Calvary Hill (Bratislava)
The Kalvarienberg in Preßburg was a historical ensemble that was built in 1694 as a memorial to the victory over the Ottoman Empire near Vienna . In the past it served the Catholic population of the city for pilgrimages and for religious building.
introduction
Calvaries [from the Latin calvaria "skull"] are places of worship with several stations that have been built in Catholic areas of Europe since the 14th century - preferably on mountains or mountain hills. The individual stations of the Calvary are usually artistically designed small chapels in which acts of the crucifixion of Christ are often depicted in a dramatic form. On church occasions, these stations were celebrated by pilgrims , often in closed solemn processions , whereby the crucifixion of our Lord was to be commemorated with pious intent. The end of the Kalvarienberg was usually a crucifixion group with a little church. Calvary mountains were also erected in many places in Catholic areas of Old Hungary at that time ( Schemnitz , Kaschau , Eperjes ). One of the most important calvaries was built in Pressburg in 1694.
History of the Kalvarienberg in Pressburg
In July 1683, Kara Mustafa and 200,000 Muslims lay at the gates of Vienna . And Emmerich Thököly, who was supported militarily by the Turks and financially by Louis XIV. Of France, marched with 30,000 men against Pressburg. The hope of the population that Thököly - the Kuruc King - would spare the city was not fulfilled. On July 28, 1683, almost all of the suburbs of Bratislava were in flames. Parts of the old Protestant cemetery, which was then in today's Konventgasse, as well as parts of the nunnery, where the wooden prayer house of the Evangelical Community AB was located, were also on fire. Although it was known that Archduke Charles of Lorraine was hurrying to the city with a strong relief army, the city was handed over to Thököly under the impression of the terrible devastation. However, already on July 29th, the city was recaptured by Archduke Karl and his troops.
In 1694, when the turmoil of war subsided and times became a little quieter, the Jesuit Fathers suggested the construction of a calvary in Pressburg. It was intended to commemorate the victory of the Christian armies over the Ottoman Empire. The initiator of the entire company was the rector of the Pressburg Jesuit College, Father Albert Mechtl (1636–1718). The Jesuit order had already been active in Pressburg since 1622. In 1627, at the suggestion of the Archbishop of Gran, Peter Pázmany, the Jesuit College was built in Kapitelgasse, which became the headquarters of the Jesuits in Pressburg. In the following years the order also gained significant influence in Pressburg and played a decisive role in the re-Catholicization of Pressburg. The first German Evangelical Church (today the Jesuit Church ) on the (later) Franziskanerplatz , which was built by the Lutherans in 1638 , was awarded to the Jesuit Order in the course of the Counter-Reformation and was founded on September 9, 1672 by the then Primate of Hungary and Archbishop of Gran Georg Szelepcsényi newly consecrated.
The foundation of the Calvary
The handwritten annual report of the Jesuit order from 1694 [ Litterae annuae provinciae Austriae Societatis Jesu ], which is in the Austrian National Library , gives exhaustive information about the foundation of the Kalvarienberg in Pressburg . Among other things, we learn the following:
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In Pressburg, not far from the milestone, a lofty and victorious sign of the cross was erected. The initiative goes back to the venerable father [Albert Mechtl], who was rector of the college at this time. (...) Among those whom the priest won for the work was Matthias Schmid, one of the citizens of Pressburg, who took care of the seven wooden buildings [stations or chapels] and had them festively decorated and elegantly painted. It is the same mountain on which Thököly, the main rebel, pitched his camp 11 years ago during the siege of Vienna: this year the important figure of the crucified Savior was erected on this site. The building site for the chapel, for which the foundation stone was laid on May 27th, was also planned on the same spot. A solemn procession from the cathedral church ( St. Martin's Cathedral ) made a pilgrimage with the participation of our youth and the civil congregation under a beautiful flag to the place of the event. (...) Immediately afterwards, 500 Rhenish thalers were taken from the Congregation's treasury , which, in agreement with Catholics and those of different faiths, were used together with another 500 Rhenish thalers to ensure that the building could be completed in the shortest possible time. The hill is bordered by a stone wall. There is access to both chapels in the open area. Both are a fathom deep and wide and two fathoms high, the [more distant] being consecrated to the Mother of God of the dying and the [closer] to the Mother of God, the Mother of God of the dead. In the middle there was a very tall and raised wood [of the cross] with the Savior, which was certainly worth 80 thalers. On the right side of the cross is the Most Holy Virgin and St. Dismas , on the left side St. John . In front of the crucifixion group is the grave of Christ, (...) well protected from unbelievers by iron bars. (...)
