Johanneskirche (Giessen)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johanneskirche from the southeast

The Johanneskirche is the largest Protestant church in Giessen and with a height of 72 meters it has the highest steeple of all Giessen churches. It was built in 1893 in a historicist mix of Gothic and Renaissance . The building is a Hessian cultural monument and shapes the cityscape.

history

View of the 72 meter high church tower
Eastern main portal
Altar area in 2017

Because the city ​​church from 1821 no longer met the requirements of the rapidly growing city population, a church building fund was founded in 1882 and a building commission was founded in 1888 to develop plans for a second Protestant church. A piece of the old moat of the former city fortifications ( south facility ) served as the building site . The repeal of the Eisenach regulation enabled more progressive designs from 1890 onwards. After an architectural competition was announced in 1890 , which was aimed at all German architects, 233 architects requested the documents and 39 designs were received in the following year. The Berlin architect partners Hans Grisebach and August Dinklage , whose design was carried out, and Richard Schultze from Berlin-Friedrichshagen each received 1600 marks as prize money. The Johanneskirche was built from 1891 to 1893 under the construction management of Grisebach, who took changes made by the community into account. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on October 12, 1891, the foundation stone was laid on May 28, 1892 and the inauguration on November 30, 1893 in the presence of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig , head (" summus episcopus ") of the Evangelical Church in Hesse . The namesake was the evangelist Johannes (according to Christian tradition equated with the apostle Johannes ) after the previous evangelical township had been divided into four independent parishes on November 1st, 1892. These four congregations were named after the evangelists and each received a pastor. The St. Matthew and St. Mark congregations were assigned the city church, while the St. Luke and St. John congregations have shared the St. John's Church since it was completed in 1893.

The St. John's Church survived the Second World War largely unscathed, despite the devastating air raid on the night of December 6th, 1944. However, the two roofs of the tower and ship were damaged and repaired in 1949. Emergency glazing replaced the destroyed lead glass windows by Hermann Schaper . Erhardt Klonk redesigned it as part of a comprehensive interior renovation between 1962 and 1965 . The rich figural and ornamental painting on the inner walls and vaulted surfaces, which Hermann Schaper had applied in 1903, was removed. The church got new flooring, new heating and new lighting. The Langsdorf Church took over the old chandeliers. The vestibule under the organ gallery was separated by glass doors with curtains, the ornate upper parts of the cheeks of the stalls were removed and the outer doors were covered with copper. The enlarged chancel was completely redesigned and modernized. During the renovation, the plaster altarpiece, which depicted the Lord's Supper under an arcature with filigree tracery, broke. The renovation costs amounted to 577,515.44 DM (295,277.89 euros), which also included the ancillary rooms and stairwells (but not the architect's fee and the acoustic work). The organ suffered damage due to the windows, which remained unglazed for a long time after the war, and was replaced by a new one in 1967. In 1969/1970 the church tower was repaired, the roof covering in slate was renewed and weathered sandstone elements of the facade were replaced in a simplified form. In 1982 the exterior stairs were renovated.

From 2013 to 2016 an extensive interior renovation was carried out, which included plastering work and a new, lighter paint job, a renewal of the electrical installation, lighting and sound system as well as a new heating system and sanitary facilities. The three large church portals with their skylights were exposed again, the wing doors of which had been clad in copper in the 1960s. The previously separated entrance area was given an open and bright character by a glass wall and light wood paneling. An artist competition was announced for the redesign of the altar area. After the enlargement it protrudes into the church with its semicircular steps. Georg Hüter created a ship-like sculpture from the previous altar. The original painting, which had been thoroughly removed in the 1960s, could not be restored. The two parishes have to raise half a million of the 1.5 million euros in renovation costs, with the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau taking over the majority.

architecture

Ground floor plan

The complex building, which is not oriented exactly to the west, but parallel to the south complex, combines several architectural styles: the Gothic and Renaissance styles are mixed inside and out. Dark lung stone was used for the outer facades , which contrasts with the light sandstone bands and walls . The hall church receives its two-aisled Gothic shape from the large southern aisle under two transverse gables. The main nave with a gable roof has a polygonal end of the choir, behind which a sacristy is built. Between the side aisle with its large gallery and the polygonal Johannessaal (“Konfirmandensaal”) to the south is the side portal in a narrow part of the building, which also serves as a staircase for the galleries and is crowned with a slender pyramid roof. The church tower, which houses the bells, is provided with a south portal and forms the second gallery staircase, is built on the south-east corner to the left of the large entrance portal and closes off the aisle.

