List of Unterländer Altars

The list of Unterländer Altars contains a list of important, pre-Reformation altar works and altar fragments (from the period from 1350 to 1540) that are or have been in the area around Heilbronn (compilation based on Gräf 1983, see literature).

Count No.	place	designation	Remarks	image
A 1	Bad Friedrichshall - Kochendorf , St. Barbara	Kilian's altar	The carved altar was in the cemetery chapel in Hagenbach for a long time before the construction of the Barbarakirche , its original location is unknown. In the rectangular central shrine there are carved and colored relief depictions of St. Kilian and his two companions Kolonat and Tothnan, beneath intersecting segmental arches with tendril decoration. The shrine is attributed to the master of the Schwaigerner Marien Altar from around 1525. The side-mounted wings, which are painted with depictions of Saints Sebastian and Anthony, are smaller than one half of the shrine and therefore probably come from another altar. For the painting on the wings, a journeyman of the master of the Wimpfen Vesper Altarpiece , also from around 1525, may be considered.
A 2	Bad Wimpfen , Protestant town church	Quirinus Altar	Winged altar with additional fixed wings. Three fully plastic, colored standing figures (Quirinus with Katharina and Dorothea) in the central shrine, wing insides with colored relief carvings (Martyrdoms of Katharina and Quirinus), three colored fully plastic half-figures of female saints in the preaching shrine. Outer wing, inactive wing and predella sides painted with figures of saints. Dated 1500, presumably by Master Moler from Wimpfen , who created the Wimpfen Quirinus altar. Certainly a trained master, clear Nuremberg influences.
A 3	Bad Wimpfen , Protestant town church	Vespers image altar	Winged altar. Three-quarter plastic, colored depiction of Mary with the deceased Jesus and two female saints in the central shrine, colored relief carvings with two saints on the inside of the wings. Predellanic niches with many figures, painted in color, depicting purgatory. Outside of the wing painted with saints, predella sides with ornaments. Dated 1519. Painting related to the Kilians altar in Kochendorf. Certainly a trained master, echoes of Dürer and Grünewald.
A 4	Cheap home , Michaelskirche	Mary Altar	Once in Billigheim Castle (1803–1902) , owned by the parish since around 1880. Middle shrine of a winged altar with colored high relief carving: Madonna and Child surrounded by six female saints. Stylistically related to the Schwaigerner Marienaltar and probably like this one in a Heilbronn workshop around 1530/35 and painted by Jerg Kugler .
A 5	Bönnigheim , Cyriakus Church	Cyriac altar	Stepped winged altar. Central shrine with colored, carved full and half figures (epiphany and prophets). Wing insides (Anna selbdritt, saint, appointment of Peter, founder) and predella (communion scene) as colored relief carvings. Outside of the wing painted with the Annunciation and the Death of Mary. Rich foliage canopies in the central shrine and on the inner wings. Additionally standing figures (man of sorrows and saints) in the shrine. The case and reliefs were probably made shortly before 1500, possibly with the help of the Bietigheim master, with whom Jerg Kugler was an apprentice. Standing figures and prophets in the shrine, presumably on the Upper Rhine.
A 6	Brackenheim - Stockheim , Ulrichskirche	Ulrich altar	Winged altar with additional fixed wings. Three colored, semi-sculptural relief figures (St. Ulrich with Peter and Paul) in the central shrine. On each of the inner wings there is a figure of a saint as a colored bas-relief. Above each, rich foliage canopies. Full plastic half-figures of the church fathers in four predella niches. Rich burst with crucifixion group under tracery canopies. The outside of the wing is painted with an annunciation scene, the inactive wing is painted with female saints. Carvings are stylistically related to the Schwaigerner Marienaltar from 1523 and were probably made after this. The outside of the wing and the inactive wing were probably painted by Jerg Kugler .
A 7	Ellhofen , Church of the Holy Cross, St. Peter and Genoveva	Genoveva altar	Winged altar. Staggered central shrine with fully plastic, colored standing figures (adoration of the kings) and half-length prophets. Inside of the wing each with two colored bas-reliefs with scenes from the Annunciation to the Circumcision of Christ. Rich foliage canopies in each case. Three colored, fully plastic half-figures in the predella niche (Man of Sorrows with Maria and Johannes). Burst with three figures of saints under tracery canopies. The outside of the wing is painted with two scenes each (the birth of Christ and the Adoration of the Magi as well as two scenes from the Genoveva legend). Made around 1515. Carving from the Heilbronn workshop of the successor to Hans Seyfer . Models for painting the outside of the wing: Schongauer engraving B 4 and Dürer woodcut B 87 from 1511.
