St. Ignatius (Landshut)

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Jesuit church St. Ignatius (in the foreground) with the former Jesuit college (right), taken from the Hofberg

The former Jesuit - Abbey Church of St. Ignatius (also Jesuit Church ) is located in the top of the Landshut road train Neustadt . It literally forms the end of the Neustadt to the Hofberg . The former Jesuit college in Landshut is attached to it . The towerless church is a side church of the parish of St. Martin and counts both as a monument of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (number D-2-61-000-392) and as a protected cultural asset according to the Hague Convention . The church patron is St. Ignatius of Loyola (feast day: July 31), founder of the Jesuit order.

history

The Jesuit College in Landshut goes back to a pious foundation of Countess Magdalena von Haunsperg in 1627/28. She bequeathed 56,000 guilders to the Upper German Province of the Jesuit Order with the condition that the funds be used to found a Jesuit college in Bavaria. The decision by Duke Maximilian I fell on Landshut. From 1628 on, several houses at the southern end of Landshut Neustadt were bought up, so that on July 31, 1631, Prince-Bishop Veit Adam von Gepeckh laid the foundation stone for the church. The Jesuit friar Johannes Holl (1595–1648) from the Mark Brandenburg is considered to be the master builder . The Landshut Jesuit Church is his main work.

In addition to the initial difficulties with the foundations, there were reprisals by the Swedes in 1632 and 1634 , so that construction could only progress slowly at first. Only after a grate had been made from alder trunks as a foundation in 1637 , construction work picked up again. In the years 1638-1640 that occurred vaulting of the choir and the establishment of a provisional roof truss . The church was consecrated on November 25, 1640, although the vaulting of the nave continued until the summer of 1641. In the following years the interior work was carried out. The Wessobrunn master Matthias Schmuzer stuccoed the nave and the front side chapels as early as 1640/41 . Some altars, including the high altar , were not purchased until the 1660s. The stucco work in the choir and in the other side chapels also date from this time. A planned tower could no longer be realized due to lack of money, only the foundation walls are relics of this undertaking. In the engraving from 1723 by Michael Wening , a roof turret with a pointed hood can be seen, which no longer exists today. Between 1690 and 1695, an attic storey with a bell cage and clock in the direction of Neustadt was built. When the second floor of the double gallery was moved in in 1697, the building work was finally completed.

The roof structure of the Jesuit church remained a temporary solution for a long time. It was not completed until 1970 through extensive reinforcements. In addition, the outside of the church was renovated in 1968 and the inside in 1977/78 under the direction of the district administrator, Hans Bleibrunner. In the summer of 2007 it was determined that the setting of the church foundation , which had already been established in 2004, had deteriorated further and that its use would therefore not currently be responsible. According to construction experts, the settlement movements resulted from the lowering of the groundwater level in the 20th century as a result of the increasing canalisation of the Isar . As a result, the alder posts, which were used to compact the soil and thus serve as the foundation of the church building, were rotten. A similar problem had already occurred in several historic churches in Landshut, including the St. Martin Basilica. In the spring of 2009, the Archbishop's Ordinariate Munich-Freising approved an investment of over 9 million euros to maintain the building. With the completion of the constructive renovation measures in 2015, the existence of the church was secured. The interior renovation is still ongoing, so the church will not be accessible until further notice (as of August 2016).

architecture

Front side of the Jesuit church with attic storey, taken from the Neustadt
Portal with explosive gable and emblem of the Jesuit order

The Landshut Jesuit Church, whose design is basically reminiscent of the Jesuit Church of St. Michael in Munich , is a wall pillar church with the characteristic side chapels, which is unusually oriented to the west. The stylistic classification must accordingly take place at the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque , possibly as a variety of Mannerism .

The nave of the single-nave hall church comprises four bays and half a yoke backwards, the choir adjoining to the west has three bays and the end of the choir in the form of a semicircular apse . In the exterior, the choir is clearly set apart from the nave by the two-storey sacristy wreath . It is illuminated by three arched windows on each side. The nave has a small oval window in each of the four front bays to illuminate the side chapels and a high arched window above for the gallery .

The exterior is mostly kept very simple; only the north facade facing the Neustadt shows architectural order and decoration. The four and a half nave bays are separated here by flat pilasters that support the cornice that extends around the entire church and correspond to the pillars in the interior. All window openings are roofed alternately with triangular and segmented gables . The two and a half easterly bays are particularly emphasized by an attic floor - the only ones that are directly visible from the Neustadt. The fact that the eastern yoke is only about half as wide as the other two elevated yokes is only noticed at second glance. This becomes particularly clear in the noticeably narrower sound openings and in the fact that instead of the large window areas there are only the small, narrow oval windows of the gallery entrance. The only church portal is in the middle of the three raised yokes, directly below the clock . It is crowned by a blown segment gable, which is adorned with the emblem of the Jesuit order.

