Jakobikirche (Wilsdruff)
The Jakobikirche in Wilsdruff is one of the oldest village churches in the Saxon region that have been preserved in their original form. It is located on a hill above the city center and, according to latest findings, was built in the middle of the 12th century at the crossroads of important roads as a merchant's church in what was then Wilandesdorf , before the actual city of Wilsdruff was founded. Possibly it originated as a settlement for monks of the Benedictine order. According to Cornelius Gurlitt , it is considered to be one of the largest of its kind in Saxony .
history
Not far from the Jakobikirche, the actual Wilsdruffer town church St. Nikolai was built around 1200 , whereby the Jakobikirche, which is located away from the town center, lost its importance. After the introduction of the Reformation it was rarely used, but remained the burial church of the Lords of Schönberg , who owned the town and the manor for centuries. An epitaph of the knight Hans von Schönberg next to the altar as well as coats of arms and pictures on the lordship gallery remind of this use.
The Romanesque architectural style of the time it was built can still be seen clearly on the building, with thick stone walls and slotted arched windows. The church is laid out as a hall church and consists of a spacious nave, a small choir and the semicircular apse with the altar. In 1591 it received its current roof turret , which had been renewed several times . In 1686 the windows on the south side were enlarged. From the earlier painting there are only remnants today. a. some consecration crosses and image fragments in the choir room have been preserved.
A special feature is the large bell, cast around 1250 and referred to as the Benno bell in reference to the holy bishop Benno von Meißen . Its wall shows figural incised drawings that probably depict a fox preaching to the geese. This parable was intended to prevent “diabolical heresies”, whereby the chiming of the bell should further promote this intention as “warding off evil”. A final interpretation of the picture scenes is still pending. The relationship with Bishop Benno is also not documented.
The ringing consisted of three bronze bells, one from the 13th century and two from the 15th century. The latter two bells were hung around 1985 when the church moved into urban ownership. The oldest bell has been on permanent loan from the Evangelical Lutheran local community since 1591. The following is a data overview:
| No. | Casting date | Caster | diameter | Dimensions | Chime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | around 1280 | Bell founder unknown | 902 mm | 450 kg | a´ |
In 1919, the Jakobikirche was converted into a memorial for those who fell in World War I and a cemetery of honor was created at the same time.
A stone tablet on the east side commemorates these victims:
- “In memory of their unforgotten sons who sacrificed their lives in the World War. No worries - questions - despite pain and hardship. Full of courage, faithful to death without complaint. The parish "
Also from the Second World War coming honorary graves located there.
In 1976 the roof turrets and roof of the Jakobikirche were partially destroyed by a storm. Initial plans then envisaged removing the roof completely and letting the church fall into ruins. Ultimately, however, it was decided to secure the building and use it for the Wilsdruff local history museum in the future , but this was not implemented due to the fall of the Wall . In 1984 the surrounding cemetery was closed and the church was handed over to the city. In this context, the altar, the stalls and the pulpit were expanded.
After 1990 the renovation work could be continued, whereby the financing u. a. by the city of Wilsdruff, the “Leben und Arbeit” foundation and private donors. The church has been consecrated again since June 24, 2005 and is the 30th ecumenical motorway church in Germany. After the completion of the expansion, exhibitions and events will take place here in addition to prayer.
legend
According to a popular legend , the church was originally supposed to be built on the nearby Hühndorfer Höhe . Allegedly a dog with glowing eyes carried the built stones with his mouth to the place of today's church. Finally, Bishop Benno decided to build the church on this site. On the northwest side there is a corner stone that shows a dog, which could have given rise to the legend.
literature
- Lars-Arne Dannenberg , Vincenz Kaiser: Wilsdruff in the High Middle Ages. Considerations for the settlement of the Wilsdruffer Land and the development of the city with special consideration of the Jakobikirche. (= New archive for Saxon history. 80th volume). Verlagdruckerei Schmidt, 2009, ISBN 978-3-87707-769-6 .
- Jakobikirche Wilsdruff - A new motorway church in old walls. (Brochure from the Wilsdruff city administration and the Wilsdruff parish, 2011).
- Rainer Thümmel: Bells in Saxony. Sound between heaven and earth. Edited by the Evangelical Regional Church Office of Saxony . With a foreword by Jochen Bohl and photographs by Klaus-Peter Meißner. Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, Leipzig 2011, ISBN 978-3-374-02871-9 ,
See also
Web links
- 30. Ecumenical Motorway Church, Jakobikirche Wilsdruff
- private website for the Jakobikirche Wilsdruff
- Wilsdruff motorway church
Individual evidence
- ^ Rainer Thümmel: Bells in Saxony; Evangelische Verlagsanstalt Leipzig: ISBN 978-3-374-02871-9 : p. 108ff
- ^ Rainer Thümmel: Bells in Saxony; Evangelische Verlagsanstalt Leipzig: ISBN 978-3-374-02871-9 : p. 109ff
Coordinates: 51 ° 3 ′ 5.9 ″ N , 13 ° 32 ′ 30.2 ″ E