Church district Bad Urach-Münsingen

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Basic data
Regional Church : Evangelical Church in Württemberg
Prelature : Reutlingen
Structure: 56 parishes
Parishioners: approx. 58,700 (2015)
Address of the
Dean's Offices :
Gabriel-Biel-Platz 2
72574 Bad Urach
and
Karlstr. 30
72525 Münsingen
Dean: Michael Karwounopoulos (Bad Urach), Norbert Braun (Münsingen)
map
ELW-Kirchen district-BadUrach-Münsingen.png

The Evangelical Church District Bad Urach-Münsingen is one of 44 church districts or church districts of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg . Its area is congruent with the deaneries Bad Urach and Münsingen.

geography

The church district Bad Urach-Münsingen is located in the south of the Württemberg regional church. Its area includes the east of the Reutlingen district and adjacent areas in the west of the Alb-Danube district and in the south of the Esslingen district .

The district includes the area of ​​the political cities and communities Bad Urach , Bempflingen , Dettingen an der Erms , Ehingen (Danube) (Mundingen district only), Engstingen , Gomadingen , Grabenstetten , Hayingen , Heroldstatt , Hohenstein , Hülben , Laichingen (excluding the districts of Machtolsheim and Suppingen), Lauterach , Mehrstetten , Metzingen , Münsingen , Neuffen (only the district of Kappishäuser), Reutlingen (only the districts of Mittelstadt and Reicheneck), Riederich , Römerstein , St. Johann (without the district of Ohnastetten), Schelklingen (without the core town and districts of Hausen ob Urspring and Schmiechen), Trochtelfingen (only district Wilsingen), Westerheim and Zwiefalten .

Neighboring church districts

The church district Bad Urach borders on the following church districts (starting in the northwest): Nürtingen , Kirchheim unter Teck (both prelature Stuttgart ), Geislingen , Blaubeuren and Biberach (all prelature Ulm ) as well as the church district Reutlingen ( prelature Reutlingen ).

history

The area of ​​today's church district Bad Urach-Münsingen belongs largely to the old heartland of Württemberg, which introduced the Reformation from 1534, so that the area is almost entirely evangelical. There is therefore a Protestant parish and mostly an old church in almost every village. In most places Catholics did not move in until after the Second World War.

However, areas in the south of the church district belonged to the Zwiefalten monastery . This area remained Catholic after the Reformation. Most of the Protestant residents moved here only after the Second World War and Protestant parishes were founded.

Today's church district was created on December 1, 2013 from the merger of the two church districts Bad Urach and Münsingen .

Head of the church district

The district synod , the church district committee (KBA) and the managing dean are responsible for managing the church district .

Even in the merged church district there are still two deans, however, according to the will of the church leadership, only one has the church district leadership and therefore bears the title "Managing Dean". For a transitional period after the dean of Bad Urach had retired, management was with the dean in Münsingen. With its retirement on April 1, 2016, the management was permanently transferred to Bad Urach. The two post holders are responsible for different areas of responsibility and share the visitations throughout the church district.

Last dean of the Bad Urach church district

  • 1998–2014: Harald Klingler

Last dean of the Münsingen church district

  • 2008–2014: Michael Scheiberg

Managing Dean of the Bad Urach-Münsingen church district

  • 2014–2016: Michael Scheiberg
  • since 2016: Michael Karwounopoulos

Dean of the Bad Urach-Münsingen church district

  • 2014–2016: Michael Karwounopoulos
  • Since 2017: Norbert Braun

Parishes

Amandus Church Bad Urach
Interior of the Amandus Church Bad Urach

There are a total of 55 parishes in the Bad Urach-Münsingen church district. Of these, 19 parishes have merged to form a total of 9 total parishes, but remain independent corporations under public law.

Parish of Auingen

The parish of Auingen comprises the Auingen district of the city of Münsingen . Auingen was originally a subsidiary of Münsingen. In 1360 a chapel was consecrated to St. Pankratius. It was replaced by a new building around 1600. In 1947 Auingen became its own parish. The nave of the Pankratius Church was rebuilt in 1957 by the architect Klaus Ehrlich (architect) on the tower from 1600. The Stuttgart artist Wolf-Dieter Kohler created the colored glazing in the choir (lamb as a symbol of the sacrificial death of Jesus; Heavenly Jerusalem ) and designed the wrought-iron rosette on the outside above the south main entrance ( Pantocrator with the seven stars), made by the Stuttgart art blacksmith Arno Jordan. The crucifix on the altar cross, which is over four meters high, was carved by the artist Emil Jo Homolka from Königsfeld / Black Forest. The parish also runs two kindergartens.

Parish of Bad Urach and Seeburg

The former parish Bad Urach includes the core town of Bad Urach . It came about through the announcement of the Upper Church Council on December 17, 1965, when the until then sole parish of Urach was divided into the two parishes of Amandus parish Urach and parish of Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Haus and these were merged into the new general parish of Urach. In a letter dated November 24, 1965, the Ministry of Education recognized the entire parish of Urach and its parishes as corporations under public law. With effect from March 14, 1994 it was renamed "Gesamtkirchengemeinde Bad Urach", which then merged with the Seeburg parish on January 1, 2013 to form the Bad Urach and Seeburg Evangelical Church .

The former Amandus parish Bad Urach comprises the old town and the eastern core town of Bad Urach. In the middle of the 12th century, Urach parish of St. Amandus was established and thus separated from Dettingen an der Erms. Württemberg had the right of patronage. The collegiate church St. Amandus is one of the most important late Gothic churches with net and star vaults in Württemberg. It was built from 1475 to 1499 under the Count Eberhard V ("Eberhard in the Beard"), who was born in Urach and resided in Württemberg, initially by foreman Hans Koch. After his death, it was completed from 1481 to 1499 by the stonemason and architect Peter von Koblenz . After the introduction of the Reformation, Urach soon became the seat of a Württemberg dean's office. From 1896 to 1901 the tower of the church was raised. The rich furnishings from the construction period to the 20th century include stone sculptures (pulpit, baptismal font by Christoph von Urach , architectural sculptures) and wood (choir stalls, count's prayer chair, epitaphs), wall and glass painting as well as ironwork (altar grille from 1650, choir grille from 1675). At the end of the 19th century, the collegiate church was extensively restored and partially re-gothic. On the north side of the Amandus Church is the Mönchshof, originally a canon monastery, now called Urach Abbey, the retreat of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg . Of the hospital chapel built in 1515, only the choir has been preserved. As a result of growth, the Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Haus was built in the west of Bad Urach in 1964 as a further preaching station and the independent parish Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Haus was established by the Oberkirchenrat on December 17, 1965. This former parish Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Haus Bad Urach covers the west of the core town of Bad Urach.

Evang. Bad Urach-Seeburg church

The former parish Seeburg comprises the Seeburg district of the city of Bad Urach. As early as the 8th century (770 and 776) two churches were mentioned in Seeburg, one of which was St. Mary's Church, which probably stood on the Kirchberg to the right of the Erms. In 1275 only one parish church of St. Nazarius and Johannes is known. The origins of St. John's Church date back to the 13th century, yet which today the apse , a Romanesque north window in the choir room , the east wall and the tabernacle (the tabernacle) are preserved in the chancel arch. The nave was built in 1720 and the church was renovated in 1871, 1961 (by architect Friedrich Veit) and more recently. During the renovation in 1961, the organ gallery, which had completely obstructed the choir, was removed and a modern altar and baptismal font were created, and the wall and vault paintings were exposed and restored. The Secco painting in the apse dates from around 1280. The frescoes in the choir also date from the 13th and 14th centuries . They represent Christ as the ruler of the world, surrounded by the four evangelist symbols . Another fresco representation can be dated to the year 1370, it shows scenes from the story of John the Baptist. In 1961, the Stuttgart artist Wolf-Dieter Kohler designed the southern choir window with a non-representational glass painting. The former parish of Seeburg also looked after the branch parish of Rietheim until 1957. This was assigned to the parish of Dottingen (at that time in the church district of Ulm) by an announcement of the upper church council of January 7, 1957.

Parish of Bempflingen

The parish of Bempflingen comprises the municipality of Bempflingen (including the district of Kleinbettlingen ), Esslingen district. Along with the Kappis houses, which belongs to the parish of Dettingen an der Erms, it is the only parish of the dean's office in Bad Urach that does not belong to the Reutlingen district. A church or parish came from the Kaib to the Denkendorf monastery in 1379. The church, designated St. Stephen's Church in 1525 , was built at the end of the 13th century to replace an older predecessor building in the late Romanesque style, of which the north wall and the lower part of the tower are still preserved in the current building. The nave was built by Stuttgart structural engineer Christian Friedrich Roth in 1827 as a hall church in the style of the camera office with a pulpit altar wall and a three-sided gallery. Senior building officer Christian Friedrich von Leins raised the tower in the neo-Romanesque style in 1869. Architect Heinz Klatte arranged for an interior renovation in 1954. Two bells from 1468 and 1514 have been preserved. Kleinbettlingen always belonged to Bempflingen in the church, although a chapel is mentioned around 1475, and a Leonhard's chapel in 1526, which was probably lost during the Reformation.

