Heiligkreuz Church (St. Gallen)

Exterior view from Langgasse, Heiligkreuz pilgrimage church (St. Gallen)

Heiligkreuz pilgrimage church, St. Gallen, Switzerland - interior

The Heiligkreuz Church is a pilgrimage church in the city of St. Gallen . It was created on the site of a wayside cross that became the center of a cross cult.

location

A wayside cross was erected on the Espen on the road to Arbon . The cross stood in the old part of Semmishausen, whose name has been displaced and is now called the Holy Cross because of the church.

history

It is not known when the cross was erected; its origin is estimated to be around 1570. The first traditional answer to prayer is given for the year 1732. A document dated July 10th, 1772 shows that a Himmelberg family on Langgasse in St. Gallen was responsible for maintaining the wayside cross. A votive picture from 1749 shows a Jesus figure on a covered cross in front of a red back wall. In the same year a roof was built on four wooden pillars.

The first chapel was built in 1760 by master builder Sebastian Dürr on behalf of Vicar General Father Iso Walser on the site of the later benefit house. After that the attraction of the cross grew; 49 votive pictures from the years 1760 and 1770 are still available.

Since the former chapel of St. Peter and Paul was dilapidated, the Rotmonten community and Father Iso Walser decided in 1771 to demolish the chapel and replace it with a new Holy Cross Church east of the old Holy Cross Chapel. The church was built by Sebastian Dürr and completed in 1772. The altars were consecrated on February 24, 1775. Both chapels were pulled down during the construction work and usable materials were used in the new church.

It quickly became apparent that the new church was too small. In 1776/77, a chapel was added on both sides under the direction of Ferdinand. The re-consecration was carried out on June 14, 1777. During the renovation in 1879, the stucco , the altars and the choir grille were removed, which was brought to Pfauenmoos Castle. In 1908 another renovation took place. In 1930 she was temporarily to the parish church for the parish Long Lane Rotmonten-Holy Cross, could be related to the Trinity Church the 1950s.

architecture

Today's church is a hall church with an open transept and aligned choir closed on three sides . At the apex of the choir stands the church tower with an onion dome . The west entrance is framed by a portico. The inner roof is a flat plasterboard ceiling from 1960. There are also two statues of St. Anthony and St. Francis from the middle of the 17th century. In the northern chapel there is a Pietà , probably from the 14th century, as well as a selection of votive pictures since 1749.

Lost cult objects

The altars, which were removed in 1879, were placed in the Hard Chapel near Kobelwald in the municipality of Oberriet. The main altar, which was consecrated on July 14, 1777, is now housed in the southern transverse arm. The altar on the Gospel side was housed in the northern transverse arm of the Holy Cross Church. The structure dates from 1774. A statue of the Madonna from the 17th century was initially located in St.Gallen Minster , was moved to the church in Niederbüren in 1755 and then moved to the Church of the Holy Cross. The third altar was built in 1775. Originally a figure of St. John of Nepomuk was housed on the epistle side . This statue was replaced by a Joseph statue by Albert Oesch .

The choir grille was removed in 1879 and is used as a garden gate at Pfauenmoos Castle in Berg SG .

literature

Erwin Poeschel: The City of St. Gallen: Part One , Volume 2 of the series The Art Monuments of the Canton of St. Gallen . Birkhäuser 1957, pp. 187–192
Daniel Studer (Ed.): Art and Culture Guide Canton St. Gallen. Jan Thorbecke Verlag 2005, ISBN 3799501533