Since the pavement in the interior is around 1.5 meters above the ground, the church is entered via a staircase. This is located on the north side in the fourth side chapel, counted from the west. The wide, light church space consisting of nave and choir is spanned by a simple barrel vault with wide belt arches. The side chapels between the pilasters and the oratorios above in the gallery are vaulted with short transverse barrels. The pillars are covered with subtle pilasters; these carry an entablature that stretches below the oratorios and is taken up by the gallery parapet. The slightly retracted choir is only slightly narrower than the nave without side chapels. The semicircle of the apse is separated from the massive high altar structure, which takes up the entire width of the chancel. A double gallery has been drawn in in the rear half yoke. The oratorios are located at the level of the upper of the two galleries, which also carries the organ .

Dimensions

The interior of the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius has approximately the following dimensions:

  • Inner length: 56.10 meters
    • of which longhouse: 33.80 meters
    • of which choir: 22.30 meters
  • Inner width of the nave: 23.50 meters
    • without side chapels: 15.10 meters
  • Internal width of the choir: 12.55 meters

Furnishing

Piece

The stuccoing of the nave and the front side chapels was carried out in 1640 and 1641 by Matthias Schmuzer from Wessobrunn. The work in the choir and in the other side chapels was not made until 1662 by an unknown master. This is due to subtle stylistic differences, which however do not disturb the uniform overall impression of the interior. The wide belt arches in the nave vault are alternately set with rectangular fields and rosettes . In between, square and round fields can be seen, which are connected by ribbons with angel heads . Between the oratorios, the pillars have flat, framed niches crowned by triangular gables. A stuccoed mussel shell forms the background . The niches contain wooden figures from various founders of the order . The visible side of the choir arch is particularly richly decorated. Here you can see ovals , all of which are adorned with angel heads. At the apex of the choir arch is a cartouche with the Christ monogram IHS - a Jesuit symbol , as can also be seen on the portal, the high altar and the pulpit .

A Marian monogram is stuccoed on the back of the choir arch , which of course corresponds to the Christ monogram on the front. The stucco work in the choir vault is basically the same as the one in the nave vault, but they appear denser, richer in form and more plastic . Again the vault is divided by wide belt arches, between which there is a division into elongated and square fields with rosettes. The use of light colors (pink, light blue, yellow) on the walls and vaults in connection with the good illumination creates a church interior that appears bright and friendly.

High altar

The high altar from 1663 is already very baroque in the sense of the Jesuit style and therefore allows a comparison with its counterpart in Freising Cathedral . It was created thanks to a generous grant from the Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Maria . The structure consists of two triple groups of columns, which rise above projecting consoles from a high base and carry a triangular gable top. The pillars in the middle are twisted and decorated with grapevines . In the essay are two putti that carry a cartouche with the inscription Jesu Propitio (Latin: "with Jesus' grace"). Above it can be seen the already mentioned Christ monogram. The monumental altarpiece was designed in 1662 by the painter Johann Christoph Storer from Constance . The founder is the elector's widow Maria Anna , which can be recognized by the Bavarian-Austrian alliance coat of arms and the letters MAEBNAA at the bottom of the picture. The painting shows a representation of St. Ignatius as the Savior appears to him on the way to Rome . In front of the high altar is a separate unit consisting of a cafeteria and tabernacle , which is dated to 1665. This takes over the actual liturgical functions of the high altar.