On the day of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14th) the whole city came together in a solemn procession. There were also non-Catholics (which is a rare case) and representatives of the urban nobility, which gave the celebrations a special pomp. The inauguration and blessing of the cross was carried out by the parish priest at that time, Canon Korsnarics. (...)
As can be seen from the above contemporary account, Calvary was built in a very short time. From the laying of the foundation stone (May 27, 1694) to the inauguration (September 14, 1694), only three and a half months passed. The property was made available free of charge by the city of Pressburg. In the course of the following years the wooden chapels were replaced by stone structures and more chapels were added.
From the annual report 1696 we learn that in this year the chapel of the Crowning of Thorns and Mockery of the Savior , a year later the chapel Christ Farewell to His Mother was built. In addition, the VI. Chapel of Ecce homo mentioned. From further reports of the Jesuit order we can see that there was brisk construction work on the Calvary in the following years, which lasted until 1702. In 1720 the first renovation work was due. During this time the holy grave and the prison were rethought.
Topography of the Calvary
Between the Tiefen Weg (Tewffn Weg), which has been known since 1493, and the Blumenauer Strasse laid out in 1764, a previously densely wooded 285 m high hill rises, on which the stations of the Kalvarienberg were later built. The beginning of the path to the Kalvarienberg ran west of the toll gate, which was around 1775 at the end of Stephaniestraße (Linea ad montem Calvariae). The location of the Kalvarienberg can also be clearly seen from the city map by Johann Leopold Neyder from 1820. According to old descriptions, the entire area around the Kalvarienberg was planted with vineyards at that time, which were interrupted by small chestnut forests. To the west of the path were the " Count Joan Erdődische Miesen ". The Erdődys were benefactors of the city and also donated large sums for the construction of the Calvary Chapel.
According to the city map by Johann Leopold Neyder, the Calvary began at the lower end of the Tiefen Weg, it was 250 fathoms in length (about 425 m) and wound at an acute angle, partly via a flight of stairs up to the summit. Seven chapels on the actual Calvary are shown in the plan. Originally there were two chapels in front of these chapels (No. I and II), which served as a kind of pious attunement for pilgrims. The end of the way of the cross formed the summit plateau, on which there was a chapel with turrets enclosed by a stone wall, as well as the group of summit crosses.
The Calvary in the 18th century
The year 1723 was a special year for the Pressburg Kalvarienberg. This year the Andreae Spaiser publishing house published the "Devotional Booklet for Pilgrims", which is now a rarity and was printed by the Pressburg printer Johann Paul Royer. It has the somewhat long and curious title: Dreyfacher, Heiliger und Trostreicher Creutz-Weg paved by oral prayer, good thoughts and spiritual singing Auff den next der Königl. Frey- and Haubd-Stadt Pressburg in Hungary, situated Calvari-Berg. All Christ- and Creutz-loving souls are presented to all Christ and Creutz-loving souls for any devotion, with graceful coppers their chapels and stations adorned. (see literature)
The richly illustrated booklet contains numerous prayers, meditations and devotions as well as a detailed report on the origin of the Pressburg Kalvarienberg. The report draws on the records of the Jesuit order, here too the victory of the Christian armies over the Turks in 1683 near Vienna is given as the leitmotif of its establishment. It is particularly mentioned that the crucifixion group was erected at the exact spot where "the Ottoman flag of Islam" once waved. However, this assumption could not be proven historically. Even if the victory over the doors was a very significant event at that time, this victory should not be overestimated in connection with the establishment of the Calvary.