A 8	Flein , St. Vitus Church	Vitus Altar	Winged altar. Three colored, fully plastic figures (St. Vitus with Barbara and Pope Gregor) in the three-part, staggered chapel shrine with acanthus canopies that continue in the burst. Wings inside with scenes of the legend of St. Vitus, outside each with two female saints. Predella painted with donors in front of Veit and Veit between teacher and nurse. Remnants of further painting on the back of the shrine and the back of the predella. Dated 1517. Carving in Upper Swabian style without assignment to a specific workshop. Painting on wings and predella by Jerg Kugler.
A 9	Gundelsheim , Nikolauskirche	Anne Altar	Compiled from the remains of two or three older altars on the occasion of a church renovation in 1770 and provided with a baroque frame. Colored relief depiction of Anna herself in the central shrine and three-dimensional figures (Katharina and Barbara) on the side around 1500, predella with a filigree carved root Jesse around 1525.
A 10	Heilbronn , Kilian's Church	Kilian's altar	Winged altar made of linden wood, unmounted. In the central shrine, fully plastic standing figures of the apocalyptic Madonna surrounded by Perus, Paulus, Laurentius and Stephanus under a vine canopy with further saints in niches. In the predella niche there are three-dimensional busts of the Man of Sorrows with Mary and John and the four church fathers. Four biblical scenes as relief carvings on the wings. Rich burst with crucifixion group and other figures of saints. Dated 1498, the production by Hans Seyfer is documented, the relief carving of the wings was probably done by assistants.
A 11	Heilbronn - Neckargartach , Peterskirche	Peter and Paul altar	Winged altar with inactive wings, dated 1516, limewood. Three fully plastic, colored figures of saints (Peter with Paul and Johannes Baptist) in the central shrine, four fully plastic, colored half-figures of the church fathers in the niche. Folding leaves inside and outside as well as inactive leaves painted with scenes from various legends of saints. The back of the shrine was once painted with Veronica's handkerchief (destroyed by storm in 1897). Central shrine, predella and inner wing with foliage canopies.
A 12	Neckarmühlbach , Guttenberg Castle ( Castle Museum)	Cross altar	Once in the castle chapel. Simple winged altar with attached colored crucifix in the rectangular central shrine, which is unadorned except for painting. Left inside of the wing with representation of a bishop and kneeling donor (?), Right inside with representation of St. Wolfgang. Outside of wing painted over. Shrine and wings made of softwood, the wings are probably painted by different hands, but all components are probably from around 1490–1500.
A 13	Neckarmühlbach , Guttenberg Castle ( Castle Museum)	Altar with Madonna in protective cloak	Once in the castle chapel, where there are two ciborias, dated 1518 and 1526, one of which carried this triptych. Winged altar with carved and colored multi-figure protective cloak Madonna scene in the central shrine. The inside of the wing (originally outside) painted with scenes from the life of Mary and with St. Elisabeth of Thuringia. The outside of the wing (originally the inside) only shows remnants of painting. The wings were reversed in order to present the opened altar with well-preserved wing sides. The carvings of the altar resemble those of the Wimpfen Quirinus altar (presumably Master Moler from Wimpfen ) and to a certain extent also those of the Neudenau Gangolf altar . The composition of the painting also seems to be related to the Neudenau Gangolfs altar, but the execution indicates a clearly different hand. A workshop in Wimpfen around 1500 may be considered for the production of the altar.
A 14	Neudenau , Gangolf Chapel	Gangolf altar	Winged altar. In the center shrine three fully plastic, colored standing figures of Gangolf with two companions under tendril canopies. Further standing figures (Man of Sorrows with Maria and Johannes) once in the altar extract. In the predella niche three fully plastic, colored busts of Anna Selbdritt as well as two female saints, predella painted on the left and right with further busts of saints. The inside of the wing is painted with two scenes from the legend of Gangolf, the outside of the wing is painted with two saints each. On the back wall of the shrine dated 1501. Stylistically, the altar is similar to the Wimpfen Quirinus altar, the same painter (Moler from Wimpfen?) Is possible.
A 15	Neudenau , Gangolf Chapel	Mary Altar	Winged altar with three fully plastic, colored standing figures (Madonna and Child with Johannes Baptist and Johannes Evangelist) around 1470. Parts of the shrine probably also from that period, but painted over later. Predella painted with Veronica's handkerchief. Painting of the inner wings with female saints by Hans Peter Heymann in 1688.
A 16	Oberstenfeld , collegiate church	Passion altar	Winged altar with a painted rectangular central panel showing a multi-figure scene of the carrying of the cross with small depictions of the original donors (Stephan Schreiber and his wife Adelheid from Kirchheim unter Teck) in the corners. On each of the painted inner wings there are two scenes from the Passion. Outside of the wing painted with St. Stephan and Katharina as well as Anna selbdritt and St. Adelheid, in front of that the original donors. The predella is painted with the kneeling donor family of Wolf von Weiler and Brigitta Willich von Alzey and their coat of arms. The altar, dated 1512, was originally in the Güterstein Charterhouse (Urach) and was acquired in 1578 for the burial place of the Lords of Weiler , where it received its current predella, while the original predella could have shown the Man of Sorrows or a burial. In terms of style and motif, the altar refers to the Franconian circle of painters, v. a. on the succession of Dürer and on woodcuts by Hans Schäufelin. The Kirchheim master Wolfgang Bretzger is suggested as the painter.
