Handewitt Church
The Handewitt Church (also: Handewitter Church ) is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Handewitt . The church building from 1884, with components from an older predecessor, is one of Handewitt's cultural monuments . Parts of the church furnishings and the surrounding cemetery were registered as part of the cultural monument.
history
Previous construction
A church in Handewitt is documented in a register of the churches of Wiesharde from 1240. Possibly it was the oldest church in the Harde. Even then, it was visible from afar on the Langberg, on which its current successor is located. When the local pilgrimage chapel in Klues was abandoned in the 16th century , its stones were used to repair the Handewitter church. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and the following Polish War (1658-1660), the municipality of Handewitt suffered considerably. The interior of the church was badly damaged and could only be restored gradually due to the general poverty. It wasn't until 1738 that it was restored to an adequate condition. Due to the strong population growth in the 18th century, a gallery was built. The altar was built like a hearth with clay made of field stone and had a carved top with several figurative representations since 1699. In the main field the battle of Christ in Gethsemane was depicted, above the Last Judgment and, at the bottom, the Lord's Supper.
In the early morning hours of June 12, 1882, lightning struck the church. The subsequent fire destroyed the church almost completely. Only the large crucifix, the granite baptismal font, the Gothic brass candlesticks and the old church registers could be saved.
New construction
In 1883/84 large parts of the church ruins were demolished. The new church was then built in the neo-Gothic style by the architects Alexander Wilhelm Prale and Nielsen from Flensburg. The old church tower was included in the new building. The new church was built on the foundations of the old one. The proportions of the previous medieval building have been slightly changed, adopted and not adapted to the new era. However, the new church got a wooden ceiling reminiscent of a barrel vault. The design of the altar, pulpit, window and gallery was also entirely in the neo-Gothic style. Another significant change compared to the previous building was the relocation of the entrance. The old church was entered from the side through a small vestibule. The new church, however, got an entrance in the west. It thus complied with the requirements of the Eisenach regulatory framework . On May 14, 1884, the new church was consecrated after two years of construction. Handewitt Church has existed since then as a 37 meter long yellow brick building with a 46 meter high church tower. In 1964 the church was completely renovated. The entrance was moved to the north side of the tower.
Furnishing
From the previous building only the large crucifix, the granite baptismal font, the Gothic brass candlesticks and the old church registers could be saved. The rescued late Gothic altar candlesticks were preserved until 1968. But on the night of July 24th to 25th, 1968, thieves broke into the church and stole the two altar candlesticks, the baptismal bowl and the baptismal jug.
altar
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The altar of the Handewitter church dates from 1884. It is decorated with carvings in the neo-Gothic style. In addition to rich ornamentation and turning work, grain and grapes are depicted on four fields. In the middle of the altar the "Lamb of God" can be seen, which is particularly emphasized by its colored design. Above everything stands a large crucifix that comes from a carving workshop in Oberammergau .
crucifix
The Handewitter Church has two representations of the crucified Christ from different epochs of about the same size. A crucifix from the end of the 19th century, which is integrated into the altar, and another from 1687, which was saved from the fire in the Handewitter church. It has its place in the old order above the choir arch.
Baptismal font
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The Romanesque font from the 12th century comes from the previous church. It is made of granite and decorated with simple arched arcades. The originally associated square base was destroyed in 1883. A graphic of the baptismal font also adorns the current church seal of the Protestant parish Handewitt.
pulpit
The pulpit was made after the fire in the neo-Gothic style and is decorated with wood carvings and turning work. It shows the symbols of the four evangelists and a representation of Jesus. The pulpit rests on four identical pillars.
window
All windows of the church were designed in the neo-Gothic style. In the nave there are simple windows made of colored glass with geometric patterns. The windows of the choir, on the other hand, are lavishly designed with stained glass. Here you can find patterns with the recurring motifs of grain and grapes.
Charles Crodel window
The tower room of the church has been equipped with two windows by Charles Crodel since 1965 . On the south wall of the tower there is a small window on the subject of Adam and Christ. In the former entrance on the west side there is a nine-part window showing the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The following scenes are shown there:
- Bottom row: announcement of the birth, birth in the stable and flight to Egypt
- Middle row: capture; Crucifixion and Entombment.
- Top row: women at the empty tomb, resurrection and Emmaus disciples
The individual images contain many references and allusions to biblical stories and their interpretations, but also playful details. In addition to classic motifs from art history, there are quite unconventional depictions. So Jesus is shown from behind about twice. In the Emmaus scene, bread is dispensed with and a free chair is added for the viewer instead. Adam can be seen under the cross and during the capture the highlighted foot of Judas may remind of the washing of the feet. One of the women at the empty tomb is shown blindfolded, since the artist is probably interested in the "inner vision" of the resurrection. The lovingly designed pictures are certainly among the most important works of glass painting of the German post-war period.
chandelier
The church's three chandeliers date from just before the end of the 19th century.
organ
The previous building only received an organ in 1845. This was destroyed in the fire. Today's organ was made by Marcussen & Søn in Aabenraa. It was inaugurated in 1885. In 1960 it was renovated by the Kemper company in Lübeck by the organ builder Buchholtz from Flensburg. The organ has two manuals and 18 stops .
Handewitter wind choir
On April 6, 1961, the Handewitter Wind Choir was founded by ten parishioners. Emil Wunderlich took over the musical direction. Pastor Johannes Gerber acted as the first chairman. The wind instruments were part of the parish and initially accompanied church services exclusively musically. It was not until 1973 that the trombone choir expanded its repertoire and since then has also played marches and today also plays on important birthdays, at the start of the maypole festival or as an accompaniment to lantern parades .
Individual evidence
- ↑ List of cultural monuments in Schleswig-Holstein (PDF; approx. 685 kB)
- ↑ a b Flensburger Tageblatt : Handewitt wind choir has existed for half a century , from: May 24, 2011; accessed on: February 27, 2018
- ↑ a b Chr. L. Wiegmann: Brief history of the Christian religion and church life in the Danish states, especially in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein . Kiel and Flensburg 1840, page 60
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Kirche Handewitt , accessed on: February 27, 2018
- ↑ Discover Handewitt. Handewitt Church , dated: February 27, 2018
- ^ Architects and artists directly related to Conrad Wilhelm Hase (1818–1902), Prale, Alexander Wilhelm , accessed on: February 27, 2018
Web links
- Homepage of the Ev. - Lutheran Church District Schleswig-Flensburg - Parish Handewitt (information from the Church of Handewitt)
- Church of Handewitt (information from the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Handewitt)
Coordinates: 54 ° 45 ′ 42 ″ N , 9 ° 19 ′ 22 ″ E