Even today this little book is probably the most important source that gives us exhaustive information about the earlier appearance and the arrangement of the individual stations of the Pressburg Kalvarienberg.
Without a doubt, the Pressburg Kalvarienberg counted, just as z. B. that of Schemnitz or Eperjes to the extraordinarily important architectural ensembles of the baroque . It survived unchanged for 200 years. At that time, one enjoyed a wonderful view of the entire city from the Kalvarienberg, the vegetation that can be found here today did not exist back then.
In 1755 a canonical visitation was carried out on Calvary . On this occasion, numerous renovations were carried out at the various stations. After that there were hardly any renovations or changes, so that this situation practically lasted until the end of the 19th century.
19th century
In 1894 the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Calvary was celebrated. The newspaper Nyugatmagyarországi Híradó ["West Hungarian Gazette"] reports the following in its edition of September 13, 1894: "This month 200 years have passed since the construction of the Calvary [...]." After a historical overview, the newspaper describes the preparations The upcoming celebrations as follows: We owe it to the efforts of Mr. Palugyay that the individual stations (among which the first “In the youth Jesus already loves the cross!” in the city on Stephaniestraße) have been thoroughly restored. The construction of a new serpentine path is also mentioned, which was planned and carried out by the town planning engineer A. Sendlein. At the initiative of the Provost Dankó, two new figures for the top two chapels of the Calvary were acquired from Tyrol . (German translation by the page creator).
As early as September 2, 1894, the same newspaper reported on the program of the upcoming celebrations, which are to extend over eight days. Between September 9 and 16, a number of solemn events (festive worship services, processions, etc.) were planned, which were to take place under the direction of the pastor Ödön Zandt.
Contemporary postcards and the description of the architect Gisela Weyde, who worked in Preßburg in the interwar period, give us information about the appearance of the Kalvarienberg in later times ("The Kalvarienberg. On the 234th anniversary of its foundation" in Grenzbote of May 27, 1928).
The individual stations of the Calvary
I. Christ in his youth
In the past this chapel was located at the end of the city fortifications of the “outer city” in the area of the Märzel toll (later Stephaniestraße) Hotel Dax) integrated. Since 1924 the chapel has been in the rear facade of this building - renamed "Hotel Kriváň" after 1945. When the Hotel Kriváň fell victim to the pickaxes of the communist "urbanists" in the 1970s, this first chapel on Calvary also disappeared forever. In the original chapel there was a statue of the Archangel Michael , who points to Christ as the future savior of the world and the victor over death and the devil. The original inscription read: In youth, JESUS already loves his cross with all his heart and hurts
II. Jesus says goodbye to Mary
This station was originally on the left side of the "Königsweg leading to Moravia" (area of the later Blumenauer Straße), as we can see from a report from 1780. However, when Blumenauer Strasse was straightened and expanded in 1849, this baroque-style chapel had to be demolished and rebuilt elsewhere. In the chapel, the farewell of Jesus from his mother before the beginning of his ordeal was depicted. There were two emotional figures: on the left the weeping Mother of God is held by Jesus with his right hand, the left, however, points in a different direction, on the path that he himself will have to go. The figure of Jesus is one of the few figures on the Calvary that has been preserved as a fragment to this day. It is located (in the restored condition) in the municipal gallery. The original inscription in this chapel read: JESUS and Mary part - show us the way to Leyden
In the canonical visitation in 1755, these first two chapels were referred to as “preparatory stations”, which were supposed to prepare the pious pilgrim internally for the actual ordeal. They were built quite a distance from Calvary and so the believer had time to prepare for the actual pilgrimage through prayers and meditation .