Side altars

The seven side altars are located on the visible sides of the chapels between the wall niches. The direction in which they are set up emphasizes the line of sight to the high altar, which is clearly emphasized by the architecture. The side altars are to be viewed in pairs in terms of their artistic design and structure - here from west to east. The two front altars are the cross altar (left) and the St. Mary's altar (right), the structure of which still clearly bears the handwriting of the master builder Johannes Holl - they date from around 1642/44. The cafeteria is in each case between two platforms , the visible sides of the founders crest Freiherren of Eisenreich, Seibold village show and Raindorf. On each of these pedestals is a column richly decorated with gilded vines, vines, carnations, figs and pine cones. It is not these pillars, but rather a console that carries the altar structure, which is flanked by two angel figures with hanging legs. The latter come from the sculptor Hans Georg Weißenburger, who had lived in Landshut since 1620. Excerpts can be seen on the left with Moses with the brazen serpent and on the right with the crowned Heart of Mary , both executed as round pictures . The main pictures are each accompanied by two putti heads by the Landshut sculptor Christoph Wolfhart. The large altar leaves from 1640 are the crucifixion of Christ with Mary , Johannes and Magdalena (cross altar) and the Assumption of Mary ( Mary's altar). Both paintings used to be attributed to either the famous Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens or his compatriot Gaspar de Crayer . Today we know that they were painted by Cornelius Schut on a landscape background by Jan Wildens . Both artists are also of Flemish origin and can be assigned to Rubens' environment. On the cafeteria of the cross altar is a picture of St. Ignatius of Loyola in a decorated essay, accompanied by relics of the founder of the order. As a counterpart there is a showcase with a representation of the " Black Madonna " on the Marien Altar .

The following pair of side altars, consisting of the apostle altar (left) and Sebastian altar (right), is only a little younger. The carpentry and sculpting work, dated 1644/45, was mainly carried out by Gregor Nay, a student of the famous Philipp Dirr , who played a key role in the redesign of the Freising Cathedral in the Renaissance style. The cafeteria is in turn set between two platforms that are decorated with plant and fruit ornaments. On these there are carved figures of saints. On the altar of the apostles you can see St. Francis Xavier , co-founder of the Jesuit order, and Francis of Borgia , the third superior general of the Society of Jesus. The Sebastian altar shows figures of St. Ignatius of Antioch , a student of the apostles Peter and John, as well as the martyr Eustachius . The altarpiece supported by a console rests on two rear pillars. The top picture is in turn accompanied by two angel figures sitting on richly decorated volutes . Another putti head forms the upper end. The altar leaves are each in a richly ornamented frame, which is formed by two twisted quarter columns and an arch. They show the farewell of the apostles (left) and St. Sebastian , for whom St. Irene of Rome tends the wounds. Both paintings are by the painter Joachim von Sandrart , who painted them in Amsterdam in 1644 . A self-portrait of the artist is assumed in the depiction of Saint Sebastian .

The Xaverius altar (left) and the Antonius altar (right) follow in the next side chapel , which were built in 1765, i.e. in the late Rococo , and replaced their predecessors from 1642. The altar sheet of the Xaverius altar dates back to 1666. Like the high altar painting, it was created by Christoph Storer. The main picture of the Aloisius altar was made in 1636; so it is the oldest work of art in the church. At that time it was left to the Jesuit order by Wolfgang von Asch, canon of St. Martin. He had brought the picture with him from Rome . In order to be able to integrate it sensibly into the altar, it was enlarged by the Landshut painter Österl. The upper pictures come from a Munich artist named Hoffmann. The seventh side altar, the Joseph altar , is located in the fourth south chapel. Its counterpart on the north side does not contain an altar, as the church portal is located here. The altar, erected in 1666, has a round arch and two richly decorated winding columns. The altarpiece, also designed by Christoph Storer, shows Saint Joseph with the baby Jesus and the Mother of God . In the cafeteria there is a small oil painting showing Mary with the child .

pulpit

The pulpit is a work by Régence from 1731. The polygonal body, which appears to be supported by an angel figure, is divided by curved corner struts and shows various symbols in the fields in between. On the back wall, a dove of the Holy Spirit is shown in relief in a halo. On the sound cover you can see three more angel figures and the already mentioned Jesus Propitio cartouche. In another cartridge on the pulpit is written: CorDa DeVota strVXerVnt DICarVnt (Latin: "They built and donated pious hearts"). The capital letters show the year of construction as a chronogram .

characters

Opposite the pulpit is a larger than life figure of Johannes Nepomuk , which was probably erected at the same time as the pulpit. It stands on a pointed console in front of a back wall with a halo . Latin inscriptions praise the sitter as a "very famous saint" and also as a "defender of the good reputation" of innocent people because of his function as bridge saint.

In the already mentioned niches between the galleries stand white painted wooden figures. These represent the following founders of the order: Augustine of Hippo ( Augustinian Order ) and Benedict of Nursia ( Benedictine ) on both sides of the choir arch, Bruno of Cologne ( Carthusian ) and Bernhard von Clairvaux (not a founder of the order, but an important personality of the Cistercians ) between the first and second chapel from the east, Norbert von Xanten ( Premonstratensian ) and Dominikus ( Dominican ) between the second and third chapels from the east, and Franz von Assisi ( Franciscan order ) and Franz von Paola ( Paulaner ) between the third and fourth chapels from East. The majority of these figures can be attributed to the local sculptor Gregor Nay. The figures of Benedikt, Dominikus and Franz von Paola come from a Landshut who is not named, possibly from Hans Georg Weißenburger. Some of the figures can be dated to 1643 with certainty, while the others are likely to have been made around this time.

