Katharinenkirche (Oppenheim)

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St. Catherine's Church from the western vineyards of
View into the nave
Construction phases of the Katharinenkirche (the late Gothic west choir is missing from the plan): red = late Romanesque west facade; Yellow = high Gothic choir; Green = nave from the 14th century; Blue = additions from the 15th century

The Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim is one of the most important Gothic churches on the Rhine between Strasbourg and Cologne. It was built in sections in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

history

As part of the efforts of the Mainzer archbishop in Oppenheim to gain a foothold, he claimed with the new town, which is already the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mainz belonged, and the patronage right over the newly completed St. Catherine's Church, which has been run by the pastor of St. Sebastian. King Richard of Cornwall separated the two churches in 1258 and laid the diocesan borders of Mainz and Worms right through the city. The Katharinenkirche became Mainz and the parish church of the Mainz new town. The Sebastian Church fell to the diocese of Worms and remained the parish church of the old town of Worms.

In 1317 the Archbishop of Mainz had a pen at the Katharinenkirche, d. H. the facility was assigned to a community of clergymen who had to hold regular services (collegiate foundation). After 1400 the canons added their own choir in the west (consecrated in 1439). The Katharinenkirche had been a Lutheran parish church since 1556 and a Reformed parish church in Oppenheim since 1565. After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 , the church was finally handed over to the Reformed, until it served as a common house of worship for the Union Lutherans and Reformed from 1822 .

Building history

The Katharinenkirche as a ruin (around 1800), drawing by the Speyer painter Johannes Ruland

The first construction of the Katharinenkirche probably began with the town elevation of Oppenheim in 1226, in 1234 an indulgence was granted for the new church, in 1258 the elevation to the parish church. The two late Romanesque west towers of this building have been preserved, which, together with the excavations from 1878–89, open up a gallery basilica. As early as 1262, in the presence of King Richard of Cornwall, the foundation stone for today's new Gothic church is said to have been laid, the construction of the church ("fabrica parrochiae") is first mentioned in 1291. During this time, under the influence of the Strasbourg cathedral, the eastern parts of the church with the choir, diagonal chapels and the transept with its crossing tower were built.

There are different opinions regarding the building ronology of the nave. According to Bernhard Schütz, the north side was built by a Cologne master from 1305, from 1317 (inscription on the buttress) the south side was started in richer, also Cologne-based forms, by 1340 the north aisle was added. According to more recent considerations, the latter already belongs to the first nave phase, which was clearly influenced by Strasbourg. With the construction of the southern façade, the influence of the Freiburg Minster became noticeable from 1317, and the Cologne influence only came to the fore with the construction of the upper storey.

From around 1400 the late Gothic west choir was rebuilt, for whose portal the Frankfurt city architect Madern Gerthener was hired in 1414 , and the choir was consecrated in 1439. The rich (1934-37 reconstructed) vault, the original shape of which is handed down in a medieval architectural drawing, was only moved in later, presumably by the Strasbourg cathedral builder Jodok Dotzinger , who came from Worms . In 1689 the building fell victim to the destruction by the French . The roofs were destroyed and almost all the windows, and almost all the vaults collapsed.

reconstruction

Head of Theodor Heuss, in the middle in a circlet on the south side. Below sheet mask archivolt zone

The townspeople were unable to rebuild the church. One tried to repair and to preserve the remaining building fabric. Among other things, the main tower was provided with a baroque hood at that time . In the years 1834 to 1845, the first extensive renovation took place under the district architect Ignaz Opfermann .

In 1873 the notary Lippold suggested the formation of a building association that was preparing a restoration. The population raised the necessary funds and in 1889 the church was finished. This second renovation, which began in 1879, was carried out by the Viennese cathedral builder Friedrich von Schmidt and his son Heinrich von Schmidt . Alexander Linnemann from Frankfurt created four glass windows .

The re-vaulting of the west choir could not be completed until 1937 under Paul Meißner . The glass painting conceived Otto Linnemann from Frankfurt, u. a. also the west rose window. The Linnemann archive keeps extensive documents on this. In 1959 extensive renovation work was carried out again. The head sculpture received a clerestory - Wimpergs the south side, which are renewed, had to the features of the German President Theodor Heuss . In 1965 the north front of the church and the gallery of the crossing tower were renovated.

The Oppenheimer Rose

South facade of the Katharinenkirche with rose window

The Katharinenkirche is mainly famous for its windows. The most important are the two windows in the south facade, the lily window, which was re-glazed in 1937, and the so-called Oppenheimer Rose , whose glass panes from the 14th century (1332/1333) have largely been preserved in their original form. As a floor plan of the Oppenheimer Rose served a wild rose , a sign of God's love for man. The middle of the window is adorned with the imperial eagle, the coat of arms of the city ​​of Oppenheim . The coats of arms of the Oppenheim councilors from 1332/33 are arranged in a circle around the city arms.

