Niederoderwitz Church
The Niederoderwitz church is one of the two village churches in the municipality of Oderwitz in Saxony. It is the seat of the Evangelical Lutheran parish Oderwitz-Mittelherwigsdorf and was built in the Baroque style at the beginning of the 18th century and is one of the largest churches in Lusatia .
history
Towards the end of the 17th century, the old church in Niederoderwitz became too small for the growing parish. For this reason and because of irreparable damage to the building, the decision was made in 1717 to build a new church right next to the old one. The patronage of this new building took Otto Ludwig von Kanitz , Hanns Adolph von Riedinger and the City Council Zittau .
The foundation stone was laid on April 19, 1719 under the supervision of Pastor Samuel Manitius and the church elders. The church was built under the master builder Georg Förster based on the model of the Hainewald church and completed in 1725. The stone of the nearby Oberoderwitzer Spitzberg served as building material . The building was solemnly consecrated on January 23, 1726. The old church was about 600 years old at that time and was then torn down.
In 1976 the tower of the church was repaired on the occasion of the 250th anniversary. The anniversary celebration for the 275th anniversary of the church was celebrated in 2001 with the performance of the oratorio The Messiah by Georg Friedrich Händel .
Investments
The church is located in the center of Niederoderwitz on a small hill and can therefore be seen from afar. It is surrounded by a cemetery with a funeral hall and several crypts. Special attention is paid to the baroque Göhlschen crypt , which was built in the middle of the 18th century for the family of the wealthier businessman Johann Christoph Göhl and restored in 2003. There are also three memorials to the victims of the two world wars and the Holocaust in the cemetery.
Attached to the cemetery is the parsonage , which was built between 1746 and 1750, and its parish hall is used for the celebration of church services in winter . It also offers living space for pastors and cantors.
building
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The exterior of the church is defined by clear and simple forms. The large area of the gable roof and that of the walls dominate the appearance. The church tower has a square floor plan that grows into an octagon and sweeps over into a baroque dome. This is crowned by two lanterns . The top of the tower is adorned with a golden sphere of the sun, a star above and a crescent moon lying in between. This is probably a sign of the expulsion of the Turks from Europe at the end of the 17th century. The roof of the church was completely renewed in 2011.
In the tower hall there is a double curved staircase that leads to the galleries. The nave is bright, but essentially simply designed. The ornamental painting is kept in ocher and blue, the altar , pulpit and manor's box form the main accents of the decor. The cross vault is supported by mighty, inwardly drawn pillars, between which three wooden galleries run. On a large gallery opposite the altar is the console for the organ, as well as places for the choir and wind instruments. The nave has a length of 33 meters and is 17 meters wide at a height of 14 meters. It offers space for around 2000 people, making the church one of the largest in Lusatia .
Furnishing
altar
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From the base of the altar rise two pillars that support the entablature with the cross and frame the altarpiece . This is a simple wooden relief with a painted background and gilded figures. The picture shows a representation of the Last Supper , which is integrated into the column architecture of the altar. Life-size figures of Moses and John the Baptist flank the altar, which is crowned by a large wooden cross with the inscription JESVS . The cross is framed by a golden halo, the effect of which is enhanced by tinted windows behind the altar.
pulpit
The basket of the octagonal pulpit is at the level of the first galleries and is decorated with gold-plated carvings, this consists of angel heads, ribbons and floral elements. The top of the pulpit depicts a pelican ripping open its chest and feeding its young with its blood. This thematizes the sacrificial death of Christ .
organ
Today's organ dates from 1874 and was built by the Jehmlich organ building workshop , the company of the Saxon court organ builder Carl Eduard Jehmlich , and has since been expanded, overhauled and cleaned several times. It has three manuals and 50 sounding voices , a total of 3387 pipes were installed. The organ is operated via a free-standing, electric console on the edge of the gallery .
Lordship
Under the parapet of the organ gallery is the master's box of the patronage, it extends over the entire width of the nave and has a front with three large windows. The main element of their decoration is the alliance coat of arms and a cartouche with the motto of the house of Kanitz-Kyaw.
Bells
During its construction, the church was equipped with a couple of precious bronze bells, which were re-cast by Friedrich Gruhl in Kleinwelka in 1860 and sounded in an E flat major chord. However, these were lost in the course of the two world wars. Today a simple steel bell made of three bells hangs in the bell house .
Further equipment
The church has a baptismal angel , the design of which harmonizes with the altar figures. Except for two green laurel wreaths on his head and in his hands, it is completely gilded. During a baptism , the baptismal bowl is picked up by the wreath in his hands.
Other valuable pieces are the silver sacrament implements and a gold-plated chalice from 1668.
literature
- Moritz Oskar Sauppe : The Diocese of Zittau . In: New Saxon Church Gallery . Strauch, Leipzig 1904, Sp. 291–308 ( digitized in the SLUB ).
- Cornelius Gurlitt : District administration Zittau (country) . In: Descriptive representation of the older architectural and art monuments of the Kingdom of Saxony . Meinhold, Dresden 1906, p. 127–134 ( digitized in the SLUB ).
Web links
- Church leaders of the Niederoderwitz Church (PDF; 1.9 MB)
- Website of the parishes of Ober- and Niederoderwitz
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 50 ° 57 ′ 5.4 " N , 14 ° 43 ′ 45.9" E