At the beginning of the actual Kalvarienberg, which was partly very steep and therefore also equipped with outside stairs, stood in front of the III. Chapel the statues of St. Joseph and St. Anthony of Padua .
III. Christ on the Mount of Olives
In this chapel the kneeling Christ is represented in prayer to his heavenly Father. In the distance you can see a landscape in which two sleeping apostles can be seen. It is the first of seven chapels related to the actual Passion of Jesus. The original inscription read: JESUS sweats too well - often blood on the Mount of Olives
IV. The hostage of Christ
As can be seen from contemporary photographs and the description by Gisela Weyde, this chapel shows Jesus who is in a room with a barred window and is scourged by two servants. The original inscription read: Because of strangers' sins, God is so burdened with gaißlen
Between the IV and V chapels there used to be the Petrus Chapel , which the Pressburg citizen Johann Georg Lauermann had built as a votive offering in 1713 as a thank you for being spared the plague . (The plague epidemic of 1713 claimed 4,000 lives in Pressburg). According to G. Weyde, this little church should have fitted into the baroque theme of the Kalvarienberg quite well.
V. The Crowning of Thorns
Here Christ is shown with a purple cloak around his shoulders, crowned by two servants with a crown of thorns and mocked by another three servants. The original inscription read: JESUS is put on a crown from thorn as a mockery and mockery
VI. Ecce homo
Christ in the purple cloak, crowned with the crown of thorns, stands in front of Pontius Pilate , behind him two Roman soldiers. To the left of Jesus is Pilate, who is holding a piece of paper with the inscription “Ecce homo” (“What a man!”) In his right hand. The original inscription in this chapel read: See man! O Adam's child, so hath your sin
VII. Christ falls under the cross
This is a station in which two representations are housed. In the first representation, Christ is shown collapsing under the cross and being beaten by a soldier. Behind Jesus stands Simon of Cyrene , who helps him to pick up the cross.
In the second representation, Jesus falls again. Here, however, he meets his mother Mary and St. Veronica , who hands him the handkerchief. With this staging one has probably tried to express a longer time situation. The original inscription read: Jesus pains weak and weak carries his Creutz to schedel-instead
VIII . Christ's undressing
In the center of the scene, Christ stands humbly. With his right hand he holds his dress together, which only covers his loins. Behind the figure of Jesus there was certainly a soldier, in front of an imaginary stony landscape, which stripped him.
IX. crucifixion
In this scene there is a cross on the floor in the middle of the chapel, to which Jesus is nailed by a soldier and a thief.
Not far from this last station was a windowless octagonal building with a tent roof, which was referred to in literature as a prison . Formally, this building was no longer one of the stations of the Calvary, but can be included thematically. In the canonical visitation of 1755, the scene depicted in the chapel is referred to as the mockery of Christ by the Jews .
From here the pious pilgrims reached the summit of the Calvary, the actual goal of their pilgrimage. In the center of the action is the crucifixion group consisting of three crosses (cross with plastic Corpus Christi in the middle, the other two crosses on the left and right side, show the two thieves, but only as figures painted on sheet metal Old Hungary, also often practiced for financial reasons). To the right and left of the cross of Christ stood the statues of the Mother of God and the Evangelist John . As can be seen from old illustrations, the entire area was fenced in with a high wall. Behind the crucifixion group was a simple bell tower on the gable of which the coat of arms of the Jesuit order was attached. Although originally planned, a church was never built on the Calvary plateau. Nothing was known about the reasons that led to this decision. To the right of the staircase that led to the plateau was the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher , in which Holy Masses were often read. We know next to nothing about the detailed appearance of this chapel, as unfortunately there are no images of it.