The dominant corner tower is built on a square floor plan with a width of 8.50 meters. He is in the three lower floors by bright sandstone cornices divided. The large middle floor has high double acoustic arcades on all sides, while the small upper floor has three small acoustic arcades and a sandstone gallery with openwork parapets on each side. On the middle is an eagle, the evangelist symbol of John, on the left and right mythological beings. Each gallery rests on three consoles made of stylized lion heads. Four triangular gables set in sandstone enclose dials with a diameter of 2.75 meters. Four gargoyles in the shape of winged lions are attached to the corners of the tower shaft , above which four sandstone pinnacles rise. The slim, octagonal pointed helmet is crowned by a gilded tower button, a richly decorated cross and a gilded weathercock.

North side

Bright sandstone bands that include the buttresses divide the building's outer walls horizontally into three zones. Above all, the facades on both sides of the show are decorated with rich figural and ornamental decorations. The three step portals with walls made of light sandstone are particularly elaborate . The core of the doors themselves is made of spruce wood, onto which oak was glued. The decorations, which were roughly chipped off in the 1960s, were reconstructed true to the original in 2015/2016. The vestibule of the main portal in the east has a stepped row on both sides with three free columns that end in capitals with volutes. They carry a richly profiled round arch. In the left arched gusset an angel with a palm of peace emerges, in the right an angel with a cross. Above it are two writing fields with Bible words from Heb 13,8  LUT and 1 Joh 5,4b  LUT under a surrounding, protruding cornice. The fields are delimited on the outside by long canted pilasters and above the arched apex of the portal by a short pilaster, which rest on ornate consoles and merge into crowning turrets. Above the cornice, acanthus tendrils with the central Christ monogram XP convey to the large round window in the manner of a rose window . Above it stands the 2.10 meter high statue of the evangelist / apostle John in the gable triangle. It is made of sandstone under a canopy and is supported by a console with an angel. The gable is crowned by a stone cross, the top of which extends 28.30 meters above the ground. The south portal on the south side of the tower and the side portal to the Johannessaal are architecturally similar, but less decorated. Above the round arch of the side portal to the Johannessaal, the Beatitude of Jesus is depicted: Jesus teaches and blesses a child in a medallion surrounded by dolphins and angel heads. Underneath, two angels hold the banner with the corresponding Bible word from Lk 11,28  LUT .

The interior is lit on the long sides by two and on the western choir wall by a large arched window, which is divided into four small arched windows in the lower part and one large circular window in the upper part. In addition, there are two small arched windows on the south side, a tall, narrow, coupled arched window on the east side of the north wall by the organ loft and a large, Gothic-style circular window above the east portal. All windows are provided with light sandstone walls and colored lead glass windows.

The interior of the main aisles, aisles and the choir are closed by a ribbed vault that ends in ornate keystones and rests on wall brackets . The stone gallery over two large basket arches takes up elements of the Renaissance. It is bound in by a mighty round pillar that merges into a capital decorated with volutes and acanthus tendrils , which accommodates the vaulted ribs coming from the center of the ceiling . The organ gallery in the west also has a large basket arch. On the outside on the long sides, the thrust of the vaults is absorbed by multi-stepped buttresses .

Furnishing

Altar from 2016 with bronze cross
View of the galleries (2014)

The interior is simply designed. Most of the furnishings go back to the renovation in 2015/2016, when the altar area in particular was extensively redesigned. The cream-colored interior walls are based on the basic tone of the original frame and give the room a warm note.

The large altar table made of light shell limestone , which Georg Hüter gave a ship-like shape, weighs almost four tons. The long block, curved inwards at the top, integrates a baptismal font on the right side, which is closed with a bronze plate. In this way the two sacraments, baptism and communion, are closely linked. Not exactly in the middle of the altar, but slightly offset to the left, rises a slender altar cross about 5.5 meters high and 4.50 meters wide, which Guardian cast from bronze. It consists of individual polished rods that have been assembled together and taper slightly towards the top. Hüter also made the pulpit and lectern out of bronze. The lectern-shaped pulpit is set up on a rectangular plan so that the top is facing the community. In a simple frame, square bars hold a straight wooden plate and a sloping wooden plate above.