General parish of Bernloch-Meidelstetten

The entire parish of Bernloch-Meidelstetten comprises the districts of Bernloch , Meidelstetten and Oberstetten in the Hohenstein community . It consists of the two following parishes of Bernloch and Meidelstetten.

Bernloch parish

The parish of Bernloch includes the Bernloch part of the Hohenstein community. A chapel in honor of Jesus, Mary, St. George and all the saints was mentioned in the 12th century. It was owned by the Weißenau monastery . In 1460 it was elevated to a parish church. In 1537 Württemberg introduced the Reformation. The old George Chapel was replaced by a new building in the walled cemetery in 1774. The St. George 's Church burned down by lightning 1929th The new church built by the Stuttgart architect Emil Weippert was inaugurated as early as 1930 . The choir windows were designed by Ernst H. Graeser with the themes of the birth, resurrection and baptism of Jesus in a reserved, expressionist style, and the altar cross by the Stuttgart wood sculptor Edelgarde vom Berge and Herrendorff (1904–1982). The Bernloch parish also runs a kindergarten.

Until 1925, the Pfronstetten parish was also looked after by the Bernloch parish. With effect from July 1, 1925 (notice of May 18, 1925) Pfronstetten and Wilsingen were assigned to the parish of Ödenwaldstetten.

Meidelstetten parish

The parish of Meidelstetten comprises the districts of Meidelstetten and Oberstetten of the community of Hohenstein. In terms of church, Meidelstetten was initially a Trochtelfingen branch. After the Reformation, Meidelstetten was assigned to the parish of Bernloch in 1587, to which Meidelstetten still belongs to this day, but the place is a separate parish, which forms a single parish with Bernloch. In 1775/77 Meidelstetten received a small church in the walled cemetery, the St. Otmar Church . Outside, there is a wall mosaic by the artist Wilhelm Pfeiffer (1918-1991; Tübingen-Hirschau), which depicts the resurrection angel at the Christ tomb. The choir window by Adolf Valentin Saile shows in strong colors the risen Christ as Pantocrator with a gesture of blessing in the middle of the gates of the heavenly Jesusalem, including the rivers of living water ( Rev 22  LUT ) with the trees of life.

Oberstetten remained Catholic after the Reformation. Most of the Protestant residents who moved there after the Second World War were assigned to the Meidelstetten parish.

Parish of Bleichstetten

The parish of Bleichstetten includes the district of Bleichstetten in the parish of St. Johann . In terms of the church, Bleichstetten initially belonged to Gächingen, from 1556 to Würtingen, from where it is still looked after today. In the 18th century, a separate church was built in Bleichstetten, but it was demolished in 1951, as the present church with an eastern choir tower was built by 1953 by the Stuttgart architect Heinz Klatte . The baptismal font is a reminder of the altar of the old church: it is carved from its stone. The tufa altar has a panel attachment by the Stuttgart painter Wolf-Dieter Kohler with painting on wood: Crucifixion, Pantocrator , clever and foolish virgins; more scenes. The pulpit bears the four symbols of the evangelists .

Parish of Böhringen

The parish of Böhringen includes the district of Böhringen with the associated places Strohweiler and Aglishardt of the municipality of Römerstein . A church and parish St. Gallus was first mentioned in 1192. The Bebenhausen monastery owned possessions and sold its rights to the Lords of Sperberseck. In the 15th century, Württemberg was the patron saint. The St. Galluskirche was built in the neo-Gothic style in 1885/86 after the old Romanesque church was demolished in 1884 by senior building officer Christian Friedrich von Leins , the late-Gothic choir and sacristy from 1498 have been preserved. In addition to the stately neo-Gothic stone architecture of the building, which is sometimes called "the Minster of the Alb", the interior of the church was richly decorated with contemporary wall paintings based on a design by building inspector Heinrich Dolmetsch until after the Second World War , especially the wall surface above the choir arch with "symbolic painting" ( in the central medallion the lamb with the victory flag according to RevLUT and the four evangelist symbols ). From today's perspective, this church decoration, which is possibly worth preserving, was replaced by a new artistic conception in 1951/52 and a choir wall sgraffito (Christ in the mandorla , left and right the wise and foolish virgins) by Professor Rudolf Yelin the Elder. J. and the colored glazing of the Gothic tracery windows in the choir created by Wolf-Dieter Kohler .

Parish of Böttingen-Magolsheim

The parish of Böttingen-Magolsheim comprises the districts of Böttingen and Magolsheim of the city of Münsingen . It consists of the two subsequent former parishes of Böttingen and Magolsheim, which initially formed a single parish, but merged around the year 2000.

The former parish of Böttingen includes the Böttingen district of the city of Münsingen. Originally, Böttingen was a subsidiary of Münsingen. In 1496 the place became its own parish. A chapel of St. Peter was mentioned as early as 1360 and was replaced by a new building in 1511. Today's Petruskirche was rebuilt in 1958 in place of the old church. The altar window from 1958 (Resurrection, Second Coming of Christ) comes from the Stuttgart glass artist Wolf-Dieter Kohler .

The former parish of Magolsheim comprises the Magolsheim district of the city of Münsingen. A church and parish of St. Dionysius was first mentioned in 1275. The patronage changed several times with the local government. Part of the place was part of Württemberg early on and became Protestant in 1595, but the rest of the place, through which the border between Württemberg and Upper Austria ran, remained Catholic, so that there are two churches there today (Protestant and Catholic). The old church in Magolsheim was initially used simultaneously until it collapsed in 1870. At the same place, the current Protestant church in neo-Romanesque style was built by the Münsingen official builder Bosler in 1871. In the same year the Catholic community built its own church, which was in 1936 replaced by the present building and the inherited Dionysius - patronage continues.

Dapfen parish

The parish of Dapfen includes the district of Dapfen with the associated hamlets of the community of Gomadingen . As early as 904, a St. Martin's Church in Dapfen was mentioned in the Königsgut, and a parish in 1275. In 1407 the church set was sold to Württemberg by Speth von Ehestetten, who introduced the Reformation. The oldest parts of the Martinskirche are today the tower from 1515 and the choir from 1727. In 1857 the nave was rebuilt, but its neo-Gothic furnishings were removed in 1959 in line with contemporary tastes. After a fire in 1996, interior renovation was necessary. Valuable pieces of equipment are a high baroque crucifix with a body and a real crown of thorns from 1724 and in the "Glockenstüble" an early Gothic linden wood figure depicting St. Martin . The horse has no bridle because God himself directs it. The renovation and redesign of the church in the 1960s was carried out under the overall artistic concept of Gisela Dreher-Richels , who also designed three choir windows. A tapestry (Angel of the Annunciation) was woven by Renate Reile-Modschidler in 1995/96 based on a design by Andreas Felger . The church is well known for the Easter egg market and art exhibitions.

By announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on October 23, 1953, the Protestant residents of Ehestetten, who until then belonged to the parish of Ödenwaldstetten, were assigned to the parish of Dapfen. However, since Ehestetten is politically part of Hayingen today, the place was also reclassified into the Hayingen parish with effect from December 1, 1983. Until 1987, the Protestant residents of the predominantly Catholic district of Eglingen in the Hohenstein community also belonged to the Dapfen parish, most of whom only moved here after the Second World War. However, according to the announcement of the upper church council of February 26, 1987, they were assigned to the Evangelical parish of Ödenwaldstetten, as this place politically also belongs to the community of Hohenstein.

