedwig von der Betten donated a manor church with a crypt annex in memory of her husband in 1868 , which was to be built in the immediate vicinity of the manor house. The well-known Schwerin court building officer Hermann Willebrand took over the planning of the late classical sacred building . With the laying of the foundation stone on June 16, 1868, the extensive construction work began, which ended with the consecration of the church on June 12, 1870, the first Sunday after Pentecost ( Trinity ).
The combination of the Wilhelminian style mansion built in 1888 and the classical plastered building of the Gutskirche from 1870 is very rare in northern Germany. It is worth mentioning, however, that the building of the church was based on the predecessor of today's manor house, which was built in the classical style . Both individual buildings formed a coherent ensemble.
The manor church donated by the von derdecke family is used today as a Protestant village church.
Melkhof / Melkof parish
The Melkhof parish was established in 1870. The new parish now included the Melkof, Jesow and Langenheide estates, which had previously been part of Vellahn. The well-being of the new pastor was also taken care of; the rectory donated by the manor and built in 1870 was handed over to him.
On the day of the inauguration of the church, the theology candidate Robert Stoehr from Peitz was appointed preacher after a solitaire presentation and ordination . Pastor Stoehr stayed in Melkhof until April 1872. Pastor Gustav Postler, a member of the Society for Music Research , held the pastor's office until he, too, was transferred elsewhere in December 1883. It was not until March 1884 that the Güstrow high school teacher Schoop was appointed pastor in Melkhof. In April 1894 Pastor Schoop left the parish of Melkof and was replaced by the Gülz assistant preacher Hoyer. The Melkofer congregation elected him on April 29, 1894 by a majority of votes as the new preacher. Pastor Friedrich Hoyer served in the congregation until October 1, 1910. In the same year the administration of the Melkof parish was transferred to Pastor Karl Timm from Pritzier .
The church
Longhouse
The single-nave church in Melkof is a plastered building , externally built in the late classical style with stylistic elements of historicism . Erected as a manor church with a rectangular nave and a rectangular tower in front of it to the west. The nave is ornately designed with corner pilasters , cornice , frieze elements and profiled window frames, which are based on ancient architectural forms. Here the extensive revival of historicizing elements becomes clear. Also noteworthy are the square plastered surfaces of the basement, which were intended to imitate the presence of ashlar ; the base cornice forms the upper end here. The plastering of the building has been carried out in great detail. The capitals of the corner pilasters are also decorated with ornate rosettes and egg rod ornament. Four high, profiled windows with stilted round arches, on both sides of the long sides of the nave, underline the ornate appearance of the nave. These windows are provided with partly colored glazing and different lead patterns. Below each of these windows there are two small, tall, rectangular windows structured by pilasters. The upper end of the nave is the flat gable roof , which is covered with slate. The gable cross on the top of the east gable is also worth mentioning.
On the east side of the nave there is also a polygonal retracted crypt extension, which can be accessed via the entrances flanking the altar. A small chapel in the neo-Gothic style on the south side is no longer available today.
tower
A church tower has no theological meaning, rather it serves for representation and the fulfillment of functional tasks.
Melkof Church has a tower in front of it to the west, which was extensively renovated in 1999. The projecting cornice delimiting the floors and the frieze elements underline its ornate external appearance. The corner areas of the tower are also provided with square corner pilasters and corner pilasters. The high, arched window on the west side and the bell chamber above with its three sound openings are remarkable . On the third floor, however, there are small arched windows, which are flanked by pilasters and coffered surfaces.
An on-the west side round-arched entrance was a strong cantilevered Hood Mold provided by pilasters and fighters is worn. This passage forms the vestibule, from which the nave opens up.
The three-storey tower closes with a six-sided pyramidal shaped and slate-covered pointed helmet at the top. Tower ball and weathercock form the top here.
Tower clock
Like most church towers, this one also has a clock tower . It is located on the third floor.
The clock with striking mechanism dates from 1870 and was manufactured in the large Berlin watchmaker E. Möllinger. In 2013, the clockwork, which was built in 1870 and no longer functional , was professionally restored thanks to the support of the Church Tower Clocks in Need foundation . In the course of this restoration, the movement received an electrically operated winding. The otherwise necessary weekly manual lift is no longer necessary. The watchmakers also replaced the missing hands, which have since shown the time in all four directions again.