Opposite the nave, the choir has been raised by two steps and, since the renovation in 2015/2016, has arched into the community area in order to express the close connection between the two areas. Since the 1960s, natural stone slabs made of shell limestone have replaced the old terrazzo floor and modern light fittings have replaced the previous brass chandeliers. The stone slabs were revised and supplemented in 2015/2016. The church stalls in the nave are made of light-colored, stained oak. The old church stalls were installed on the gallery. The balustrades of the galleries are secured with copper railings.

Stained glass window

Leaded glass window above the altar

The eight lead glass windows created by Erhardt Klonk between 1962 and 1965 have a lasting impact on the interior. Scenes from the Revelation of John are shown . In the large round window above the organ, a judgment angel is shown according to Rev 7,2-3  LUT , who banishes the evil forces with the sign of the cross and in this way prepares the way for the coming salvation. The right window on the north wall shows God the Father in his radiant majesty (according to Rev 4,2-11  LUT ), who is worshiped by the entire animal world and the 24 elders who represent the redeemed church. On the left window the heavenly Jerusalem from Rev 21,10-16  LUT is measured by angels. Twelve angels surround Christ, the Lamb of God. The window above the altar shows Christ triumphant over the rainbow, which is flanked by two trumpet-blowing angels. The prophets Micha and Haggai shown in the lower fields as well as the evangelists Matthew and John stand as witnesses for this event. On the right window under the south pore, according to Rev 22.1-2  LUT, the throne of God can be seen as the source of life with the symbols of the Trinity , on the left the vision of Christ from Rev 1.9-20  LUT , from his mouth a sword emerges. He is surrounded by seven candlesticks and holds seven stars in his hand, which stand for Christianity. In the right window above the gallery Christ appears as a lamb with the symbols for the Lord's Supper, while the martyrs hope for their redemption ( Rev 7 : 9-17  LUT ), in the left he appears as a victorious ruler on the white horse (according to Rev 19 , 11-21  LUT ).

Organs

JS Bach: Prelude in C minor BWV 549 on the Förster & Nicolaus organ from 1968
Organ console

The church received an organ from EF Walcker & Cie in 1893 . from Ludwigsburg . The instrument Opus 650 had 38 registers , which were divided into three manuals and pedal . In 1939 the Lich company Förster & Nicolaus made a change to the disposition in line with the organ movement .

The missing work was replaced in 1968 by a new building by Förster & Nicolaus, which has 43 registers and is the largest organ in the city. Walter Supper designed the case together with Werner W. Neumann, Gottlob Ritter the disposition. The three-manual organ on the east gallery is particularly suitable for the presentation of music from the Baroque period, but is also open to romantic or contemporary organ music. The modern designed prospect is divided into five different polygons , which do not obstruct the view of the large eastern round window. According to the work principle , the different housing parts are assigned to a work: in the middle the small positive, to the right the main work, left the swell work with Plexiglas blinds and on the outside the two housings for the pedal work. The disposition is:

I positive C-g 3
Dumped 08th'
Principal 04 ′
Reed flute 04 ′
octave 02 ′
Fifth 01 1 ⁄ 3  ′
third 04 ⁄ 5 ′
Zimbel III 0 01'
Dulcian 08th'
shawm 04 ′
Tremulant
II Hauptwerk C – g 3
Quintad 16 ′
Principal 08th'
Gemshorn 08th'
octave 04 ′
flute 04 ′
Fifth 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
octave 02 ′
Hörnle (rep.)
Mixture III-IV 0 02 ′
Trumpet 08th'
III Swell C – g 3
Wooden principal 08th'
Willow pipe 08th'
octave 04 ′
Transverse flute 04 ′
Nazard 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Hollow flute 02 ′
third 01 3 ⁄ 5  ′
Sifflet 01'
Scharff II 02 ′
Rankett 16 ′
Trumpet harmonique 0 08th'
oboe 08th'
Tremulant
Pedal C – f 1
Principal 16 ′
Sub-bass 16 ′
octave 08th'
Pommer 08th'
octave 04 ′
Pipe whistle 04 ′
Night horn 02 ′
Sesquialter II0
Rauschpfeife III 0 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
trombone 16 ′
Trumpet 08th'
cornet 02 ′
Tremulant
  • Pairing :
    • Normal coupling: II / I, III / I, III / II, I / P, II / P, III / P
    • Sub-octave coupling: III / II
  • Playing aids : 3 free combinations, pleno, reeds off, reed individual storage, principal choir I, II, III,

The parish also owns a small, portable organ positive from the Streichert company in Göttingen, which has two registers (Gedackt 8 ′ made of wood, Principal 2 ′ made of metal). It is used as a continuo instrument at church concerts.