Parish of Dettingen an der Erms

The parish of Dettingen an der Erms comprises the parish of Dettingen an der Erms and the district of Kappishäuser of the city of Neuffen in the Esslingen district. One church in Dettingen was mentioned as early as the 11th century as a parish church for the entire surrounding area. The current church building is the result of approximately one thousand years of construction work: the tower stump has been preserved from the Romanesque period (between 950 and 1100). In the Gothic it was increased. Back then, between 1483 and 1500, Peter von Koblenz also built the Gothic choir and two side chapels in connection with the founding of the Dettingen Monastery of the Brothers of Living Together . The north chapel still exists today, while the south chapel was demolished by Christian Friedrich von Leins in 1864-1866 with the demolition of the shorter and narrower, but dilapidated Romanesque nave (three-aisled pillar basilica with arched arcades) and the construction of a neo-Gothic nave . The collegiate church was extensively renovated in 1960 under architect Manfred Wizgall . The State Monuments Office's request to replace almost all of the neo-Gothic furnishings and colors was only partially granted, mainly due to a lack of money: choir restoration, replacement of the choir windows, new altar and baptismal font as well as painting work on the walls and stalls were carried out. The Gothic choir from 1494 with the remaining northern Pankratius chapel impresses with its spaciousness and the cross-rib vaulting with artistically designed keystones and the exposed, restored and carefully supplemented Gothic painting. Of the neo-Gothic wooden furnishings, in particular the gallery parapets and the pulpit on the choir arch were retained in 1960. Some parts of the neo-Gothic glass painting by Gotthilf Wilhelm (1832–1882), one of the earliest Württemberg glass painters of modern times, are still preserved . His Dettinger choir window (the middle one with the crucifixion motif "after Dürer") had been removed in 1960. The glass artist Adolf Valentin Saile created the three new lead glazing in the choir window in 1960. They are thematically and color-coordinated with the altar triptych made of late Gothic panel paintings from 1520–1530 and with the vault painting. One of the early works by Thierry Boissel is the window "The burning thorn bush" (after ExLUT ) in the 1989 newly built sacristy. A bronze sculpture by Karl Hemmeter rises above the altar of the north chapel, and above the modern main altar, at the top of the choir arch, a crucifix from the 17th century commemorates the crucified Christ as the center of worship and sermons.

The Protestant Christ Church was built in 1967 due to the strong growth of the community in the Dettinger residential area Buchhalde. The large-scale glass design of two side walls, realized in 1997, comes from the Waiblingen artist Albrecht Pfister. The parish of Dettingen an der Erms is also responsible for five kindergartens (Bergstrasse, Buchhalde, Kegelwasen, Neubühlsteige and Walter Ellwanger).

The church has always belonged to Dettingen an der Erms, despite the fact that the Kappis houses are now part of the town of Neuffen in the Esslingen district . In 1953 the Reutlingen architect Manfred Wizgall built his own church, the Michaelskirche , in Kappis houses, which was renovated in 2004. The color-glazed choir window was created by the Stuttgart glass artist Adolf Valentin Saile with the motif of the risen and coming Christ. The local evangelical parish hall was built in 1990. The striking round window was decorated with a glass painting by Thierry Boissel with the motif "I am the vine, you are the vines" ( Joh 15,5  LUT ), which is an obvious motif in the highest wine-growing community in Baden-Württemberg, in a holistic process of blowing, which was innovatively developed by the artist, Assembling, burning and painting the entire pane. Kappishäuser is looked after by the Dettingen-West parish.

Parish of Donnstetten-Westerheim

The parish of Donnstetten-Westerheim comprises the district of Donnstetten of the municipality of Römerstein and the municipality of Westerheim in the Alb-Danube district. Donnstetten used to be a branch of Zainingen. A chapel of St. George was raised to a parish in 1447. The Reformation was introduced in 1534. The Georgskirche was built in the 15th century. The large prayer bell from 1489 and the crucifix still date from this period. The artfully forged altar grille and the pulpit paintings are typical testimonies to the Baroque period around 1700. The nave was extended to the south in 1825 and a previously possibly three-sided, now north and west gallery was built. The parapet carries picture stories arranged in pairs according to the Old and New Testament.

The neighboring Westerheim remained Catholic after the Reformation. Protestant residents mainly moved here only after the Second World War. They were initially assigned to the parish Wiesensteig in the church district Geislingen an der Steige . By the announcement of the upper church council of July 21, 1952, however, they were reclassified to the parish of Donnstetten. In 2001 a community center was built in Westerheim and with effect from August 1, 2001, the Donnstetten parish was renamed "Donnstetten-Westerheim parish".

Dottingen-Rietheim parish

The parish of Dottingen-Rietheim comprises the districts of Dottingen and Rietheim of the city of Münsingen . Ecclesiastically, Dottingen was divided between the parishes of Münsingen and Steingebronn (today part of Gomadingen). In 1360 a separate chapel was mentioned in Dottingen. Today's church in Dottingen was built in 1605 in the late Gothic style. The Stuttgart art professor Rudolf Yelin the Elder. In 1956 J. created three generously donated color-glazed choir windows (left: creation of man, birth of Jesus, shepherd proclamation; center: crucifixion, resurrection, evangelist symbols; right: wise and foolish virgins). In 1938 the parish seat was moved from Steingebronn to Dottingen and Steingebronn was assigned to the parish of Gomadingen. The Dottingen parish has also been looking after the former parish of Rietheim since 1957, which was assigned here by the parish of Seeburg (parish Bad Urach) by an announcement by the upper church council on January 7, 1957 and now forms a parish with Dottingen. Rietheim had a chapel since 1525, which was replaced by today's church in 1768. It was extensively renovated in 2002/03.

Feldstetten parish

The Feldstetten parish includes the Feldstetten district of the city of Laichingen . In terms of church, Feldstetten was initially a branch of Laichingen. A church of St. Gallus with its own parish was first mentioned in 1453. The Blaubeuren monastery had the patronage . Württemberg introduced the Reformation. After the Thirty Years' War the place was looked after by Laichingen again, but in 1653 it became its own parish again. From autumn 2020, however, as part of the job-saving “parish plan”, the Feldstetten pastor's office will cease to exist, and the community will then be looked after from Laichingen. Today's St. Gallus Church was built in 1737, while the Gothic choir of the previous building was also used. Wall paintings from the 14th and 15th centuries can be seen in it. They were only discovered in 1895 and restored in 1898. The artist Walter Kohler designed a choir window with biblical themes in 1936 (healing of the blind, rich youth, raising of Lazarus). In 1999 a color window by the artist Ursula Nollau from (then) Zwiefalten followed.

Parish of Gächingen

The parish of Gächingen comprises the district of Gächingen in the parish of St. Johann . The St. George's Church was first mentioned in 1275. The Romanesque fortified church with a defense tower-like west tower was extended in the late Gothic style, rebuilt in 1619, changed and renewed in 1705 and 1757. A mighty four-cornered west tower is attached to the hall building, which is polygonally closed to the east. The bell storey is covered by an octagonal pointed helmet. On the north side there is Romanesque masonry with small arched windows. The last time there were renovations in 1962–64 and 2009. In 1964, the Stuttgart artist Wolf-Dieter Kohler created three color-glazed choir windows with the parable themes of the Good Samaritan , The Great Supper and the Prodigal Son .

The Gächingen parish also looks after the Lonsingen parish.

Parish of Glems

The parish of Glems comprises the Glems district of the city of Metzingen . Glems initially belonged to the church of Dettingen. In 1518 the community donated a chaplain fringe in the chapel of St. Laurentius and Hilary . A short time later, Glems became its own parish. In 1534 the parish was abolished and then looked after by the parish of Neuhausen an der Erms. After the dilapidated and too small chapel, the place received a new building in 1762, which was later expanded into a church. Despite the most economical construction method without proper foundation, it still stands today, extensively renovated in 1966/67 and equipped with a colored glass window by Wolf-Dieter Kohler above the altar , which shows a "redeemer image" in strong colors (according to Isa 9,1  LUT and Isa 60,1 -2  LUT ): the procession of the wailing and miserable, beginning with the expulsion from paradise, through fratricide to the crib and cross. The risen One is enthroned as Pantocrator over everything . The rectory also looks after some of the parishioners in the neighboring parish of Neuhausen an der Erms. The parish of Glems also has a church choir (founded in 1921) with around 20 singers today and a trombone choir (founded in 1987) with almost 20 wind players. It also runs a kindergarten.

Gomadingen-Steingebronn parish

The parish of Gomadingen -Steingebronn comprises the main town (with Offenhausen ) and the district of Steingebronn of the parish of Gomadingen . A Martinskirche was mentioned in Gomadingen in 1180, its patron's name indicates a Franconian foundation. In 1275 the place was the seat of a parish and a deanery. Duke Eberhard im Bart handed over the church set and the patronage to Offenhausen Monastery in 1496. The church was demolished in the 18th century and today's Martinskirche was built on the same site in 1760 . It is surrounded by a cemetery and fenced in with a wall. The design of the Martinskirche as a transverse church had already emerged 200 years earlier, especially in Württemberg: a conception oriented across the longitudinal axis of the room to the pulpit on the south wall with a gallery running around on three sides up to the non-retracted 3/6 choir. The stalls on the ground floor are likely to have been arranged accordingly until the 20th century. The altar and baptismal font have their freely accessible place there in the eastern center. The gallery parapet bears a cycle of pictures from the construction period (four prophets, four evangelists, the apostles and pictures from the life of Jesus) by Johann August Romay, the south wall a large Protestant devotional picture. The stucco ceiling with very sparingly used floral arabesques was created by a member of the nationally important Deggingen plastering family Schweizer. The baroque room looks bright and friendly thanks to the clear glazing of the windows.