The legend of the Oppenheimer Rose

The citizens of Oppenheim had won a well-known master from Mainz as a sculptor for their church. Among many other things, he designed the tracery of a rose window with great care . However, he left the execution of the rose to a journeyman. He was enthusiastic about the matter. While building, he changed his master's design without noticing it and thus created his own work of art. When the master saw the changes, he scolded him: "The whole picture has spoiled your boy's hand." The Oppenheimers thought the fall was an accident. When they saw the journeyman's excellent work, they said, “The apprentice has surpassed his master.” Since then, the master's art declined and after a few years he died of mental derangement.

Furnishing

Baptismal font Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim

Baptismal font

The design for the baptismal font comes from the architect Paul Wallot , who was born in Oppenheim and who built the Reichstag building in Berlin. In the shape of the baptismal font one can recognize echoes of the dome construction of this building at that time. The baptismal font was donated in 1888 by Johann Wilhelm Wallot, Paul Wallot's father.

Funerary monuments

The members of the noble families residing in Oppenheim endeavored to be buried in the Katharinenkirche. Originally there were over 100 grave monuments in the church. Many of them were wiped out when the city was destroyed in 1689. Among the preserved grave monuments, those of the Dalbergs deserve special mention because of their artistic quality . Like many other noble families, they had come to Oppenheim as feudal men of the Elector Palatinate and had one of their burials here. In detail, the epitaphs of:

The epitaph of the imperial officer Conrad von Hanstein († 1553), with his full standing figure, is also of remarkable quality .

In addition to these epitaphs, the church also contained a number of death shields for knights from the von Dalberg family that are now lost until it was destroyed in the Palatinate War of Succession in 1689 :

  • Wolfgang VI. von Dalberg, † 1522
  • Wolfgang VII von Dalberg, † 1527, buried in St. Peter in Herrnsheim (today: Worms )
  • Dieter VI. von Dalberg, † 1530, who was buried in the church of Wallhausen . A double epitaph for him and his wife, Gertrud von Palandt, is on the churchyard wall there.
  • Ludwig I of Dalberg, † 1530
  • Philip IV of Dalberg, † 1533, buried in St. Peter in Herrnsheim (today: Worms )
  • Georg von Dalberg, † 1561

In addition to the above-mentioned epitaphs, there are or were other grave inscriptions in the church for members of the Kämmerer von Worms and von Dalberg families :

  • Johann XIV. Von Dalberg, † 1383
  • Greta von Dalberg, daughter of Johann XIV., † 1383
  • Elisabeth von Winneburg , wife of Johann XI. von Dalberg, † 1397
  • Anna von Dalberg, daughter of Johann XI. von Dalberg, † 1410
  • Ida von Dalberg, daughter of Johann XI. von Dalberg, † 1411
  • Ludwig I of Dalberg, † 1530
  • Philip IV of Dalberg, † 1533, buried in St. Peter in Herrnsheim (today: Worms )
  • Georg von Dalberg, † 1561

Historical sources on the grave inscriptions can be found in Georg Helwich (1610) and Friedrich Peter Wundt (1791).

Organs

West facade with organ

The large organ of the Katharinenkirche was built from 2004 to 2006 by Gerald Woehl (Marburg). The instrument consists partly of historical pipe material from the organ by Eberhard Friedrich Walcker from 1871. So far 17 registers of the Walcker organ could be reused in the new instrument. The installation of two more registers is planned for a later date. The instrument has mechanical key actions and mechanical couplings. The stop action is electric.