Bells

The little bell from 1927

The Johanneskirche has a five-bell bell. The first bells of the Johanneskirche have not been preserved. The small bell had to be delivered to the armaments industry during World War I and was replaced in 1927. The two big bells were melted down in 1943. After the Second World War, the Johanneskirche received the "Mathilde" bell, which was cast in 1853 for the town church from a bell from 1473 and was not hung there again after the World War. Two additional new bells were purchased in 1947 and 1956. When new steel bells were installed in the city church tower, the Johanneskirche received another bronze bell from there in 1955, dating from 1927.

No.
 		 year
 		 Foundry, casting location
 		 Diameter
(mm)		 Mass
(kg)		 Strike tone
( HT )		 inscription
 
1 1853 Philipp Rincker , Sinn 1660 3,000 a 0 " Unity and Perseverance
1853 "
2 1947 Rincker brothers, Sinn 1470 2,100 c 1 " Jesus Christ yesterday and today and the same forever "
3 1956 Rincker brothers, Sinn 1290 1,800 d 1 " Veni creator spiritus "
4th 1927 Friedrich Wilhelm Rincker, Sinn 1200 1,400 e 1 " 1917
During the war I was once melted down - to defend the German land, in peace I get up to live, God wants to give us his peace - 1927 "
5 1927 Friedrich Wilhelm Rincker, Sinn 1015 600 g 1 " 1917
In hard times my mouth became mute, now I am once again making all things known to all sides, everything lasts its time, God's love forever "

Parish

Lukaskirche in Gießener Löberstraße

Since its completion in 1893, the Johanneskirche has been used by two parishes, namely in addition to the Johannes parish also by the evangelical Lukas parish . This has to do with the division of one Protestant congregation into four independent congregations in 1892/93, to which two churches were available at that time. In 1951, a Free Lukas Congregation split off from the Lukas Congregation, which has had its own church building in Löberstrasse since 1953. After the reunification of both Lukas communities in 1979, the joint use of the Johanneskirche was retained. Both congregations own the church and bear half of the cost.

The Johanneskirche offers space for around 750 visitors. The church work of the Johannesgemeinde is integrated into the local Evangelical Alliance in Gießen in many ways , but also supports missionaries overseas. The Johanneskirche is characterized by a rich musical offer, which is supported by a sponsorship group. In addition to the choir and the chamber orchestra, there is a gospel choir, wind group and children's choirs. Concerts have been held regularly in St. John's Church since 1960. After Gottlob Ritter, who was cantor from 1960 to 1998, Christoph Koerber took over the position of full-time church musician in 1998.

The Johannes church has about 1400 and the Luke church about 3000 members. The two parishes belong, along with 27 other parishes in and around Gießen, to the Evangelical Dean's Office Gießen , which is part of the Upper Hesse Provost within the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau .

Pastor of the Johannes Congregation

The following pastors have worked in the Johannes Congregation:

  • 1893–1906: Karl Naumann
  • 1907–1939: Otto Ausfeld
  • 1947–1966: Hans Scriba
  • 1967–1976: Wilhelm Veller
  • 1976-2000: Fritz Uhl
  • since 2001 0 : Michael Paul

literature

  • Georg Dehio : Handbook of German art monuments , Hessen I: Administrative districts of Giessen and Kassel. Edited by Folkhard Cremer, Tobias Michael Wolf and others. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich / Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-422-03092-3 , p. 315.
  • State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Hesse (ed.), Karlheinz Lang (edit.): Cultural monuments in Hesse. University town of Giessen. (= Monument topography Federal Republic of Germany ). Verlagsgesellschaft Vieweg & Sohn, Braunschweig / Wiesbaden 1993, ISBN 3-528-06246-0 , p. 94.
  • Evangelische Johannesgemeinde, Evangelische Lukasgemeinde (Ed.): 1893–1993. 100 years of St. John's Church. Festschrift for the 100th anniversary of the Johanneskirche in Giessen. Giessen 1993, DNB 961452331 .
  • Karl Naumann: The Johanneskirche to Giessen. Festschrift to celebrate the inauguration on Thursday, November 30, 1893. Münchow, Gießen 1893 (reprinted in the 1993 Festschrift).
  • Peter Weyrauch : The churches of the old district of Giessen. Mittelhessische Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft, Gießen 1979, DNB 800512863 , p. 56 f.

