Künzelsau church district

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Basic data
Regional Church :	Evangelical Church in Württemberg
Prelature :	Heilbronn
Area :	186 km²
Structure:	18 parishes
Parishioners:	approx. 16,640 (December 31, 2009)
Address of the Dean's Office :	Konsul-Ubele-Str. 18 74653 Künzelsau
Dean :
map

The Evangelical Church District Künzelsau is one of 44 church districts or church districts of the Evangelical Church in Württemberg . Its area is congruent with the Deanery Künzelsau.

geography

The Künzelsau church district is in the north of the Württemberg regional church. Its area includes the north and east of the Hohenlohekreis , i.e. the area of ​​the political cities and communities Dörzbach , Ingelfingen , Künzelsau , Mulfingen , Niedernhall , Schöntal , Weißbach and some districts of the city of Krautheim .

Neighboring church districts

The church district of Künzelsau borders the following church districts (starting clockwise in the northeast): Weikersheim , Blaufelden , Schwäbisch Hall , Öhringen and Neuenstadt am Kocher (all Heilbronn prelature). In the northwest it has a border with the Evangelical Church in Baden ( Adelsheim-Boxberg church district ).

history

Before 1803, the area of ​​today's Deanery Künzelsau belonged mainly to the historical Hohenlohe landscape , which was partly divided into several lines. The Reformation in this area was introduced until 1556, but the Schöntal area remained Catholic. The Hohenlohe residence town of Ingelfingen was in today's church district. Künzelsau itself initially belonged to the Hohenlohe superintendent of Weikersheim, from 1756 to Neuenstein and finally to Ingelfingen, which existed until the transition to Württemberg. Then Ingelfingen became the seat of a Württemberg dean's office in 1807. The first parish priest of Ingelfingen was appointed dean. The seat of the deanery was relocated to Künzelsau on December 31, 1824, thus connecting the position with the first parish office at the Künzelsau town church. The deanery Ingelfingen or Künzelsau belonged from 1807 to the generalate Schöntal, from 1823 to the generalate Schwäbisch Hall and from 1913 to the generalate Heilbronn, from which today's prelature of Heilbronn emerged.

As a result of the dissolution of some districts or higher offices in Württemberg in 1939, the church administrative districts were also partially restructured. So with effect from April 1, 1939, the parish of Ettenhausen was reclassified to the church district of Blaufelden. Furthermore, with effect from April 1, 1947, the parish of Braunsbach was reclassified to the Schwäbisch Hall church district.

Head of the church district

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

Deans of the church district Ingelfingen and Künzelsau since 1807

• 1807 Christian Friedrich Knapp, dean in Ingelfingen; Court preacher and consistorial councilor in Ingelfingen since 1768
• 1808–1824 Johann Friedrich Breitschwerdt, Dean in Ingelfingen
• 1825–1827 Karl Leopold Friedrich Bauer, Dean in Künzelsau; from 1805 city pastor in Künzelsau
• 1828–1829 Christian Friedrich Wolff
• 1829–1838 Johann Ernst Gleissberg
• 1838–1854 Sigmund Friedrich Cranz
• 1854–1864 Hermann Bauer
• 1864–1872 Wilhelm Max Theodor von Biberstein
• 1872–1891 Konstantin Agathon Böckheler
• 1892–1898 Theodor Christoph Lencker (1847–1907)
• 1898–1917 Nathanael Böckheler
• 1918–1934 Eduard Leonhardt
• 1935–1948 Hermann Kieser
• 1948–1957 Otto Hermann
• 1957–1966 Helmut Betsch
• 1966–1985 Karl Tramer (* 1921)
• 1985–1994 Wolfgang Kirchner (* 1930)
• 1995-2004 Peter Guske (* 1939)
• 2004–2010 Ursula Kannenberg (* 1965)
• since October 9, 2011: Friedemann Richert (* 1959)

Parishes

There are a total of 15 parishes in the Künzelsau church district. Four of these parishes have merged to form two total parishes, but remain independent corporations under public law. The parish numbers given in brackets after the name of the parish relate to the year 2019 and have been rounded.