The 20th century and the end
You could also leave the summit of Kalvarienberg via the Tiefen Weg. In earlier times you passed the Marienkapelle des Tiefen Weg, which was also built as a votive chapel by Johann Georg Lauermann in 1713. At this point, on the initiative of the Prussian pastor Joseph Schneider, in 1824, according to plans by Ignaz Feigler the Elder. Ä. a new naval chapel ( Maria Schnee ) was built. In 1943 this was demolished and already in the times of the Slovak State the large church with a tower , which still stands today and is also dedicated to the Mother of God ( Our Lady of the Snow ), was built (completed and consecrated in 1948). Since the 50 meter high tower of this new church, the dominant feature of the city, could be seen from almost every location in the city, the communist rulers ordered its demolition for ideological reasons at the end of the 1950s (1959). This was to prevent the tower - as a Christian symbol - from competing with the newly erected Victory Memorial at the Soviet soldier's cemetery “ Slavín ”.
The Maria Lourdes Grotto with numerous votive tablets is still located below the church . This grotto was built in an old stone quarry on the initiative and with donations of Catholic women's associations in the city of Pressburg. The workers of the Pressburg Klingerfabrik for processing jute, hemp and linen donated the figure of the Mother of God, which was made by the Pressburg stonemason company Johann Rumpelmayer.
The Hungarian Countess Gabriella Szapáry financially looked after the maintenance of this place and also took care of the later care of the grotto after her death through a generous donation of 2000 guilders. The complex was inaugurated on September 15, 1892 by Bishop Karl Rimely . This grotto is still very popular among the Catholic population of Pressburg today.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Calvary was regularly tended. Gisela Weyde also reported to us in 1928 about the good state of preservation of the individual stations. The situation changed radically after World War II , but especially after the Communists came to power in the 1950s. A systematic destruction of the individual stations and chapels began. The vandalism and destructiveness were limitless and wanted by the communist regime ... it was the time of intolerance, the time of the ideology of a totalitarian communist state system ... In 1956 almost all the chapels were still standing, but most of them were in a ruinous and deplorable state, nobody cared about them. Today the Pressburg Kalvarienberg has disappeared, the dust of a time long lost.
literature
- Triple, holy and comforting Creutz way, paved by oral prayer, good thoughts and spiritual singing to the next royal. Free and main city of Pressburg in Hungary located Calvari-Berg. All Christ- and Creutz-loving souls for any devotion, with graceful coppers their chapels and stations adorned. Depressed bey Joh. Paul Royer, Pressburg 1723.
- Gisela Leweke Weyde: The original state of the Kalvarienberg in Pressburg. In: Forum. Magazine for architecture, fine and applied arts. No. 8, 1938, pp. 186-187.
- István Szilágyi: A Pozsonyi kálvária topográfiája. In: Néprajzi Látóhatár. IX. Vol., No. 3-4, 2000, pp. 275-283. (Hungarian)
- Jozef Haľko: Dejiny Lurdskej jaskyne na Hlbokej ceste v Bratislave, Bratislava 2005, ISBN 80-7114-510-6 (Slovak)
- Anton Klipp: The former Kalvarienberg in Pressburg. In: Karpatenjahrbuch 2012. Vol. 63, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-80-89264-65-0 , pp. 155-164.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Vienna fathom is an old German measure of length; 1 fathom (1 K.) = 6 feet; on average about 1.7 m
- ↑ The individual stations of the Kalvarienberg were temporarily extended to 15. Today these 15 stations are marked with pictures that were nailed to the trees.
- ↑ In the 1840s, the expansion of the railway line (Vienna) - Gänserndorf- Pressburg began in the valley of the foothills of the Gemsenberg and the Kalvarienberg . Due to the complicated tunnel construction and the bridging work of the Weidritzer valley, the work was delayed considerably, so that the first train pulled by a steam locomotive did not arrive in Pressburg until August 20, 1848 (the day of St. Stephen of Hungary ). The track construction also made it necessary to redesign the entire area and thus also the Blumenauer Strasse below the Kalvarienberg.
- ↑ Gabriella Countess Szapáry, b. Atzél de Vörösjenő (* July 23, 1834, † April 26, 1912 in Pressburg) was the wife of Count Béla Szapáry and a benefactress of the city of Pressburg.