Bells
In the bell house of the tower there are two English cast steel bells (Ø 37 ″ ), which were made in 1869 in the Vickers Ltd. bell foundry in Sheffield . (Naylor, Vickers & Co) were cast. In contrast to the traditional bronze bells, the cast steel bells were cheaper and lighter in weight. It is worth mentioning that a third bell was cast by order of the manors in Sheffield, which was of the same diameter.
The bells have the simple inscription: SHEFFIELD 1869 .
Color design
In the course of the restoration and renovation work, the church and the crypt annex were given a gray-ocher paint, which corresponds to the color scheme of the construction period.
Environment design
The surrounding green area was part of the manor's manicured park . The paths laid out were flanked by rhododendrons and other ornamental trees and led directly to the manorial property. The mighty oak trees framing the church are also remarkable, some of which are listed as natural monuments today.
Interior and design
When looking at the design of the interior, there are fluted pilaster shafts, decorated pilaster capitals and cornices of various shapes as well as frieze elements. The interior design is dominated by the clear geometric forms of classicism. In combination with the furnishing elements of historicism, the result is an ornate but subtle appearance.
The wooden ceiling differs stylistically from the furnishings, it was built in the Tudor Gothic style, which represents the transition from the Gothic style to the Renaissance . The hanging cones on the beam construction, in the form of calyxes, are remarkable.
altar
The altar was built in the neo-baroque style. Two Corinthian columns made of gray stucco marble support the entablature and the blown volute gable . In the center of the gable is the halo , in it the triangle as a sign of the Trinity . The halo is framed or pierced by ornate bands of clouds and waves, which symbolically represent the boundaries of the cosmos. In addition, finely crafted angel figures flank the halo framed by wavy ribbons, they rest on the laterally delimiting volute elements of the entablature.
In the altar sheet there is the pictorial representation of the resurrection of Christ (Mt 28.1), created in 1869 by the Berlin painter Johann Wilhelm Schütze . The depiction shows Christ with a cross staff and victory flag, surrounded by the halo on his head, flanked by the angel of the Lord and the Roman soldiers.
The altar panel is also flanked by figurative representations of Mary and Mary Magdalene , which rest on ornately decorated volute consoles.
A wooden ornate altar screen frames the altar table.
Above the altar, on the east wall behind it, the Christ monogram with the alpha and omega is depicted.
Painting
Radiant white was used for the color design of the decorative elements. The surfaces, however, were covered with a beige shade. In contrast to this are the decorative paintings of the surface areas, which are kept in a reddish-brown color.
Clear geometric shapes also dominate the interior painting. Particularly noteworthy here are the paintings in the surfaces of the inner walls, which are structured by pilasters.
Chairs and interior decoration
The surrounding galleries are made of light wood and covered with high-quality wood imitation. Carrying wooden columns are also crowned by decorated capitals .
Discreetly applied ornamental ribbons decorate the surrounding galleries, here you can find, among other things, the ancient decorative motif of palmette and rosette motifs. On the west gallery , the classical organ front with the organ made by organ builder Carl August Buchholz forms the center. The two chandeliers made of brass are remarkable. Also worth mentioning are the two-armed, four-flame brass candlesticks attached to the cornice of the galleries. Overall, the existing church stalls and the interior furnishings follow the style of late classicism . In connection with the historicizing elements, the result is a coherent appearance.
Wall relief
The two large ornate wall reliefs , flanking the altar on the east wall, are filled with depictions of the Eucharistic gifts and other Christian symbols.
The figurative representation of a lamb in the right relief shows Agnus Dei , the Lamb of God, in the background the upright victory flag, which represents the victory over death. The cup in front of it symbolizes the Holy Mass and the Lord's Supper . In the cross shown there is also the inscription INRI . An open book symbolizes the Annunciation and the New Testament , the surrounding grapevine ornament symbolizes the blood of Christ .