I main work C – a 3
1. Principal 16 ′
2. Drone 16 ′ W (v)
3. Principal 8th'
4th Reed flute 8th' W.
5. Flute harmonique 8th'
6th Viol 8th' W.
7th Octave 4 ′
8th. Gemshorn 4 ′ W.
9. Fifth (from no.11) 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ W.
10. Octave 2 ′
11. Cornett IV-VI W.
12. Mixture VI 16 ′
13. Trumpet 8th'
14th Trumpets 4 ′
II Swell C – a 3
15th Covered 16 ′ W.
16. Principal 8th' W.
17th Salicional 8th' W.
18th Unda maris 8th'
19th Double flute 8th'
20th Covered 8th' W.
21st Octave 4 ′ W.
22nd flute 4 ′ W.
23. Nasard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
24. Octave 2 ′ W.
25th third 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
26th Mixture IV-V 2 ′
27. Trumpet 8th' W (v)
28. Clarinet 8th'
Tremulant
III Récit C – a 3
29 Quintaton 16 ′
30th Flûte traversière 8th'
31. Cor de nuit 8th'
32. Viole de Gambe 8th'
33. Voix céleste 8th'
34. Fugara 4 ′ W.
35. Flûte octaviante 4 ′
36. Octavine 2 ′
37. Bombard 16 ′
38. Trumpet harm. 8th'
39. Clairon harm. 4 ′
40. Basson Hautbois 8th'
41. Voix humaine 8th'
Tremulant
Pedal C – f 1
42. Large pedestal 32 ′
43. Grand Bourdon 32 ′
44. Principal (= No. 1) 16 ′
45. double bass 16 ′ W.
46. Violon 16 ′
47. Sub bass 16 ′ W.
48. Covered bass (= No. 15) 16 ′ W.
49. Octavbass 8th'
50. violoncello 8th'
51. Bass flute 8th'
52. flute 4 ′
53. trombone 16 ′ W.
54. Bass trumpet 8th'
55. Bombard 16 ′
56. Trumpets 8th'
57. Clairon 4 ′
W = Walcker register from 1871
W (v) = historical register from Walcker, prepared for later installation

The Katharinenkirche has a second organ, a small positive , which was built in 1981 by the Zimnol company. It has the following disposition:

I Manual
1. Dumped 8th'
2. flute 4 ′
3. Principal 2 ′

The married couple Ralf and Katrin Bibiella are currently active as church musicians .

Pastor

From 1797 to 1807 Karl Mohr was the second pastor at the Katharinenkirche.

literature

  • Hildebrand Gurlitt : The Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim a. Rh. Urban-Verlag, Freiburg i. Br. 1930 (under the title Building History of the Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim a. Rh. Dissertation, University of Frankfurt 1924)
  • Georg Dehio : Handbook of German Art Monuments , Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich 1972, pp. 686–691.
  • Bernhard Schütz : The Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim. de Gruyter, Berlin 1982, ISBN 3-11-008349-3 .
  • Ivo Rauch: Memoria and power. The medieval stained glass of the Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim and its donors. Society for Middle Rhine Church History, Mainz 1997, ISBN 3-929135-13-2 .
  • Julian Hanschke : Oppenheim am Rhein. Building history, monuments, urban design (materials on building history, 16). Karlsruhe, 2010. ISBN 978-3-941850-22-4 .
  • Julian Hanschke: The late Gothic vault of the west choir of the Oppenheimer Katharinenkirche. Reconstruction based on a medieval blueprint . In: INSITU. Zeitschrift für Architekturgeschichte 4 (1/2012), pp. 69–76.
  • Carl. JH Villinger: The chamberlain from Worms called von Dalberg and their relationship with Oppenheim . In: 1200 years of Oppenheim am Rhein. City of Oppenheim, Oppenheim 1965, pp. 55–68.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Villinger: Die Kämmerer von Worms , p. 66, gives the year of death as 1383.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Julian Hanschke: Oppenheim on the Rhine. Building history, architectural monuments, cityscape. Karlsruhe 2010, pp. 186–192.
  2. ^ Julian Hanschke: Oppenheim on the Rhine. Building history, architectural monuments, cityscape. Karlsruhe 2010, pp. 192-200.
  3. ^ Bernhard Schütz The Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim. Berlin 1982.
  4. ^ Julian Hanschke: Oppenheim on the Rhine. Building history, architectural monuments, cityscape. Karlsruhe 2010, pp. 201-209.
  5. ↑ Julian Hanschke: The late Gothic vault of the west choir of the Oppenheimer Katharinenkirche. Reconstruction based on a medieval blueprint. In: Insitu, 4 (2012), pp. 69-76.
  6. ↑ PDF document on Katharinenkirche, p. 3
  7. ^ The Katharinenkirche in Oppenheim - regionalgeschichte.net. Retrieved February 12, 2020 .
  8. ^ Villinger: Die Kämmerer von Worms , p. 55.
  9. ^ Johannes Bollinger: 100 families of the eunuches of Worms and the lords of Dalberg . Bollinger, Worms-Herrnsheim 1989. Without ISBN, p. 38.
  10. ^ Villinger: Die Kämmerer von Worms , p. 66f.
  11. ^ Villinger: Die Kämmerer von Worms , p. 66.
  12. ^ Friedrich Peter Wundt: Attempt of a statistical topography of the Churpfälzischen Oberamtes Oppenheim . Schwan & Götz, Mannheim 1791.
  13. ↑ More about the history and disposition of the organ

Web links

Commons : Katharinenkirche  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files


Coordinates: 49 ° 51 ′ 13.9 ″  N , 8 ° 21 ′ 16.5 ″  E