The area of ​​the church district Künzelsau belonged mainly to the historical Hohenlohe landscape. Like Württemberg, the Counts of Hohenlohe introduced the Reformation early on. Therefore, the area is predominantly evangelical. There is therefore a Protestant parish and mostly an old church in almost every village. Only the places of today's parish Schöntal and parts of the parishes Buchenbach (Jagstberg), Dörzbach (Altkrautheim, Laibach, Meßbach and Rengershausen), Hohebach (Ailringen), Hollenbach (Mulfingen) and Künzelsau ( Amrichshausen and Nagelsberg) remained Catholic . In all other places, Catholics did not move in until after the Second World War.

The 15 parishes are united in four districts. Within the districts, the parishes work together in various areas. The parishes of Künzelsau, Morsbach and Kocherstetten belong to District I Oberes Kochertal. Ingelfingen, Dörrenzimmern, Belsenberg and Hermuthausen belong to District II Mittleres Kochertal, the parishes of Niedernhall, Weißbach, Crispenhofen and Schöntal belong to District III Unteres Kochertal and the parishes of Hohebach, Dörzbach, Hollenbach and Buchenbach-Eberbach belong to District IV Jagsttal.

Belsenberg parish

The parish of Belsenberg (approx. 245 parishioners) comprises the districts of Belsenberg and Steinbach (excluding Büttelbronn and Wolfsölden) of the city of Künzelsau. A pastor is named in Belsenberg as early as 1275. In 1307 the patronage of the church came to the Öhringen monastery, through which the Reformation was introduced. Remains of the oldest church in the village can still be found in the choir of today's church. In 1951 frescoes were exposed. In 1707/08 the tower was rebuilt on the west side. In 1873 the church was renovated. Steinbach initially belonged to Amrichshausen , but after the Reformation it was assigned to the Belsenberg parish, while the Steinbach hamlets of Büttelbronn (since 1958 part of the Hermuthausen parish) and Wolfsölden were assigned to the Buchenbach parish.

Buchenbach-Eberbach parish

The parish Buchenbach-Eberbach (approx. 710) comprises the districts Buchenbach, Berndshofen, Bodenhof, Heimhausen, Hohenrot, Jagstberg, Unterer Railhof and Oberer Railhof of the municipality of Mulfingen as well as the districts of Berndshausen, Nitzenhausen and Wolfsölden of the city of Künzelsau. Besides Hollenbach, Buchenbach is the only predominantly Protestant district in the community of Mulfingen.

The church in Buchenbach, consecrated to St. Mary, Dionysius, Albanus, Erasmus, Barbara, Dorothea, Maria Magdalena, was first mentioned in 1405, but is much older. In 1695 the church was structurally renewed. In the previous Romanesque building from the 13th century, frescoes were uncovered in the basement of the choir in 1954. The church contains tombs of the Lords of Stetten . The districts of Berndshausen, Nitzenhausen and Wolfsölden, which today belong to the city of Künzelsau, have been Buchenbach branches since the Reformation. There are no churches there.

Jagstberg remained Catholic after the Reformation as the property of the Würzburg monastery. Protestants only moved to Jagstberg after the Second World War. They were assigned to the neighboring Evangelical parish of Buchenbach.

Until 1958, the hamlet of Büttelbronn, which is now part of the Steinbach district of Künzelsau, was part of the Buchenbach parish. By the announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on October 11, 1958, it was assigned to the parish of Hermuthausen and is therefore looked after by the Belsenberg parish.

Crispenhofen parish

The parish of Crispenhofen (approx. 280) comprises the district of Crispenhofen of the community of Weißbach and the district of Diebach of the city of Ingelfingen. Ecclesiastically, Crispenhofen initially belonged to Forchtenberg but became its own parish in 1344. Around 1560 the patronage rights of the church were transferred from the Amorbach monastery to Hohenlohe. The church was built in 1344. It was enlarged in 1625/26. In 1955 it was renovated.

Diebach remained Catholic after the Reformation. The few Protestants belong to the Crispenhofen parish, which is looked after by the Weißbach parish.