In the left relief there is the symbolism of the ear of corn, which in connection with the grapevine ornament represents the " body and blood of Christ". The harp symbolizes the heavenly music, in the background the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments . Here, too, there is again the symbolism of the open book, the symbol of the Annunciation. The olive branch as a symbol of peace and the rose as a symbol of Mary, the mother of Jesus, protrude from a cornucopia .
Glasswork
Colorful glazing of the windows with different lead patterns round off the harmonious overall picture. Particularly noteworthy here are the vegetable patterns in the blue-colored flat glass parts, the palmette ornaments and calyxes incorporated here are also flanked by scrolling tendril ornaments. In combination with the white and red flat glass parts, the result is an ornate appearance. The natural light entering through these large windows ensures excellent lighting in the interior.
pulpit
The eight-sided pulpit, resting on a profiled base, was made of light wood. In the coffered surfaces of the pulpit there are finely crafted angel heads, which are enclosed by stylized wings. These coffered surfaces are flanked by Corinthian columns. The decorative paintings on the profiled parts of the pulpit are also worth mentioning.
chandelier
The twelve-armed brass chandeliers , of which three were previously available, are remarkable . Today two of the large candlesticks still adorn the interior of the church.
organ
The organ in a classical organ front has 10 stops on two manuals and a pedal and has a mechanical action . It is not known when the instrument was built or when it was installed in the church. The instrument is attributed to the workshop of the Berlin organ builder Carl August Buchholz and his son Carl Friedrich Buchholz . The registers of the two manual works are positioned on the wind chest, behind the pedal wind chest are the two wedge bellows, one on top of the other. However, some of the pipes are missing, they must have fallen victim to the 1917 tin donation . After extensive restoration, which was completed in early December 2018, the organ will be played again.
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Pairing : I / P, II / P
- Secondary register : calcant bell
Baptismal font
The octagonal baptismal font resting on a massive, profiled base is made of gray marble. The form and style elements follow the existing interior design, and historical decor in rosette form adorns the upper profiled side surfaces. Also noteworthy is the pewter bowl insert, the edge of which is decorated with an engraved inscription; “ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. “( Mk . 16, 16). The pewter baptismal bowl and the corresponding baptismal jug were made by CW Kurtz in the pewter foundry in Stuttgart .
Inventory from 1898
The church in Melkof owned sacred equipment : a chalice , a paten , a ciborium and a jug. The Vasa Sacra were all made of silver , designed according to historical models.
In addition to the large baptismal bowl in the font, there were two other smaller baptismal bowls, which were also made by CW Kurtz in the Stuttgart tin foundry.
Burial chapel
On the east side is the recessed polygonal grave chapel , which, like the church building, is dominated by clear lines and geometric shapes.
The front entrance portal is flanked by pilasters , on which the cantilevered gable rests with its semicircular arched field, which in turn is flanked by bronze angel figures . A cross forms the top here.
The eight arched windows with their beautiful colored glazing and various lead patterns are remarkable. In addition, small, arched openings were made in the basement of the crypt extension.
Also of note are below the eaves introduced blind niches , divided by pilasters and provided with some small rectangular openings.
A slate-covered hip roof forms the upper end of the extension.
The church and crypt annex form a stylistically coherent ensemble.
Today part of the extension is used as a sacristy .
today
After the extensive damage to the roof structure, the exterior plaster, the interior walls and the gallery, extensive restoration work was carried out from 2008 to 2012. Through restoration findings and documentation as well as the wood protection reports, the repair and renovation work could be carried out with the help of funds from the state program for monument preservation and funds from the KIBa Foundation . Inside the church the galleries were infested with dry rot and therefore there was a risk of collapse. After removing the interior plaster of the north, south and west walls of the nave and the lengthy sponge renovation of the masonry in the surrounding gallery area, the plastered areas were renewed, the stucco work was restored and the wooden components were elaborately reconstructed.
The entire renovation, including the work on the church tower, cost around 1 million euros. The first festival service took place on May 26, 2013, in the presence of the Schwerin bishop Andreas von Maltzahn .
timeline
- 1999 - renovation of the west tower.
- 2006 - renovation of the crypt extension.
- 2008 - nave, start of the renovation of the roof and the roof truss.
- 2009 - nave, eaves renewed, roof covered with slate.
- 2013 - Repair of the church tower clock.
