John's Church (Tartu)
Coordinates: 58 ° 22 ′ 57.4 " N , 26 ° 43 ′ 11.3" E
The St. John's Church in Tartu ( Estonian Tartu Jaani kirik ) is one of the landmarks of the second largest Estonian city of Tartu . It is dedicated to John the Baptist . The church is one of the most remarkable examples of brick Gothic in Northern Europe. The more than 1000 terracotta figures that are still preserved today are unique in European art history .
history
Already in the first half of the 13th century, shortly after the conquest and Christianization of Tartus by the Order of the Sword Brothers , a church was built on the site of today's St. John's Church. It was probably made of wood. The oldest parts of today's church building date from the 14th century. The swampy ground was previously made buildable with wooden beams as a foundation. For the first time the existence of the church (or the parish) in the Hanseatic city is mentioned in the year 1323 . Five years later, the congregation of St. John's Church received its first priest of its own . A mighty west tower has dominated the appearance of the church since the second half of the 14th century.
Most of the church and terracotta figures survived the iconoclasm of the Reformation in 1524/26 without damage. During the Livonian War (1558–1583) the church was badly damaged, but was later rebuilt. In 1671 the spire was covered with sheet metal . The oldest plan of the church cemetery has survived for 1683.
The Great Northern War also left traces of destruction on the Johanniskirche. In 1704 Russian troops occupied the Swedish Tartu. In July 1708 they systematically destroyed the city under the command of General Sheremetev . The upper part of the tower was destroyed, as well as the central nave and the presbytery . The altar and the valuable pulpit were brought to Pskov . Two of the three bells were given to a church in Narva and the third to the Russian church in Tartu. Later attempts to get the booty back failed.
The restoration of the church did not begin until 1737. On May 1, 1739, the helmet could be placed on the tower stump, which was coated with lead two years later. The tower clock was put into operation on January 1st, 1761 . The church was rebuilt as a three-aisled basilica . Since then, its square west tower has been a defining feature again. An elongated, polygonal choir adjoins the nave . The sacristy is located on the north side . The west portal is crowned by an ornamental gable, in whose niches there are numerous terracotta figures.
The church survived the great fire in Tartu in 1775 largely unscathed.
The interior of the church was extensively reconstructed between 1820 and 1830 based on the model of an ancient temple. As a result, the church changed its appearance in the spirit of classicism . In 1836 the Baltic German artist Ludwig von Maydell donated its altar painting to the Johanniskirche. The Riga architect Wilhelm Bockslaff renewed the facade from 1899 to 1904. From 1901 to the end of 1918 Viktor Wittrock was senior pastor of the Johanniskirche.
In 1940 the Second World War began for Estonia . On the night of August 26, 1944, fierce fighting broke out between the Red Army and the German Wehrmacht near Tartu. The Tartu Johanniskirche was set on fire by the bombing and largely destroyed. In 1952 the north wall of the central nave collapsed. During the Soviet occupation of Estonia, St. John's Church was in ruins and served as a warehouse.
Reconstruction work did not begin until 1989. It was largely financed by donations. The North Elbian regional church and Tartus German twin town Lüneburg made a significant financial contribution. In 1997 the Tartu Johannis Congregation of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church was officially re-established.
On June 29, 2005 ( Peter and Paul ) the restored St. John's Church was inaugurated in the presence of the Estonian Lutheran Archbishop Andres Põder , the Estonian President Arnold Rüütel and the German Federal President Horst Köhler .
Terracotta sculptures
The Tartu Johanniskirche is also known for its originally around 2000 terracotta sculptures , half of which are still preserved today. They are located both inside the church and on the outside walls. The figures are unique in Europe in terms of their number, size and artistic design. The oldest are over 700 years old. The original figures are now kept in the neighboring museum, which produces true copies for the church.
tourism
The Tartu Johanniskirche is the north-easternmost point of the European Route of Brick Gothic .
literature
- Kaur Alttoa: The Johanniskirche in Tartu / Dorpat . Tallinn 1994