Parish Dörrenzimmern

The parish of Dörrenzimmern (approx. 650) comprises the districts Dörrenzimmern, Bühlhof, Eberstal, Eschenhof and Stachenhausen of the city of Ingelfingen, the districts of Oberginsbach and Unterginsbach of the city of Krautheim and the districts of Marlach and Sindeldorf of the municipality of Schöntal.

Dörrenzimmern originally belonged to Marlach. In 1475, the Bishop of Würzburg elevated the St. Kilian chapel, which belonged to the Wertheim rulership, to the parish church, to which the towns of Eberstal, Stachenhausen and Bühlhof were assigned. Via the heirs of Wertheim the place came to Hohenlohe in 1572, who introduced the Reformation. Eberstal was later Catholicized again and assigned to the parish of Sindeldorf. In 1831 the dilapidated church in Dörrenzimmern was demolished and in 1832 today's Kilian's Church was built. In addition to the church, the parishes also own a village community center (DGH). The few Protestant residents of Eberstal are (again) part of the Dörrenzimmern parish today.

Oberginsbach and Unterginsbach, two of the three Württemberg districts of the city of Krautheim (the third is Altkrautheim), remained Catholic as possessions of the Mainz bishopric after the Reformation. Most of the Protestants who moved there only after the Second World War were assigned to the Dörzbach parish.

After the Reformation, Marlach and Sindeldorf remained Catholic as possessions of the Mainz and Würzburg monasteries. Protestants who were assigned to the parish of Dörrenzimmern moved into the districts that are now part of the Schöntal community, mainly after the Second World War.

Parish Dörzbach

The parish Dörzbach (approx. 900) includes the municipality Dörzbach with the exception of the district Hohebach, which forms its own parish, as well as the district Altkrautheim of the city of Krautheim and the district of Rengershausen of the city of Bad Mergentheim.

A pastor was first mentioned in Dörzbach in 1329. The place originally belonged to the parish of Rengershausen. The original parish was Ailringen (Martinskirche) as an "offshoot" of the Stöckenburg (Martinskirche) near Vellberg . The patronage of the church came in 1491 to the Lords of Berlichingen as a Würzburg fiefdom. The Reformation was introduced by 1561. The nave of the Dreifaltigkeitskirche was enlarged in 1660, the choir tower probably dating from the 15th century. The church has several tombs of the Lords of Berlichingen.

The districts of Laibach and Meßbach, which also belong to the parish and the community of Dörzbach, were temporarily Protestant after the Reformation, but then became Catholic again due to changing rulers in the respective local castle. Altkrautheim, one of the three Wuerttemberg districts of the city of Krautheim, formerly owned by the Order of St. John, and Rengershausen as formerly owned by the Teutonic Order, remained Catholic after the Reformation. Most of the Protestants who moved to these places only after the Second World War were all assigned to the Dörzbach parish. The patronage of the church was held by the family of the Barons von Eyb (in Dörzbach Castle since 1601).

Total parish of Döttingen

The entire parish of Döttingen (approx. 400) includes the districts of Döttingen and Steinkirchen in the community of Braunsbach. It was established by announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on July 31, 1972 and consists of the two following parishes Döttingen and Steinkirchen. In a letter dated May 12, 1972, the Ministry of Education recognized the entire church community in Döttingen as a public corporation.

As early as 1934 there was a total parish of Döttingen, consisting of the two parishes of Döttingen and Jungholzhausen. Through the announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on August 15, 1934, the former parish of Jungholzhausen was separated from the overall parish of Döttingen, reclassified to the church district Schwäbisch Hall and assigned to the local parish of Orlach , with whose parish Jungholzhausen has since formed the new overall parish of Orlach .

With effect from January 1, 2011, the entire parish moved to the Schwäbisch Hall church district . Together with the other Braunsbach parishes, it forms the new overall parish of Braunsbach.