In the associated hamlet of Offenhausen there was a Dominican convent of St. Maria Gnadenzell . In the 15th century it came under Württemberg suzerainty. In 1575 it was closed and a stud farm was established. In 1812 the settlement came to the community of Gomadingen. In addition to the monastery with a monastery church, there was also a Marienkapelle. Both churches existed side by side until the 15th century. The monastery church served as a Protestant church from 1690, was profaned in 1812 and now houses the museum of the Marbach stud .

A parish church was first mentioned in Steingebronn in 1275. It was consecrated to Saints Philip, Walpurg and the Three Kings. The church set was with the Speth and then in 1420 came to the Propstei Güterstein and finally to Württemberg, which introduced the Reformation. The current church with a retracted rectangular choir and the barrel-vaulted sacristy was built in the 17th century. The parish of Steingebronn was moved to Dottingen in 1938. Through the announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on January 7, 1959, Steingebronn became a branch parish of Gomadingen, with whose parish it has merged.

Grabenstetten parish

The parish grave Stetten includes the community grave Stetten . The church and parish of St. Peter and Paul were first mentioned in 1275. In 1483 the Speth zu Sulzburg sold the patronage to the Urach Abbey. The Protestant Church of St. Peter and Paul is a Romanesque choir tower church with a late Gothic nave and wall paintings from the first half of the 15th century. The frescoes were whitewashed during the Reformation and rediscovered in 1912-1924. Only a part could be restored. The mural depicts the Last Judgment. The Romanesque tower is adorned with a half-timbered bell house with a curved helmet and "lantern" from 1680. The church was renovated in 1935 by architect Hans Seytter and in 1965-1971 by architect Johannes Wetzel . The color-glazed choir window with eight image fields (from the birth of Jesus to his resurrection) was designed in 1935 by the artist Walter Kohler .

Grafenberg parish

The Grafenberg parish includes the Grafenberg parish . In 1246 a church of St. Michael was first mentioned in Grafenberg. Württemberg, which introduced the Reformation, had the patronage. Then the parish was abolished and looked after by large beds. Grafenberg became a separate parish again as early as 1556. The Michael Church is a hall church with a west tower, which is still Romanesque in the core. In 1726 there was a fundamental renovation and expansion. The most recent redesign took place in 1956/1957 under the architect Manfred Wizgall , whereby a chancel and a sacristy were added. The Stuttgart glass artist Adolf Valentin Saile created the colored window in the new chancel with the theme of the Second Coming of Christ. The parish of Grafenberg still has a late Gothic parsonage from around 1580. The parish of Grafenberg belonged to the Nürtingen parish until the 20th century. As a result of its political affiliation to the Reutlingen district, it was reclassified to the Bad Urach church district with effect from January 1, 1980.

Hengen-Wittlingen parish

The parish of Hengen-Wittlingen comprises the districts of Hengen and Wittlingen of the city of Bad Urach . The parish church of all saints in Hengen was first mentioned as early as 1275 . The church in Hengen , built around 1500, became a Protestant parish church with the Reformation in 1534, before it was almost completely destroyed along with the town during the Thirty Years' War. At the end of the 17th century, the church was rebuilt on its former foundation. The choir tower church was renovated in 1895 and the east window was closed. The pulpit window and a ship window were designed by the Stuttgart glass artist Anna-Dorothea Kunz-Saile in 1995/96 with the motifs sower and harvest and good shepherd .

In Wittlingen there has been a church building since the first mention of the place at the end of the 11th century. Today's Johanneskirche consists of the late Gothic choir from the 15th century and the nave, which used to be as narrow as the choir. Possibly soon after the introduction of the Reformation, at the latest in 1720 in connection with the erection of the octagonal tower, the nave was asymmetrically extended to the south for the greater attendance of church services and provided there with a gallery opposite the north wall pulpit. During the renovation in 1873 a new organ was installed in the choir, but in 1930 it was moved to the gallery. In both years the local Weinland family ( David Friedrich Weinland and Ernst Weinland ) donated the interior decoration: in 1873 the font made of white sandstone and in 1930 the colored window in the choir, designed by the Bietigheim artist Adolf Hess (1893–1953) with the Christmas motif of the birth of Jesus . The interior renovation in 1979/80 uncovered the wall paintings in the choir. In 2004 the nave was renovated again. A special feature adorns the modern, brightly glazed pulpit window, namely a single pane with Gothic stained glass from around 1500 from an Augsburg workshop: a Madonna with child in a halo - mandorla , standing on a golden crescent moon, which is unusually open at the bottom ( crescent moon Madonna ). The smallest bell in the peal was cast around 1400, the large one dates from 1764 and the middle one from 1960.

The rectory is in Wittlingen. The parish runs a kindergarten in both parts of the city

Parishes in Heroldstatt

Parish of Ennabeuren

The parish of Ennabeuren comprises the district Ennabeuren of the parish of Heroldstatt , the districts of Ingstetten and Justingen of the city of Schelklingen as well as the residential area Berghülen of the manor district of Münsingen . A church and parish of St. Kosmas and Damian was first mentioned in 1275. It was sold by the knight Hans Harscher to the Urspring Monastery , to which it was incorporated in 1419. The place was politically divided into three parts. Part of it was in Württemberg, part in HELENSTEIN (later in Fürstenberg), and the third part in Grafeneck, which until the 17th century was bought by Württemberg step by step. Württemberg introduced the Reformation in its part as early as 1534 and established a parish, so that there was an Evangelical and a Catholic parish. In 1603 the parity was decided and the church was then used simultaneously. In 1754 the old church was replaced by a new building, only the corner buttresses of the previous building remained. In 1936 the Catholic community built its own church. Since then, the previous church has served the Protestant parish of Ennabeuren as a place of worship. The Ennabeuren parish is responsible for the Farbenklecks Kindergarten.

Ingstetten and Justingen remained Catholic after the Reformation or were re-Catholicized. Most of the Protestant residents who moved there only after the Second World War, as well as the Protestant residents of the Berghülen residential area of ​​the Münsingen manor district formed in 1942, were assigned to the Ennabeuren parish, although Justingen initially still belonged to the Sondernach branch parish and was only announced by the Upper Church Council on April 18, 1955 was reclassified into the parish of Ennabeuren.

Sontheim parish

The parish Sontheim includes the district Sontheim of the parish Heroldstatt. A church was mentioned around 1100. It was owned by the Blaubeuren monastery. In 1365 it became a branch of Laichingen. In the 15th century it was called the Peterskapelle. After the Reformation it was elevated to the parish church of St. Peter and Paul. In 1767 it was rebuilt and expanded and renewed from 1883. The Sontheim parish is responsible for the Tigerentenvilla kindergarten.

Parish of Hülben

The parish Hülben includes the community Hülben . A Lady Chapel was first mentioned in 1233. It was a branch of Dettingen. In 1866 Hülben became a parish administration, in 1872 a parish. The early Gothic church from 1233 was renovated in 1935 and equipped with stained glass by Walter Kohler , but replaced in 1967 after demolition by the new Christ Church (with parish hall). The altar mural there with the themes “Path of the Christians through time to the throne of God, Apocalypse, Heavenly Jerusalem” comes from the Pfullingen artist Anton Geiselhart (1907-1973).

Parish of Kleinengstingen

Evang. Blasius Church Engstingen-Kleinengstingen
Evang. Engstingen-Kleinengstingen church - interior view

The parish of Kleinengstingen comprises the districts of Kleinengstingen and Großengstingen of the community of Engstingen . In terms of the church, Kleinengstingen was initially a branch of Großengstingen, which remained Catholic after the Reformation. In Kleinengstingen, however, the Reformation was introduced by Württemberg, to which Kleinengstingen had belonged since 1454. It was then assigned to the parish of Kohlstetten. The Evangelical Blasius Church in Kleinengstingen was partly built in 1770/71 on the remains of a smaller previous church. The design of the Blasiuskirche as a transverse church corresponds to that in Gomadingen: a conception oriented across the longitudinal axis of the room to the pulpit on the south wall with a gallery running around on three sides up to the non-retracted 3/6 choir. The stalls on the ground floor are likely to have been arranged accordingly until the 20th century. The altar and baptismal font have their freely accessible place there in the eastern center. For a village church, the plant ornaments on the gallery, pulpit and coffered ceiling in the Rococo style are extremely rare. They come from the painter Johann August Rumny from Urach, who uses floral motifs in free, non-stenciled painting instead of the usual figures of apostles, prophets and evangelists, in which the praise of creation is expressed. The shell shape (French: rocaille), which gave the Rococo its name, is also recognizable. The romantic cone store organ from 1862 is a listed building. Today Kleinengstingen has its own parish.