Other equipment

The choir stalls are carved from oak and date from around 1640. They are strongly reminiscent of its counterpart in the Munich Jesuit Church. The subdivision into individual seats is done by pilasters, between which there are arched and rectangular fields. Also worth seeing is an approximately 8.50 meter high oak cross with a bronze crucifix , which can be found under the gallery. Until the renovation in 1978 it was centrally located under the choir arch. The bronze work, dated 1643, was probably made by Bernhard Ernst from Munich, whose name is also borne by the bells cast between 1639 and 1643. Nevertheless, it is strongly reminiscent of the crucified Christ in the Regensburg Niedermünster, who was created by Georg Petel in 1631/32 , and of works by Petel's pupil Hans Joachim Krum.

Hanging on the pilasters in the nave Oval Pictures of Jesuit saints in white-golden broader context. These date from around 1700. Other murals in the side chapels contain inscriptions on the deeds and virtues of the order's founder Ignatius von Loyola. The confessionals date from the early 18th century and are richly carved. The organ had to edification one case from the time it was built the church. However, this burned down in 1933 out of carelessness. Possibly the historical case should be restored after photographs .

Holy grave

In the course of renovation work in 1977/78, a holy grave was rediscovered, which had originally been designed for the neighboring St. Martin's Church and was installed in the Jesuit Church after the restoration. This impresses with its splendor and is currently the largest in the German-speaking area. After extensive restoration work, it was shown again for the first time in 2002.

Appreciation

Special features of the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius are the great uniformity of the furnishings and their stylistic correspondence with the structure, both of which are rarely found. This is mainly due to the fact that the builder Johannes Holl accompanied the construction work in its entirety. The appearance of the Jesuit Church shows the art style, which is sometimes called the Jesuit style, i.e. the transition from the Italian Renaissance to the Baroque in an expressive way. As a rare example, its architecture reflects the spiritual and religious era of dawn of the time.

Today's use of the church

The Sunday evening mass of the parish of St. Martin took place regularly in the church . Due to the extensive construction work, however, it has been closed since summer 2007 and the mass initially took place in St. Martin and has now been abandoned due to the previous evening mass in St. Jodok and other churches.

Until the renovation work began in 2007, the sacristy of the Jesuit church was also the seat of the Marian Congregation for Men (MMC) for Landshut and the surrounding area. In addition, the house of God represents the spiritual center for the lay people who live according to the rules of Ignatius of Loyola.

literature

  • Volker Liedke: Monuments in Bavaria - City of Landshut . Schnell & Steiner, Munich 1988. ISBN 3-7954-1002-9 .
  • Erich Stahleder: Jesuit Church St. Ignatius Landshut (= Small Art Guide No. 1200). Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 1999, 3rd edition 1999. ISBN 3-7954-4922-7 .
  • Markus Mitschke: God for the glory - the city for the good. The monasteries of the city of Landshut from the foundation to the secularization (= writings from the museums of the city of Landshut , volume 30). Landshut 2011.

Web links

Commons : Jesuitenkirche (Landshut)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Liedke, p. 199f.
  2. a b Stahleder, pp. 2–6.
  3. ^ Archive University Library Marburg: Building history of the Jesuit Church Landshut . Online at archiv.ub.uni-marburg.de. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  4. Archdiocese of Munich and Freising: Renovation work on St. Ignatius in Landshut ( Memento of the original from December 23, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Online at www.erzbistum-muenchen.de. Retrieved August 22, 2016. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.erzbistum-muenchen.de
  5. Stadtkirche Landshut: Churches . Online at www.stadtkirche-landshut.de. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  6. a b c Stahleder, pp. 6–8.
  7. Stahleder, p. 4 ( floor plan ).
  8. a b Stahleder, p. 8f.
  9. a b c d e f g h i Stahleder, pp. 9–12.
  10. Bernhard Schömann: Landshut has the largest “holy grave” in the German-speaking area (April 15, 2003). Online at www.erzbistum-muenchen.de. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  11. Landshuter Zeitung of August 15, 2014, p. 27: “Unter Sodalen. In firm faith: The Marian Congregation for Men in Landshut and the surrounding area. "

Coordinates: 48 ° 32 '0.2 "  N , 12 ° 9' 12.4"  E