Parish Hermuthausen

The parish of Hermuthausen (approx. 420) comprises the districts of Hermuthausen and Weldingsfelden of the city of Ingelfingen and the hamlet of Büttelbronn belonging to the Steinbach district of Künzelsau. Ecclesiastically Hermuthausen was always a branch of Belsenberg, from whose rectory the parish of Hermuthausen is looked after until today. Hermuthausen already owned a church before the Reformation. Of this, however, only the late Gothic tower remains, to which a new flat-roofed nave was added in 1612/13. Weldingsfelden belongs to the parish of Hohebach until 1956 and was assigned to the parish of Hermuthausen by an announcement of the upper church council on January 12, 1956.

The hamlet of Büttelbronn, which today belongs to the Künzelsau district of Steinbach, belonged to the parish of Buchenbach until 1958 and was assigned to the parish of Hermuthausen by an announcement by the upper church council on October 11, 1958.

Parish of Hohebach

The parish of Hohebach (approx. 480) comprises the district of Hohebach with the hamlets of Eisenhutsrot, Heßlachshof and Wendischenhof of the municipality of Dörzbach and the districts of Ailringen and Seidelklingen of the municipality of Mulfingen.

A pastor is mentioned in Hohebach as early as 1238. Through the Reformation the place came to Hohenlohe. The Jakobuskirche should go back to the 11th century. It was originally consecrated to Maria and Katharina. After the partial demolition in 1859, the nave was rebuilt in 1860. The Romanesque tower was preserved. A fundamental interior renovation with wood and concrete was carried out in 1967/68. In 2001, the church received an altarpiece, the "Hohebacher Heilsgeschichte", made by students from the Künzelsau high school. The parish hall with the vaulted cellar was built into the former tithe barn from 1622 in 1985.

Ailringen remained Catholic after the Reformation as the possession of the Teutonic Order. Most of the Protestants who moved there only after the Second World War were assigned to the parish of Hohebach. Weldingsfelden was a subsidiary of Hohebach from an early age. After the Reformation was first introduced, Schöntal was able to partially re-Catholicize the place from 1624. Nevertheless, Protestant residents always stayed in Weldingsfelden. They still belong to the Hohebach parish today.

Until 1956, the Weldingsfelden district of the city of Ingelfingen also belonged to the Hohebach parish. By the announcement of the Oberkirchenrat on January 12, 1956, Weldingsfelden was detached from the parish of Hohebach and assigned to the parish of Hermuthausen, which is looked after by the Belsenberg parish.

Parish of Hollenbach

The parish of Hollenbach (approx. 490) includes the districts of Hollenbach and Mulfingen (core town) of the community of Mulfingen. A church in Hollenbach was donated to the Teutonic Order by Hohenlohe in 1223, but was acquired again by Hohenlohe after the Reformation. Today's Evangelical St. Stephen's Church was built in the 13th century and expanded in the 14th century. The tower was raised in 1739 and renovated in 1959/60. Wall paintings were exposed.

Mulfingen and the Simprechtshausen, which belonged to the 19th century as a branch, remained Catholic after the Reformation as the property of the Würzburg monastery. Protestants only moved to these places after the Second World War. They were assigned to the neighboring evangelical parish of Hollenbach, while Simprechtshausen was reclassified to the parish of Herrentierbach (at that time parish of Langenburg, today Blaufelden) by an announcement by the upper church council on January 9, 1958.

Ingelfingen parish

The parish of Ingelfingen (approx. 1,490) comprises the core town and the Criesbach district of the city of Ingelfingen. In terms of church, Ingelfingen was initially a branch of what is now the much smaller Belsenberg. But a church is mentioned as early as 1293. Ingelfingen became its own parish around 1335. The tower of today's Protestant parish church probably dates from the 13th century. Around 1490 a new building was built, the nave of which was completed in 1501 and the choir with its close-meshed vaulted vaults in 1502. The church was dedicated to St. Nicholas. In 1556 the Reformation was introduced in Ingelfingen and a new church order was issued. At the beginning of the 16th century, the church was painted with ornamental foliage on the windows and with numerous figurative representations in the choir and nave. The Christopherus, patron saint of travelers and protector against sudden death, on the south side of the nave dates from this time and was uncovered during the last church renovation in 1976. In 1698 the royal box was built. A little later, the two wooden choir galleries were installed. In the first half of the 18th century, the nave was rebuilt and redesigned in Baroque style and a crypt for the Counts of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen was laid under the choir. Galleries were built in for the community, but they were demolished during the last church renovation. The St. Anna cemetery chapel was built in 1518 and renovated in 1977/78.