The district of Großengstingen remained Catholic after the Reformation. Most of the Protestant residents only moved to Großengstingen after the Second World War. They were assigned to the Evangelical Church Community of Kleinengstingen. The parish of Kleinengstingen also runs a kindergarten. Until 1989, the parish of Kleinengstingen and the parish of Kohlstetten formed the overall parish of Kohlstetten, before it was dissolved after the Oberkirchenrat announced on March 20, 1989.

Parish of Kohlstetten

The parish of Kohlstetten comprises the district of Kohlstetten in the Engstingen community . A Church of Our Lady was mentioned in Kohlstetten as early as 1161 in a document from the Weißenau monastery . In 1275 it was called the parish church. Württemberg had the patronage. In 1496 it came to the Offenhausen monastery . After the Reformation, Kohlstetten became a Protestant parish. The Marienkirche was built in 1760 and in the straight east end of the room still has a remnant of the Romanesque east wall of the former choir tower with frescoes from around 1500, significantly older fragments are very poorly preserved and only rudimentarily visible. They show an incompletely preserved cycle of the Virgin Mary and various depictions of saints as well as old Württemberg coats of arms. The frescoes were only rediscovered and restored during a church renovation in 1956/57. The remains of a predecessor building, presumably with three aisles, were discovered, which probably burned down during the Thirty Years' War. Today's ship from 1760 has a western roof turret. As early as 1787, the church had to be extended to the north for the installation of the gallery. The Stuttgart architect Heinz Klatte led the renovation in 1957. The Stuttgart glass artist Adolf Valentin Saile created the choir window (Last Supper, Crucifixion, Resurrection) in a restrained color scheme that matches the frescoes. A special feature is the cemetery, which is located directly around the church and is still in use today.

Until 1989, the parish of Kohlstetten and the parish of Kleinengstingen formed the entire parish of Kohlstetten, before it was dissolved after the Oberkirchenrat announced on March 20, 1989.

Parish of Laichingen

Evang. St. Albank Church Laichingen

The parish of Laichingen comprises the core town of Laichingen . The Feldstetten district forms its own parish. The districts of Machtolsheim and Suppingen also form their own parishes, but within the church district of Blaubeuren . Since 2009, Suppingen and Machtolsheim have become a common parish. A church and parish of St. Alban was mentioned as early as 1100. The church set came through the Count Palatine of Tübingen to the Blaubeuren monastery, to which it was incorporated with the entire surrounding area in 1421. The Reformation was introduced in 1534. The St. Albans Church was mentioned around the year 800 as a forerunner and a separate church of the Laichinger local nobility, built in the 14th century in its current size and expanded into a fortified church in 1550 with additional components. In 1632 it received a tower top from the master builder Heinrich Schickhardt , but this has not been preserved. The current tower was built in 1696. In 2008, the church lost the traditional suffix Saint by a resolution of the parish council . The parsonage is from the pre-Reformation period and is called the “Capuchin House” because of the hooded clothing of the earlier Blaubeurer Benedictine monks. Today there are two parishes in the Laichingen parish. They are labeled West and East.

Parish Lautertal-Buttenhausen

On January 1, 2018, the two parishes of Apfelstetten-Buttenhausen and Hundersingen merged to form the Evangelical Parish of Lautertal-Buttenhausen . The parish includes the evangelical parishioners of the localities Apfelstetten with the Barbarakirche, Buttenhausen with the Michaelskirche, Hundersingen with the Martinskirche as well as Bremelau, Dürrenstetten, Bichishausen with the Steighöfen and Gundelfingen .

The former parish of Apfelstetten includes the Apfelstetten district of the city of Münsingen . In church terms, Apfelstetten was a branch of Buttenhausen before the Reformation. Then Apfelstetten was assigned to the parish of Münsingen, later Hundersingen. After the Reformation was also introduced in Buttenhausen, Apfelstetten was reassigned to the parish of Buttenhausen, so that Apfelstetten is still looked after by the Buttenhausen parish to this day. The Barbarakirche in Apfelstetten was built in the 14th century and the older Romanesque choir was replaced by a Gothic high choir around 1350. During the renovation from 1969 to 1972, remnants of the previous Romanesque building and a Gothic fresco cycle Reichenau School (Passion, Crucifixion) in the choir were uncovered. The nave is adorned with an octagonal pulpit with peasant paintings and a rococo organ from 1786.

The former parish of Buttenhausen comprises the Buttenhausen district of the city of Münsingen. A church and parish of St. Michael was first mentioned in 1275. In 1508 there is also a mention of a St. Nicholas chapel near the castle. The patronage rights had changing masters. The Reformation was introduced in 1569. Today's St. Martin 's Church is a neo-Gothic building from the early 19th century. The tower of the previous building was taken over. In 1965 the Stuttgart glass artist Adolf Valentin Saile created the glass paintings in the choir (parables according to Lk 10-15, LUT  EU : prodigal son, great feast, good Samaritan). The Buttenhausen rectory also looks after the Apfelstetten parish.

The former parish of Hundersingen comprises the districts of Hundersingen , Bichishausen , Bremelau and Gundelfingen of the city of Münsingen, whereby Bremelau still belonged to the parish of Mehrstetten until 1949 and was only reclassified to the parish of Hundersingen by the announcement of the upper church council on March 18, 1949. A church and parish was first mentioned in Hundersingen in 1275. The patronage had the local rulers. The Reformation was introduced by Württemberg in 1534. Today's parish church is a simple hall from 1611 with a late baroque organ.The three art glass windows from the 1980s with the theme of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) come from the former Zwiefalter artist Ursula Nollau (* 1944), who is now in Saxony lives.

As a result of belonging to the Principality of Fürstenberg, Bichishausen remained Catholic after the Reformation, as did Bremelau, which belonged to the County of Lichtenstein, among other things, and Gundelfingen, which belonged to different lords. Most of the residents of these places, who only moved there after the Second World War, were assigned to the former parish of Hundersingen, or in the case of Bremelau, initially to the parish of Mehrstetten.

Parish of Lonsingen

The parish of Lonsingen comprises the district of Lonsingen in the parish of St. Johann . The church from 1449 was demolished after the current church was built as a parish hall in 1959 by the Münsingen architect Fritz Schäuffele. In 1970, the Reutlingen architect Manfred Wizgall added the church. The parish of Lonsingen is now looked after by the Gächingen rectory.

General parish of Mehrstetten-Sondernach

The entire parish of Mehrstetten-Sondernach includes the community of Mehrstetten and the districts of Gundershofen , Hütten and Sondernach of the town of Schelklingen . It consists of the following two parishes, Mehrstetten and Sondernach.

Parish of Mehrstetten

Evangelical Church in Mehrstetten

The parish of Mehrstetten includes the community of Mehrstetten . In terms of church, Mehrstetten initially belonged to Münsingen. A parish was probably established in the 15th century. The Reformation was introduced in 1534. The Georgskirche is a late Gothic choir tower from the 15th century, the nave was expanded again in 1577 and 1828. In 1933 two colored glass windows were installed: a round window by Ernst H. Graeser , which was removed again around 1971 (remains are preserved), and the choir window by Walter Kohler with the motif of the risen Christ with a cross nimbus .

Until 1949, the Protestant residents of Bremelau also belonged to the parish of Mehrstetten. By the announcement of the upper church council on March 18, 1949, these were reclassified to the parish Hundersingen.

Parish of Sondernach

The parish includes the districts of Sondernach , Gundershofen and Hütten of the city of Schelklingen and, since 1934, the Karlshof, which belongs to Frankenhofen (today the city of Ehingen). The core town of Schelklingen forms a separate parish in the church district of Blaubeuren with the districts of Hausen ob Urspring and Schmiechen. The districts of Ingstetten and Justingen belong to the parish of Ennabeuren, whereby Justingen was only reclassified from the parish of Sondernach to the parish of Ennabeuren by an announcement by the upper church council on April 18, 1955.

In terms of the church, Sondernach initially belonged to Gundershofen. After the Reformation it became a branch of Mehrstetten. The late Gothic Protestant church in the middle of the cemetery on the hill was built in 1598–1599. In the west it has a roof turret and a polygonal east choir. Two colored glass paintings were created for the church: in 1934 by Ernst H. Graeser a smaller insert in a larger window (motif: prodigal son) and in 1964 by Adolf Valentin Saile a crucifixion window .