Special
Gift of the Melkhof community
In the period from 1882 to 1885, a new church in the neo-Gothic style was built in Vellahn. In 1885 the parish church received new choir windows, which were decorated with colorful glass paintings. These windows also received inscriptions that they as a gift in 1870 ausgepfarrten identify communities Langeheide, Melkhof and Jesow. The choir apex window, which is intended for Melkhof and in which the transfiguration of the Lord is depicted, bears the inscription: “ The mother church of Vellahn, the outgoing community of Melkhof with Langenheide ”. In a quatrefoil medallion there is also the dedication “ Melkhof Psalm 23 ”. The colorful choir windows are attributed to the production of the glass painting business by Heinrich Oidtmann from Linnich .
Literature and Sources
literature
- Friedrich Schlie : The art and history monuments of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin . The district court districts of Hagenow, Wittenburg, Boizenburg, Lübenheen, Dömitz, Grabow, Ludwigslust, Neustadt, Crivitz, Brüel, Warin, Neubukow, Kröpelin and Doberan. III. Tape. Schwerin 1899, p. 151 ( digitized in the Internet Archive [accessed on July 23, 2015]).
- Georg Dehio : Handbook of the German art monuments, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Munich, Berlin 2000, p. 340, ISBN 3-422-03081-6 .
- ZEBI u. START e. V. (Ed.): Village and town churches in the Parchim parish. Edition Temmen, Bremen a. Rostock 2001, p. 66, ISBN 3-86108-753-7 .
- Christiane Schillig: Melkof instead of Kilimanjaro: an estate church in honor of Julius von der Deckens in Vellahn. In: Monuments : Magazine for monument culture in Germany. Volume 22, No. 4, 2012, p. 36 f.
- Hans Maresch: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's palaces, castles & mansions. Husum Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft, Husum 2010, ISBN 978-3-89876-495-7 .
- Thomas Austen: Melkof, Endangered Churches in Mecklenburg 2005. Documentation of the building department and the building officers of the Ev.-Luth. Mecklenburg Regional Church, Schwerin 2005.
- Jens Amelung: Melkof, district Ludwigslust-Parchim, village church. In: KulturERBE in Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania. Volume 8, Schwerin 2014, p. 193.
Printed sources
Unprinted sources
- State Church Archive Schwerin
- Oberkirchenrat Schwerin, Specialia, Department 3: Lan-Ro (03.01.02. LR) 457. - Melkof, sa: Vellahn until 1910, Pritzier from 1910.
- Pritzier parish archives, Pritzier parish, Melkof, file group 07. - Church property, parish and sextonry, file group 01. - Church service and official acts, file group 08. - Buildings and inventory.
- Parish archive Vellahn, file group 02, (05.01.Vellah) 017, contains u. a. Church building in Melkof, duration: 1868–1884.
-
State Main Archive Schwerin
- Holdings: (5.12-3 / 1) No. 9182, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Ministry of the Interior.
- Holdings: (5.12-7 / 1) No. 8086, No. 7696, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Ministry for Education, Art, Spiritual and Medical Matters.
Web links
- State Main Archive Schwerin online search
- Foundation for the Preservation of Church Monuments
- Church archive and library Schwerin
- Dorfkirchen in Not e. V.
Individual evidence
- ↑ MUB I. (1863), p. 362, no. 375, ( digitized version ).
- ^ Mecklenburg - Atlas of Bertram Christian von Hoinckhusen (around 1700). (PDF; 1.1 MB) LAiV, p. 50 f , accessed on September 12, 2016 .
- ↑ a b c Friedrich Schlie : The art and historical monuments of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin . The district court districts of Hagenow, Wittenburg, Boizenburg, Lübenheen, Dömitz, Grabow, Ludwigslust, Neustadt, Crivitz, Brüel, Warin, Neubukow, Kröpelin and Doberan. III. Tape. Schwerin 1899, p. 151 ( digitized in the Internet Archive [accessed on July 23, 2015]).
- ^ Georg Dehio : Handbook of the German Art Monuments, Northeast Germany. Volume II., Verlag Ernst Wasmuth, Berlin 1906 p. 295.