There is no church in the associated town of Criesbach. But Criesbach formed an independent parish until 1925. By the announcement of the upper church council on February 2, 1925, this was united with the parish of Ingelfingen.

Parish of Kocherstetten

The parish of Kocherstetten (approx. 680) comprises the districts of Kocherstetten, Bienenhof, Buchenmühle, Mäusdorf , Stetten Castle and Vogelsberg in the city of Künzelsau. The place belonged ecclesiastically to the neighboring Steinkirchen until 1366. The Lords of Stetten then set up their own parish, which was only confirmed by the cathedral chapter in Würzburg in 1394. The right of patronage belonged to the Comburg monastery, which could not prevent the introduction of the Reformation. The current parish church of St. Maria was built in the 14th century. The nave was refurbished in 1510 and 1620. It contains tombs of the von Stetten family and high Gothic wall paintings in the choir. In addition to the Marienkirche in Kocherstetten, church services are also regularly celebrated in the castle chapel at Stetten Castle. The castle chapel was consecrated in 1436 and renovated in 1677. It contains a crucifix by Hans Jakob Sommer.

The hamlet of Mäusdorf, which belongs to Kocherstetten, formed its own branch parish of Kocherstetten until 1931. On January 22, 1931, the Oberkirchenrat announced that the branch parish of Mäusdorf was abolished and merged with the parent parish of Kocherstetten.

Künzelsau parish

The parish of Künzelsau (approx. 4,500) includes the core town and the districts of Amrichshausen , Etzlinsweiler, Gaisbach, Garnberg, Haag, Kemmeten, Künsbach (communally and by post, Kupferzell), Nagelsberg and Taläcker of the city of Künzelsau.

A church in Künzelsau is mentioned as early as 1090. It was consecrated to John the Baptist and was renewed in 1290. The Comburg monastery initially had the right of patronage. In 1483 it was placed under the protection of Hohenlohe, which finally received patronage rights in 1622. Since Künzelsau owned several so-called Ganerbe, the Reformation only gradually took hold. The Counter-Reformation by Bishop Julius Echter failed, but led to the separation of Nagelsberg, which became Catholic again. The other places belonging to the parish such as B. Garnberg and Kemmeten stayed with Künzelsau.

Today's Johanneskirche still has early Gothic parts in the choir and in the lower part of the tower. From 1612 to 1617 the nave, which was divided into three parts, was expanded. Four years later the tower was raised. The porch is from 1913. The cemetery church was built in 1575 and renovated in 2008 inside. A Wolfgang chapel was profaned in 1806.

There are no old churches in the villages and hamlets belonging to the parish of Künzelsau. However, parish halls were built in Gaisbach, Taläcker (a new part of the city that was built in the 1990s) and Garnberg, in which regular services take place next to the Johanneskirche in Künzelsau. In the summer months there are also services in the Künzelsau cemetery church. There are four pastors working in the Künzelsau parish today. The parish office I is also the dean's office, supplies the core city and Garnberg together with the parish office II, which also has the administration of the parish Morsbach. Pfarrstelle III is responsible for Gaisbach and the surrounding villages, Pfarrstelle IV (created permanently since 2007) is responsible for the Taläcker area.

Amrichshausen belonged to the rulership of the neighboring Jagstberg. It remained or was just like the Nagelsberg branch, which belonged to it after the re-Catholicization, and was Catholic after the Reformation. After the arrival of Protestants, mainly after the Second World War, they were assigned to the Künzelsau parish.

Morsbach parish

The parish of Morsbach (approx. 280) comprises the Morsbach district of the city of Künzelsau. Ecclesiastically, the place always belonged to the parish of Künzelsau, but had its own church and thus forms its own parish to this day. The fortified church of St. Alban and St. Wendelin was laid out at the beginning of the 14th century. The half-timbered structure on the nave and tower dates from the 15th century. The windows on the south side were subsequently broken into in 1847. The interior is adorned with wall paintings from the end of the 15th century, which were uncovered in 1958. The altar crucifix was added in the 18th century.