Gundershofen and Hütten remained Catholic after the Reformation. Most of the Protestant residents who moved here after the Second World War were assigned to the Sondernach parish.

Until 1934, the Karlshof belonged to the parish of Weilersteusslingen in the church district of Blaubeuren. However, through the announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on March 7, 1934, it was reclassified to the Münsingen church district and assigned to the Sondernach parish.

General parish of Metzingen

The entire parish of Metzingen comprises the core city of Metzingen . The parish of Metzingen grew strongly due to immigration after the Second World War. The Friedenskirche was built in 1960 and its own parish was established there in 1965. Another parish was established in Neugreuth in 1971. It was formed by the announcement of the upper church council on December 17, 1965, when the previously sole parish of Metzingen was divided into three parishes: Martinskirchengemeinde Metzingen, Friedenskirchengemeinde Metzingen and Neugreuth-Kirchengemeinde Metzingen were merged. In a letter dated May 20, 1965, the Ministry of Culture recognized the Metzingen parish as a whole and its parishes as corporations under public law. The first three, now two parishes, Martinskirche and Friedenskirche-Neugreuth, now form the Protestant general parish of Metzingen. The Metzingen parish is responsible for three kindergartens, one in the Friedensgemeinde, one in Sannental and one in Hart-Hölze.

Martinskirchengemeinde Metzingen

Evang. Martinskirche Metzingen

The Martinskirchengemeinde Metzingen comprises parts of the core city of Metzingen. The Martinskirche was one of the original parishes in the Ermstal. In 1275 two parish foundations are attested, one of which was given by Württemberg to the Zwiefalten monastery in 1454, which incorporated the patronage into the diocese of Constance and only returned it to Württemberg in 1750. Württemberg introduced the Reformation in 1537. The Protestant Martinskirche was built around 1500 instead of a Romanesque predecessor as a three-aisled, flat-roofed hall church with a reticulated choir. Heinrich Schickhardt raised the tower to 57 meters in 1613. In 1873, chief building officer Christian Friedrich von Leins used a new type of construction technique for the vaulting of the nave and side aisles, which he had previously tried out for the vaulting of the Tübingen collegiate church: neither a priceless solid stone structure nor an inexpensive wooden vault, but a vault with cement cast ribs and light tufa vaulted fields. The Reutlingen architect Manfred Wizgall retained this vault during the extensive renovation and redesign between 1962 and 1964 , but otherwise removed the neo-Gothic fixtures, side galleries and furnishings, including the principal elements . The exterior was renovated in 1981, the choir was renovated in 1993 and the ship in 2004. The sculptor Hermann Bach created the Luther stone relief above the sacristy door in 1883, and Jakob Brüllmann created the wooden altar crucifix in 1938. The choir and sacristy windows by Rudolf Yelin the Elder. J. from 1946 were already replaced in 1953 by the choir windows (foundations) of the Reutlinger art educator at the Isolde-Kurz-Gymnasium, Adolf Huber (1910 to after 1992) with the motives birth, passion and resurrection of Christ. The colored glazing of the tracery in the west portal tympanum with the mantle division of the church patron was created by Adolf Valentin Saile in 1964 , and the pulpit wood reliefs (washing of feet, healing of the blind, incredulous Thomas, Emmaus disciple) carved by Karl Hemmeter . In 1979 the church received a new organ, the first organ is recorded in 1700.

In the 15th century there were also two chapels to Our Lady of Peace and St. Bernhard in Metzingen. Another parish church of St. Florinus stood on the mountain of the same name. This parish was merged with the Tübingen Castle Chapel in 1482 and soon afterwards the parish church was demolished. North of the Martinskirche is the parish hall from 1914, which was expanded in 1973. Today there are two pastors working at Martinskirche.

Parish Friedenskirche-Neugreuth, Metzingen

The peace parish of Metzingen comprises parts of the core city of Metzingen. When the parish of Metzingen grew rapidly due to immigration after the Second World War, a second church, the Peace Church, was built in 1960, and in 1965 a separate parish and the independent Peace Parish of Metzingen were established there. It came about through the announcement of the Upper Church Council on December 17, 1965, when the previously sole parish of Metzingen was initially divided into three parishes and these were merged into the new, since the 200s, two parishes (Martinskirche and Friedenskirche-Neugreuth). The new church was built in 1960 by the Backnang architect Otto Nussbaum, including the right-angled community hall as well as residential and kindergarten buildings. The overall artistic concept and its individual works of art come from Helmuth Uhrig : the glass design of the three windows with the Archangel cycle in grisaille technique (Raphael with Tobias, Gabriel with Maria, Michael with the dragon) and the four colored windows of the Paulus cycle: in front of the High Council ( Acts 23  LUT ); Dream of the guarding angel ( Acts 27,23  LUT ); Thanksgiving and breaking of bread ( Acts 27,35  LUT ); Paul survives snakebite ( Acts 28,2f  LUT ). The so-called Bernhardt glass was used exclusively for this , "which has the luminosity of medieval stained glass and is just as opaque". Other Uhrig works of art are the altar wall sgraffito , the wood carving work on the pulpit and the altar cross as well as the paraments .

Mittelstadt parish

The Mittelstadt parish comprises the Mittelstadt district of the city of Reutlingen . Besides the Reicheneck parish, it is the only parish in the city of Reutlingen that belongs to the Bad Urach church district. The church and parish of St. Martin in Mittelstadt was first mentioned in 1275. In 1413 it was incorporated into the Poor Clare Monastery in Pfullingen. The Martinskirche was rebuilt in place of the old church in 1912 according to plans by Martin Elsaesser . The single-nave hall church with 500 seats faces west with the rectangular altar house. Architectural jewelry by the Stuttgart sculptor Daniel Stocker adorns the facade (John the Baptist, coat scene with Martin von Tours , a pelican sacrificing himself for his young as a symbol of Christ). The interior is characterized by the floral ornaments on the woodwork up to the coffered barrel ceiling, the west rosette above the altar, glazed in Art Nouveau style, with the baroque crucifix in front of it and some epitaphs . Other architectural decorations, colored glazing and the murals of the four evangelists are no longer preserved. A comprehensive restoration took place in 2012 to mark the centenary. Hammetweil belongs to Mittelstadt and lies on the opposite side of the Neckar in the Neckartenzlingen area.

Parish of Mundingen

The parish of Mundingen comprises the districts of Mundingen , Dächingen , Erbstetten , Granheim and the churches of the city of Ehingen (Danube) and the community of Lauterach . The other districts of Ehingen mainly belong to the church district of Blaubeuren . A chapel was mentioned in Mundingen as early as 854, a church and a parish in 1208. The church set came to Württemberg in 1383, which introduced the Reformation. The current Protestant church dates from 1790, the even older tower is Gothic. At the beginning of the 20th century, five colored windows with attractive Art Nouveau ornaments were installed in the nave. The two non-representational colored glazings of the choir windows (around 1957) probably originate from Wolf-Dieter Kohler and correspond to his windows in the Gallus Church in Brenz an der Brenz .

Dächingen, Erbstetten, Granheim and Kirchen as well as Lauterach remained Catholic after the Reformation. Most of the Protestant residents who moved there only after the Second World War were assigned to the Mundingen parish.

Entire parish of Münsingen and Trailfingen

In 2014 the parishes of Münsingen and Trailfingen merged to form the whole parish of Münsingen and Trailfingen . The three parishes are named Münsingen I, Münsingen II and Münsingen III / Trailfingen.

Parish of Münsingen

The parish of Münsingen includes the core town of Münsingen . A church in Münsingen was mentioned as early as 804, a parish in 1228. The patronage was held by the Counts of Urach and then Württemberg as their successors. Today's Martinskirche is a building from the 13th century. The three-nave nave with a late Gothic choir was built by Peter von Koblenz , the builder of the collegiate church of St. Amandus Bad Urach and the collegiate church of Tübingen . The star rib vault in the choir is remarkable with its finely crafted keystones, which, together with other vault paintings, were exposed and restored in 1976. In 1887, Christian Friedrich von Leins provided the tower with a bell storey and the neo-Gothic octagonal stone helmet in the forms of the French High Gothic. During the restoration of the ship in 1983/1984, the room setting from 1557/1558 was restored, which shows a gray ashlar painting on the arcades and windows as well as a colorful wooden strip ceiling and dates from the 17th century. The partly early furnishing with principles and sculptural work was supplemented by two artists with colored glazing after the Second World War. In 1960 the tracery windows in the choir were designed by Wolf-Dieter Kohler (left: the works of mercy; center: the exalted Christ with Last Judgment scenario; right: the parable of foolish and wise virgins) and the aisle windows by Ursula from 1992–1999 Nollau (* 1944) from Zwiefalten (south window: Baptism and Last Supper; north window: promise and blessing). Today the church is one of the two deanery churches in the Bad Urach-Münsingen church district.

