Kilian's Church (Osterburken)
The Kilian Church is a Catholic parish in Osterburken in the Neckar-Odenwald district in northern Baden-Württemberg . The church tower goes back to a historical predecessor structure, whereas the church building was rebuilt from 1970 to 1974 in a modern design language made of insulating concrete with striking relief sculptures.
history
A church in Osterburken is mentioned as early as the first mention of Osterburken in the confirmation in 822 of a donation from Karlmann to the diocese of Würzburg in 741/742 . This Martinskirche was already on the place of today's Kilianskirche. Archaeological excavations have shown that there was an even older church at this point within the once important Roman fort. The church, mentioned in 822, had a simple rectangular floor plan with a size of 10 × 6 meters and was replaced in the 12th or 13th century by a larger rectangular hall with a choir square and tower and expanded in 1588.
In 1682 a larger new church with a 17 × 10 meter long nave was consecrated at a historical location . This church received Kilian and Burkard as church patrons. This church was badly damaged by storms in 1694, the damage was not repaired until 1731. As early as 1782 the church was considered too small and ruinous, in 1812 it was dilapidated and in 1815 a new building was planned, the execution of which dragged on until 1845. The church building from 1845 was a simple classical building. The church was accessed through the steeple, with stair towers on the left and right.
In 1960, an expansion of the classicist church was considered, but this was discarded in 1966 in favor of a new building while retaining the historic church tower. The new building is related to the redesign of the entire center of Osterburken. Several desolate residential and agricultural buildings were demolished to make room for the new construction of the church, town hall, commercial buildings and market square. The plans for the new church, drawn up from 1967 to 1969, come from Manfred Schmitt-Fiebig and his employees E. Eisele and A. Hafner from the archbishop's building authority in Heidelberg, the building decorations come from Emil Wachter from Karlsruhe. The building was built from 1970 to 1974 and consecrated on December 1, 1974.
description
The church in the center of Osterburken consists of the free-standing historic church tower in the west and the modern church building to the east. The church interior with outer walls made of insulating concrete is structured polygonally on an almost square base and also has a multi-segmented tent roof covered with Eternit slate. Access to the church is through the main portal in the southwest and the Jonas portal in the southeast.
The choir and altar area is located in the north of the building, the seating faces it from three sides. In the west of the building, at right angles to the altar area, there is a podium for organ and singers, followed by a sacristy wing. The interior of the church is dominated by the board-clad roofing, which runs in several strips towards the altar area, and the pictorial decoration, which is mostly made as a relief sculpture in the exposed concrete of the walls. The picture decoration was created by encasing negative picture forms when casting concrete.
The main portal is crowned by a lamb as judge of the world and is surrounded by the representations of the seven main sins and the seven works of mercy. The Jonas portal shows a large whale and scenes from the Jonas story. The wall of the prophets in the south shows a pre-Christian Mithras relief as well as prophetic heads and pictures from the history of Israel. On the north wall, the Kilianserker shows scenes from the life of the church patron Kilian.
In the right corner on the outside wall of the altar area is the Adam's column , made of concrete, with biblical motifs divided into eleven floors, in front of which are arranged the altar of celebration, ambo, baptismal font and sediles. The little Joseph's house is attached to a steel pillar supporting the roof in the left half of the altar area, and on the far left there is a baroque sacramental altar .
There are numerous other depictions on the inside and outside walls. In the outside area of the church, Adam's grave at the Jonas portal continues the picture decoration . The free-standing concrete block flanking a staircase often points to death with its motifs and reflects different attitudes towards dying.
Jonas Portal
Baroque sacrament altar
Adam's tomb
literature
- Richard Bellm: Osterburken St. Kilian. Schnell & Steiner publishing house, Munich 1975.
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 25 ′ 51.1 ″ N , 9 ° 25 ′ 40.1 ″ E