Parish of Niedernhall

The parish of Niedernhall (approx. 1,640) includes the city of Niedernhall. Like the neighboring Ingelfingen, Niedernhall belonged to the church of Belsenberg until the 14th century. Pastors have been mentioned since 1291. Until 1453 three spiritual benefices were donated to the Laurentiuskirche. The Reformation took place in a lengthy process that dragged on for centuries. The community was torn between its two sovereigns, the Protestant prince of Hohenlohe and the Catholic Archbishop of Mainz. Even after the Reformation was finally introduced, a bailiff of the archbishop still had a seat in the Protestant church for two centuries.

Today's Laurentiuskirche was originally a three-aisled basilica with a choir tower, which was built between 1210 and 1230. In the 14th and 15th centuries it was Gothicized and then changed several times. In 1955 the church was renovated. The tower was raised in the 18th century.

Parish of Schöntal

The entire parish of Schöntal (approx. 700) includes the community of Schöntal without Sindeldorf, Marlach and Winzenhofen, i.e. the districts of Aschhausen, Bieringen, Oberkessach, Schöntal Monastery (with Rossach) and Westernhausen with all the associated hamlets and residential areas. It consists of the two following parishes Schöntal and Rossach. With effect from January 1, 2012, the Schöntal parish became the Schöntal parish. The parish of Rossach was dissolved.

Parish of Schöntal

The parish of Schöntal includes the community of Schöntal with the exception of the districts of Marlach and Sindeldorf (both belong to the parish of Dörrenzimmern), Rossach (forms its own parish) and Winzenhofen (belongs to the Baden parish of Neunstetten).

The area of ​​today's municipality of Schöntal belonged to the bishopric of Mainz or the Schöntal monastery and therefore remained predominantly Catholic after the Reformation. After the transition to Württemberg, a Protestant seminary was set up in the previous monastery in 1810 and a Protestant community established. In 1846 the Protestants from Aschhausen, Berlichingen, Bieringen, Neuhof, Oberkessach and Westernhausen as well as the residential areas of Schöntal were assigned to it. The early Gothic forecourt chapel of the former Cistercian monastery with approx. 120 seats and a Tzschökel organ still serves as the church. The rectory is located in the gatehouse of the monastery entrance. In 1975 the seminar was closed and the buildings were sold to the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, which today runs the Catholic educational center of Kloster Schöntal there.

Parish of Rossach

The parish of Rossach comprises the district of Rossach in the community of Schöntal. Ecclesiastically, Rossach belonged to Oberkessach, then to Jagsthausen, Leibenstadt and Korb. In 1846 it was assigned to the Schöntal parish founded in 1810, but forms its own parish.

Parish of Weißbach

Evang. Weissbach Church

The parish of Weißbach (approx. 560) includes the core of the municipality of Weißbach. In terms of church, Weißbach was a branch of Forchtenberg until 1344, then of Crispenhofen. The Church of Our Lady and Peter was built as a chapel by the Amorbach Monastery around 1380. In 1709 the nave and the tower were increased. In 1958, frescoes from the early days of the chapel were uncovered on the long wall. The parish in Weißbach also looks after the neighboring parish of Crispenhofen.

literature

• The Evangelical Württemberg - Its church offices and clergymen from the Reformation to the present . 1910 (collected and edited by Christian Sigel, pastor in Gebersheim).

• Landesarchivdirektion Baden-Württemberg (Ed.): The state of Baden-Württemberg - official description by districts and communities. Volume IV: Stuttgart District - Regional Associations Franconia and East Wuerttemberg . Stuttgart 1980, ISBN 3-17-005708-1 (in eight volumes).

Web links

• Evangelical church district Künzelsau

Individual evidence

1. ^ Additional literature for Dörzbach: Jürgen Hermann Rauser: Dörzbacher Heimatbuch. Dörzbach community, Dörzbach 1980 ( Hohenlohekreis local library . Volume 3)
2. ↑ http://www.stimme.de/hohenlohe/nachrichten/kuenzelsau/sonstige;art1912,2044924