Gruorn , the former village in the middle of the now abandoned military training area Münsingen , belongs only geographically, until it was evacuated in 1939, also ecclesiastically, to the nearby Münsingen and Trailfingen. As a community-free area , it has been a deserted area without residentssince and after the end of the military training area and its military use in 2005. Since 1968 religious services have been held there every year on a few festive days. Today's UNESCO biosphere area Swabian Alb with the Gruorn core zone is accessible again. The Stephanuskirche is mentioned for the first time in 1095. Frescoes from 1380 (whitewashed in 1540) were uncovered as early as 1903. Above all, the design of the ten expressive church windows with glass paintings by Ursula Nollau characterizes the barren church interior. Especially with these windows, the Stephanuskirche Gruorn is a memorial against war and destruction.

Parish of Trailfingen

The parish of Trailfingen comprises the Trailfingen district of the city of Münsingen. A church of St. Andrew was mentioned in Trailfingen as early as 770. It was a branch of Seeburg, then of Gruorn, and since the 1930s of Münsingen. The church is surrounded by a defensive wall. It has a late Gothic choir from 1440, the tower was built around 1480. The ship was rebuilt in 1908 by Martin Elsässer with an extension, whereby the font from the early Renaissance (Urach School) was reused. The two nave windows (carrying the cross, flight to Egypt) and the gallery window (Gethsemane) were created for the inauguration by the Stuttgart artist Käte Schaller-Härlin , the painter Franz Heinrich Gref designed the ceiling painting in the nave (Holy Spirit, surrounded by evangelist symbols) and other wood paintings such as the coffered ceiling in ornamental Art Nouveau. The church was renovated in 1972/73. The interior continues to have an Art Nouveau character. Until 1939 the parish of Trailfingen was part of the Bad Urach church district. With effect from April 1, 1939, it was reclassified to the Münsingen church district.

Parish Neuhausen an der Erms

The parish Neuhausen an der Erms includes the Neuhausen an der Erms district of the city of Metzingen . Ecclesiastically Neuhausen an der Erms initially belonged to Dettingen an der Erms. At the end of the 14th century there is a chapel called Our Lady. In 1431 a benefice was confirmed by the Bishop of Constance. In 1534/36 a separate parish was established in Neuhausen an der Erms, which initially looked after Glems. The Marienkapelle was expanded into a parish church around 1570. The conversion in rococo forms to the transverse church was carried out in 1750/1754 "almost identical to the church in Stetten [in the Remstal]". In 1969 the church was demolished and in 1972 a new community center with the Twelve Apostles Church was built. The tower of the old church was preserved as a campanile .

Parish of Ödenwaldstetten-Pfronstetten

The parish of Ödenwaldstetten-Pfronstetten comprises the districts of Ödenwaldstetten and Eglingen of the Hohenstein community , the main town and the districts of Aichelau and Aichstetten of the Pfronstetten community and the Wilsingen district of the city of Trochtelfingen . Until a few years ago, it consisted of the former parishes of Ödenwaldstetten and Pfronstetten. Both former parishes have merged since around 2018.

A church and parish of St. Nikolaus was mentioned in Ödenwaldstetten as early as 1275. It changed hands several times and finally stayed with Württemberg, which introduced the Reformation, although the place belonged to the Zwiefalten monastery. It was not until 1778 that Württemberg bought the rights to Ödenwaldstetten from the Zwiefalten monastery. The Nikolauskirche is partly still Gothic. It was enlarged in the 17th century and renovated in 1778, 1849, 1910 and 1956. The Nikolauskirche is partly still Gothic: frescoes from 1350 (Last Supper scene and depiction of the Madonna in protective cloak), an early Gothic baptismal font and a crucifix from 1510/1520 on the south wall. The choir window with the depiction of the birth, passion and glory of Christ dates from 1956. In Ödenwaldstetten there was probably another church in the 16th century, the Martinskirche. But she went off.

As early as the announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on May 18, 1925, the then branch parish of Pfronstetten, together with Wilsingen, was assigned to the parish of Ödenwaldstetten by the Bernloch parish.

The district of Eglingen remained Catholic after the Reformation. Most of the residents who moved here only after the Second World War were initially assigned to the parish of Dapfen. As a result of its political affiliation to the community of Hohenstein, Eglingen was assigned to the Evangelical Church Community of Ödenwaldstetten by an announcement by the Upper Church Council on February 26, 1987.

Until 1953 the Protestant residents of Ehestetten belonged to the parish of Ödenwaldstetten. However, through an announcement by the Upper Church Council on October 23, 1953, these were assigned to the parish of Dapfen and since 1983 they have belonged to the parish of Hayingen.

The former parish of Pfronstetten includes the main town and the districts of Aichelau and Aichstetten of the community of Pfronstetten (the other districts belong to the parish of Zwiefalten) and the district of Wilsingen of the city of Trochtelfingen (the other districts belong to the parish of Reutlingen). All places remained Catholic after the Reformation. Since the 19th century and increasingly after the Second World War, Protestant residents also moved in, so that a separate parish was formed in Pfronstetten. It was initially looked after by the pastor from Zwiefalten, then from Bernloch. By the announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on May 18, 1925, the then branch parish of Pfronstetten together with Wilsingen was assigned to the parish of Ödenwaldstetten by the Bernloch parish with effect from July 1, 1925.

Due to the growing need for a school house and prayer room, a separate building, finally called the Christ Church, was built in Pfronstetten in 1939 . The desire for a more sacred design of the church interior in the 90s led to the artistic redesign of the church windows by Ursula Nollau from Zwiefalten. The windows illustrate central events in the biblical history of salvation and allow the Old and New Testaments to have their say.

Reicheneck parish

The Reicheneck parish includes the Reicheneck district of the city of Reutlingen . Apart from the Mittelstadt parish, it is the only parish in the city of Reutlingen that belongs to the Bad Urach church district. Reicheneck has always belonged to Mittelstadt, but the consistory announced on March 7, 1908, when the Reicheneck parent parish was established as an independent branch parish after the Ministry of Churches and Schools had approved the establishment of the Reicheneck branch parish. In 1910, the Reicheneck parish received its own church, which was built by the well-known architect Martin Elsaesser .

Riederich parish

The parish Riederich includes the community Riederich . Riederich was a branch of Bempflingen for a long time. By belonging to the Denkendorf Monastery, the Reformation was probably introduced after its secularization. In 1841 Riederich became a permanent parish administration, in 1860 a parish. The Protestant Resurrection Church was built in 1958 by the Reutlingen architect Manfred Wizgall . The tower of the Romanesque predecessor church was retained, as well as part of the north wall with then exposed frescoes , created around the year 1450. The artist Wilhelm Pfeiffer (Tübingen-Hirschau, 1918-1991) created the sgraffito above the south door (Auferstandener with grave angel and Maria Magdalena), plus the stone relief above the main entrance (returning “lost” son). The glass artist Adolf Valentin Saile also addressed the church name in the choir window.

Parish of Sirchingen

The Sirchingen parish includes the Sirchingen district of the city of Bad Urach . Sirchingen initially belonged to Gächingen. In 1449 a parish was established in Upfingen, to which Sirchingen also belonged and which still belongs to this day. The current church was built in 1883. A smaller open chapel, which has been attested since 1496, previously stood there. The current church building was built by the Stuttgart architect Friedrich Elsäßer, the office and building works manager of Christian Friedrich von Leins . It has about 60 seats and was last renovated in 1998. The parish hall was built in 1985.

Parish of Upfingen

The parish of Upfingen comprises the district of Upfingen in the parish of St. Johann . Ecclesiastically, Upfingen was initially a branch of Gächingen. The late Gothic St. Mary's Church was built from 1448 and was last renovated in 1992. It was probably planned as a pilgrimage church, which explains its relatively monumental appearance for the place, and has a Gothic choir with cross vaults. In the course of the Reformation she became Protestant in 1534. The mural of Christophorus on the south wall of the nave and on the north wall of the choir with the motif of the Madonna and Jesus Christ come from their early days . The frescoes may come from the school of the painter and copperplate engraver Martin Schongauer . The artistic stone carving of the baptismal font is dated to around 1530. It could have been created by Christoph von Urach , the artist from the Amandus Church in Bad Urach . From the late Renaissance around the year 1600, very rare examples of glass painting have been preserved for southern German churches (Protestant and Catholic), namely a colored insert in two modern, clear-glazed windows, made from remnants of cabinet or coat of arms panes from 1607. It has not yet been clarified how this glass painting relates to the Marienkirche in Upfingen. Stylistically and technically, these panes could have come from the Augsburg glass painter Achilles Miller , who in 1608 created comparable works of art for the Evangelical Trinity Church in Haunsheim . The baroque organ by the organ builder Hagemann dates from 1777. The church was last renovated in 1992.

