Olbersdorf Church
The Ev.-Luth. Olbersdorf Church is the Protestant church in the Olbersdorf community . It is the church of the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Olbersdorf and was built from 1982 to 1983. It was built to replace the old church on Kirchberg in the Niederdorf of Olbersdorf. Today it is a parish center on Butterhübel.
History of the old church
Although Olbersdorf had been one of the largest surrounding villages of Zittau for centuries, it was one of the last villages to become churchly independent. The first attempts were made as early as 1830, but only implemented over 50 years later.
On June 29, 1882, the foundation stone for the first church on Kirchberg and the inauguration of the cemetery began. A good year later, on October 15, 1883, the completed church was consecrated. A neo-Gothic church was built using sandstone and plenty of wood. Over the years the existing cemetery has been expanded twice.
Since 1975 the open-cast lignite mine "Glück auf" in Olbersdorf Niederdorf has been expanded. So many people in Niederdorf were resettled and the church should give way to the opencast mine. On January 15, 1984, the last service took place in the old church in Olbersdorf.
In the weeks that followed, there were work assignments with members of the congregation, mainly material, especially wood, was salvaged from the old church for the new building at Butterhübel in the upper village. In 1984 the old church was blown up.
On the Kirchberg with a panoramic view of the Olbersdorfer See and the north beach, the old tower cross of that church stands today.
History of the new church
The foundation stone was laid on September 14, 1984, and parts of the foundation stone of the old church were also used. The new parish center at the foot of the Butterhübel was inaugurated on September 28, 1986.
So not only parts of the old foundation stone, but also sandstone pillars from the former church were recovered, reconditioned and reused. The sandstone pillars in the entrance area of the new building, like the new wooden ceiling, are reminiscent of the old church. Today's worship room has 100 seats on chairs that have been specially designed and made.
The Olbersdorf church is one of the newest in the Görlitz district.
Furnishing
Altarpiece
The altarpiece of the Olbersdorf church was designed by the artist Michael Vogler. The picture is supposed to show the ups and downs of life as Jesus lived through it and embodies strength and hope for improvement. It is interpreted as follows:
- Main picture: Jesus really existed, also here in Olbersdorf.
- Left picture: concludes sorrow, pain and distress, as the shape of the tree trunk resembles the crucified one.
- Picture below: symbolizes the absolute low point, i.e. the death of Jesus and his entombment. This is what the ball stands for in this picture.
- Right picture: is pervaded by hope, because the tree by the water thrives and bears fruit. This image proclaims the message of the Risen One.
- Above: Depiction of the star constellation at the birth of Jesus. An indication that Jesus of Nazareth actually lived. He gave his message on our way through the Bible.
Bells
The first bell in the old church was made of bronze, the bell was cast in a small wilt and was installed on August 21, 1883. It was a full chime in D flat major. However, the bell had to be returned for war purposes in 1917 during the First World War. In 1919 the Olbersdorf Church got a new bell ringing. It consisted of three steel bells that were cast in the Ullrich brothers' bell foundry in Apolda. The bells have been preserved until today, the weight is 2008 kg, 1382 kg and 703 kg. They were recovered in 1985. The new bell tower that stands next to the church is a ten meter high exposed concrete building. The bells, which previously hung at a height of 25 meters, have now found a new place at a height of eight meters.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.kirche-olbersdorf.de/geschichte/
- ↑ Annual Congregational Letter of the Olbersdorf Church 2011
Coordinates: 50 ° 52 ′ 4.1 ″ N , 14 ° 46 ′ 6 ″ E