- ↑ Christiane Schillig: Melkof instead of Kilimanjaro : a manor church in honor of Julius von der Deckens in Vellahn. In: Monuments , Volume 22, No. 4, pp. 36–37.
- ^ EKD projects, Melkof Church. Retrieved September 4, 2016 .
- ^ Georg Dehio: Handbook of German Art Monuments. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich / Berlin 2000, p. 340, ISBN 3-422-03081-6 .
- ^ On the occasion of the first anniversary of the death of Julius von der Betten .
- ^ Government gazette for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin . Born in 1870. In the publishing house of the Hofbuchdruckerei of Dr. HW Bärensprung., Schwerin 1870, p. 491 .
- ^ Government gazette for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin . Born in 1872. In the publishing house of the Hofbuchdruckerei of Dr. HW Bärensprung., Schwerin 1872, p. 157, p. 417 .
- ^ Monthly booklets for music history. No. 1, 14th year, Society for Music Research (Ed.), Berlin 1882, list of members, p. 14.
- ^ Government Gazette for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin . Born 1882–1884. In the publishing house of the Hofbuchdruckerei of Dr. HW Bärensprung., Schwerin 1884, p. 46 .
- ^ Government Gazette for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin . Born 1893–1894. Verlag der Bärensprungschen Hofbuchdruckerei, Schwerin 1894, p. 112 .
- ↑ LHAS inventory: (5.12-7 / 1) 8086, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Ministry for Education, Art, Spiritual and Medical Matters: Retirement of the clergy in the parish to: Melkof, duration: 1909–1910.
- ↑ Grand Ducal Statistical Office (ed.): Grossherzoglich Mecklenburg-Schwerin State Calendar 1911 . Verlag der Bärensprungschen Hofbuchdruckerei, Schwerin 1911, p. 291 .
- ↑ Still visible on pictures and postcards around 1900.
- ↑ Joseph Sauer : The symbolism of a church building and its equipment in the conception of the Middle Ages. Hedersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Freiburg im Breisgau 1902, pp. 140–155.
- ↑ Workshop at Zimmerstrasse 88.
- ↑ Dieter Hirschmann: Melkof: church tower clock is ticking again | nnn.de. Retrieved September 24, 2016 .
- ^ "Church clocks in need" campaign. Retrieved September 27, 2016 .
- ^ A b Georg Dawson: Index of Known Naylor Vickers Bells. (XLS; 202 kB) (No longer available online.) June 28, 2016, archived from the original on September 25, 2016 ; accessed on September 25, 2016 (English).
- ^ Georg Dehio: Handbook of German Art Monuments. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , Deutscher Kunstverlag, revision, Munich / Berlin 2000, p. 340.
- ^ Thorsten Meier: Architectural monuments: Melkof nominated as Church of the Year | nnn.de. Retrieved September 25, 2016 .
- ↑ Friedrich Walter: Our regional clergy from 1810 to 1888 . Ed .: Friedrich Walter. Printed by Otto Oscar Finck, Penzlin 1889, p. 181 .
- ↑ inventory Landeskirchliches archive Schwerin: Oberkirchenrat Schwerin, specialia, Division 3: Lan-Ro (03.01.02.LR) 004, - Melkof, sexton and organist, Duration: 1868-1977.
- ↑ Malchow Organ Museum - Melkof Church. Retrieved September 3, 2016 .
- ^ Foundation for Monument Protection, village church in Melkof is reopened. Retrieved September 3, 2016 .
- ↑ The silence ended. In: svz.de. December 7, 2018, accessed December 7, 2018 .
- ↑ inventory Landeskirchliches archive Schwerin: Oberkirchenrat Schwerin, specialia, Division 3: Lan-Ro (03.01.02.LR) 012, - Melkof, vasa sacra, Duration: 1979th
- ↑ a b c Jens Amelung: Melkof, district Ludwigslust-Parchim, village church. 2014, p. 193.
- ^ The village church of Melkof as reflected in its repair and restoration. Retrieved April 13, 2018 .
- ^ Reinhard Kuhl: 19th century glass paintings, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, churches. Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Editions Leipzig, Leipzig 2001, p. 219.
Coordinates: 53 ° 21 '38.2 " N , 11 ° 1' 27.2" E