The Upfingen parish also looks after the neighboring parish of Sirchingen , a district of the city of Bad Urach .

Parishes of Würtingen

The Würtingen parish comprises the Würtingen district of the St. Johann parish and the Oberer Lindenhof state domain (Eningen unter Achalm), which was reclassified from the Eningen unter Achalm parish (Reutlingen parish) to the Würtingen parish through the announcement of the Upper Church Council on December 11, 1946 .

The Andreas Church has been attested in Würtingen since 1275. The oldest part is the Romanesque choir tower. The arched niches in the south and north walls are Romanesque. The sacristy door and the "Andreasstein" on the south side are Gothic. The oldest bell, the baptismal bell, dates from the 14th century and bears the names of the four evangelists. The date May 13, 1534 is carved into the baptismal font adorned with lions' heads. This date marks the beginning of the Reformation in Württemberg, which was given to the reformer Ambrosius Blarer . The stone comes from the stonemasonry workshop of Joseph Schmids and Christoph von Urach. The crucifix with a late Gothic body, the baptismal font from the early Renaissance and the parapet pictures from the time after the 30 Years War come from the previous church. The current nave and pulpit were completed in 1754. The baroque wall paintings were "rediscovered" during renovation work in 1990 and uncovered and restored between 1992 and 1995 (State Monument Office: "Perfection and fullness ... a particularly good quality of such paintings from the 18th century"). In 1964, the artist Heidi Foerster-Freudig designed the pulpit window in the south wall with biblical motifs. The Würtingen parish also looks after the neighboring parish of Bleichstetten.

Parish of Zainingen

The Zainingen parish includes the Zainingen part of the Römerstein parish .

The early medieval year of construction of the Martinskirche is not exactly known. The year 1494 can be seen on the keystone behind the late Baroque painted choir organ from 1769. The mighty church courtyard wall from 1559 is noteworthy, the construction of which was ordered by Duke Christoph on the trade route from Paris to Prague and with a drawbridge and the fortified church offered protection to merchants passing through. Accordingly, there is a fresco of Christophorus , the patron saint of travelers, from the 15th century on the south wall . The original bell storey in the top of the church tower resembles a half-timbered house that peers over the defensive wall. The church renovation in 1908 was led by the later famous architect Martin Elsaesser .

General parish of Zwiefalten-Hayingen

The overall parish of Zwiefalten-Hayingen includes the towns of Zwiefalten and Hayingen and the districts of Geisingen, Huldstetten and Tigerfeld in the municipality of Pfronstetten . It consists of the two following parishes Hayingen and Zwiefalten.

Parish of Hayingen

The Hayingen parish includes the town of Hayingen . Hayingen remained Catholic after the Reformation. After the transition to Württemberg, Protestant residents also moved there in the 19th century. In 1884, a branch community of Zwiefalten was founded. In Hayingen, the Protestant services initially took place in a prayer room in the old fruit box on Karlsplatz. After the Second World War, the community grew rapidly. In 1953 the city of Hayingen donated a 15th-century field chapel to the Evangelical Church Community of Hayingen at the end of the village towards Indelhausen, which had been secularized since the 19th century and was originally consecrated to Catherine of Alexandria . In 1953/54 the chapel was enlarged by the Stuttgart architect Walter Ruff by adding a nave with a sacristy to a church with around 120 seats. The sculptor Emil Jo Homolka (Königsfeld / Black Forest; 1925-2010) created the crucifix in 1954, the artist Rudolf Yelin the Elder. J. the four small round choir windows as models in faith : Martin of Tours , Archangel Michael (the dragon slayer), Christophorus and Catherine of Alexandria. In 1988 the church was completely renovated. In addition to the church, the Hayingen parish also has a parish hall with a hall and youth rooms, a library and a pastor's apartment. The Protestant residents of the Haying district of Ehestetten belonged to the parish of Dapfen until 1983. With effect from December 1, 1983, they were reclassified to the Hayingen parish.

Parish of Zwiefalten

The parish of Zwiefalten comprises the town of Zwiefalten and its districts, the districts of Geisingen , Huldstetten and Tigerfeld of the municipality of Pfronstetten and the districts of Bechingen , Zell and Zwiefaltendorf of the town of Riedlingen in the district of Biberach (the other districts of Riedlingen belong to the church district of Biberach). The entire area around Zwiefalten remained Catholic after the Reformation. After the transition to Württemberg at the beginning of the 19th century, Protestant residents also moved there. In 1844 a parish administration was established in Zwiefalten and in 1860 a separate parish was established. The church services of the congregation take place in the chapter house of the Zwiefalten monastery, which was built in 1668 by Peter Thumb. A separate church was not built. In 1884 a branch congregation was founded in Hayingen, which was given its own church building in 1953 and today forms a single congregation with the Zwiefalten congregation.

The Zwiefalten district of Upflamör was only reclassified into the parish of Zwiefalten with effect from December 1, 1983. Before that, the Protestant residents of Upflamör belonged to the parish of Pflimmern in the church district of Biberach.

Until 1951, the Protestant residents of Uigendorf also belonged to the parish of Zwiefalten. By the announcement of the upper church council on May 31, 1951, Uigendorf was reclassified to the church district Biberbach and assigned to the parish of Riedlingen. Until 1983, the Protestant residents of the community Emeringen and the Obermarchtal districts Datthausen and Reutlingendorf also belonged to the parish of Zwiefalten. With effect from December 1, 1983, these were reclassified to the parish of Blaubeuren and assigned to the parish of Munderkingen.

literature

  • The Evangelical Württemberg - Its church offices and clergy from the Reformation to the present, collected and edited by Christian Sigel, pastor in Gebersheim, 1910
  • The state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - official description according to districts and municipalities (in eight volumes); Edited by the Baden-Württemberg State Archives Department; Volume VII: Tübingen District, Stuttgart, 1978, ISBN 3-17-004807-4

Sources and Notes

  1. Church law on the merger of the Protestant church districts Bad Urach and Münsingen from July 6, 2013, in: Official Journal of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg, vol. 65, no. 21 (September 30, 2013), p. 538 ff.
  2. ^ Website of the parish of Auingen
  3. Website of the parish Bad Urach-Seeburg
  4. ^ Website of the parish in Bempflingen
  5. ^ Website of the parish of Bernloch-Meidelstetten
  6. a b Website of the Würtingen-Bleichstetten parish
  7. ^ Website of the parish of Böhringen
  8. ^ Website of the parish of Böttingen-Magolsheim
  9. ^ Website of the parish of Dapfen
  10. ^ Website of the parish of Dettingen an der Erms
  11. ^ Website of the parish of Donnstetten-Westerheim
  12. ^ Website of the parish Dottingen-Rietheim
  13. ^ Website of the Feldstetten parish
  14. a b Website of the parishes of Gächingen and Lonsingen
  15. ^ Website of the parishes of Glems
  16. ^ Website of the parish Gomadingen-Steingebronn
  17. ^ Website of the parishes of Grabenstetten
  18. ^ Website of the parishes of Grafenberg
  19. ^ Website of the parishes of Hengen-Wittlingen
  20. a b Website of the parishes of Ennabeuren and Sontheim
  21. ^ Website of the parish of Hülben
  22. ^ Website of the parish of Kleinengstingen
  23. ^ Website of the parish of Kohlstetten
  24. ^ Website of the Laichingen parish
  25. Website of the parish Lautertal-Buttenhausen with Apfelstetten and Hundersingen
  26. ^ Website of the general parish of Mehrstetten-Sondernach
  27. ^ Website of the general parish of Metzingen
  28. ^ Website of the Mittelstadt parish
  29. ^ Website of the parish of Mundingen
  30. ^ Website of the entire parish of Münsingen and Trailfingen
  31. ^ Website of the parish of Neuhausen an der Erms
  32. ^ Website of the parish of Ödenwaldstetten-Pfronstetten
  33. ^ Website of the Reicheneck parish
  34. ^ Website of the parish Riederich
  35. a b Website of the Upfingen-Sirchingen parish
  36. Description of the Oberamt Urach , Volume 8, Cotta, 1831, p. 211
  37. ^ Website of the parish of Zainingen
  38. ^ Website of the parish of Hayingen
  39. ^ Website of the parish of Zwiefalten

Web links

Changes in the meantime taken into account