Web links

Commons : Johanneskirche  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Naumann: The Johanneskirche in Giessen. 1893, p. 72.
  2. ^ State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Hesse (ed.), Lang (edit.): Cultural monuments in Hesse. University town of Giessen. 1993, p. 94.
  3. ↑ a b State Office for Monument Preservation Hessen (ed.): Evangelische Johanneskirche In: DenkXweb, online edition of Kulturdenkmäler in Hessen , seen on 23 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Naumann: The Johanneskirche in Giessen. 1893, p. 12 f.
  5. ^ Weyrauch: The churches of the old district Gießen. 1979, p. 56.
  6. ↑ Naumann: The Johanneskirche in Giessen. 1893, pp. 92, 96.
  7. ↑ giessen-evangelisch.de: Lukasgemeinde , seen September 2, 2013.
  8. ↑ Heinz Jox: The renovation and other building work on the church , p. 3 f (PDF file; 836 kB), viewed December 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ a b Heinz Jox: The renovation and other construction work on the church , p. 4 (PDF file; 836 kB), viewed December 14, 2014.
  10. ↑ Heinz Jox: The renovation and other building measures on the church , p. 6 (PDF file; 836 kB), viewed December 14, 2014.
  11. ^ Weyrauch: The churches of the old district Gießen. 1979, p. 57.
  12. ↑ Congregational Letter , No. 164, September-November 2015 , pp. 8–9 (PDF file; 4.64 MB), accessed on October 20, 2015.
  13. ↑ Brochure renovation Johanneskirche (PDF file; 284 kB), viewed December 14, 2014.
  14. ^ Alb / Schepp: New shine. Johanneskirche is being renovated. In: Gießener Allgemeine Zeitung of March 14, 2015, number 62, p. 25.
  15. ↑ Naumann: The Johanneskirche in Giessen. 1893, p. 86; Weyrauch: The churches of the old district of Gießen. 1979, p. 56 f; Dehio: Handbuch der Deutschen Kunstdenkmäler, Hessen I. 2008, p. 315.
  16. ^ Dehio: Handbuch der Deutschen Kunstdenkmäler, Hessen I. 2008, p. 315.
  17. ↑ Naumann: The Johanneskirche in Giessen. 1893, p. 73.
  18. ↑ Gottfried Cramer: Christology of the Johanneskirche (PDF; 533 kB), viewed December 14, 2014.
  19. ^ Weyrauch: The churches of the old district Gießen. 1979, p. 56 f.
  20. ↑ kirchbautag.de: Georg Hüter. Artist of the month September , accessed February 9, 2017.
  21. ↑ Heinz Jox: The renovation and other building measures on the church , p. 5 (PDF file; 836 kB), viewed March 10, 2016.
  22. ↑ Hans Scriba: Window of the Johanneskirche , seen August 23, 2013.
  23. ^ Franz Bösken , Hermann Fischer : Sources and research on the organ history of the Middle Rhine. Vol. 3: Former province of Upper Hesse (=  contributions to the Middle Rhine music history 29.1 . Part 1 (A – L)). Schott, Mainz 1988, ISBN 3-7957-1330-7 , p. 371 .
  24. ^ Organ of the Johanneskirche Gießen , seen on July 29, 2016.
  25. ↑ Ulrike Fiensch: The Bells (PDF file; 944 kB), viewed December 14, 2014.
  26. ^ Heinrich Bitsch: The Protestants of Giessen. A representation of the events in the Giessen church dispute. Albin Klein, Giessen 1951.
  27. ↑ Ulrike Fiensch, Ursula Koch: Die Lukasgemeinde. In: Evangelische Johannesgemeinde, Evangelische Lukasgemeinde (Ed.): 1893–1993. 100 years of St. John's Church. 1993, pp. 79-103, here: p. 97.
  28. ^ Homepage of the parish , as seen on August 24, 2013.
  29. ↑ Music in the Johanneskirche , seen August 23, 2013.
  30. ↑ Evangelical Dean's Office Gießen , accessed on April 20, 2019.

Coordinates: 50 ° 34 ′ 57.9 "  N , 8 ° 40 ′ 24.9"  E