A 17	Oedheim , Mauritius Church	Mary Altar	The 115 cm wide and 139 cm high shrine contains three colored, fully plastic standing figures of the apocalyptic Madonna flanked by Ambrosius and Hieronymus under a segmented arch decorated with little foliage in the corners. The insides of the wings show Maria Magdalena and Barbara, each as colored relief carvings. Like the shrine, the predella niche is closed by folding wings. The predella and inner wings of the predella show colored relief busts of the twelve apostles. The painted outer wings show a scene of the Annunciation that extends over both wings, the outer sides of the predelle wings are not painted. The picture program is neither thematically nor stylistically self-contained, possibly. the altar was assembled from independently developed components. Reliefs and figures probably from around 1500, with different hands being assumed for the shrine and the predella. Annunciation scene on the outer wings from the 19th century, shrine perhaps from that time.
A 18	Schwaigern , Johanneskirche	Barbara Altar	The altar was commissioned from Jerg Ratgeb by Georg Wilhelm von Neipperg in 1510 and is designed as a triptych with wings painted on both sides. The altar shows the legend of Saint Barbara in eleven scenes and her decapitation as the central motif in the foreground of the central panel. On the left wing you can see Jesus with Maria Magdalena in the foreground, the right wing shows scenes from the life of the apostle Paul. The predella shows two angels with instruments of torture and has asymmetrically sawn-out sides and a small central niche. The central panel is 168 cm high and 98 cm wide. The wings are each 168 cm high and 49 cm wide. The altar bears the inscription SPES PREMII SOLACIUM LABO IMR 1510 on the lower frame of the central picture. The Latin saying means: The hope of recognition is the consolation of work. The signet IMR is that of the painter Jerg Ratgeb, 1510 is the year of creation. The altar was probably made in Heilbronn and was hung in the second side chapel next to the tombs of Ludwig and Anna von Neipperg until 1910.
A 19	Schwaigern , Johanneskirche	Mary Altar	The Marien altar is made of linden wood as a triptych. The altar, which is more than eight meters high, shows the dying Mary surrounded by disciples in the middle picture as a colored high relief. The altar wings show colored reliefs with scenes from the life of Mary: Annunciation, Visitation, Birth of Jesus and Adoration of the Kings. The painted outer sides of the wings each have two image fields with two depictions of saints each, namely Georg and Ursula, Katharina and Quirinus, Florian and Christophorus as well as Johannes and a bishop who cannot be identified in detail due to a lack of attributes. Colored figures of Barbara and Margarete can be seen on the inactive leaves. The shrine is 1.74 meters high and 1.53 meters wide. In the 5.75 meter high crack of the altar, fully plastic standing figures of a mercy seat and two saints are set up under towering pinnacles. The motifs of the altar go u. a. probably based on an engraving by Martin Schongauer (Marientod) and Albrecht Dürer's life of the Virgin Mary. Different hands can be distinguished when performing the carving. The carver of the three-dimensional figures could have been trained by the Upper Rhine master HL. The altar was probably made in a workshop in Heilbronn; the painting of the altar is largely attributed to Jerg Kugler, who was then active in Heilbronn, due to the initials IK, the dating 1523 and the stylistic proximity to the Fleiner St. Vitus Altar.
A 20	Schwaigern , Johanneskirche	Crispinus and Eligius Altar	Carved altar around 1520. Shrine and wings are made of spruce wood, the figures are made of linden wood. The altar dedicated to Crispinus and Eligius shows scenes from the life of the saints on the wings as relief carvings: on the left two group pictures from the legend of the brothers Crispinus and Crispinianus (above the martyrdom of the brothers, below the saints with their characteristic shoe), on the right below the horse miracle attributed to Saint Eligius, above a scene that cannot be properly interpreted. The three-dimensional standing figures in the middle are Jakobus, Archangel Michael (with sword) and Margaret, the figures in the altar extract depict St. Martin, the Man of Sorrows and Nicholas. The outside of the wings, the inactive wings and the predellanic niche of the altar are empty, but originally also carried Figure decorations. In the Landesmuseum Württemberg in Stuttgart there are three holy linden wood reliefs from Schwaigern, which were probably once part of the working day side of the altar.
A 21	Schwaigern , Johanneskirche	Martyr altar	The martyr's altar is a carved altar with a housing made of spruce wood, the figures of the shrine and the wings, which are in low or half relief, are carved from linden wood. The central shrine is 174 cm high and 123 cm wide. It shows the legend of the 10,000 martyrs around Achatius of Armenia as a half-relief. The inside of the wings show half-reliefs of Mary with the baby Jesus and the evangelist John. The center shrine and the insides of the wings are each decorated with tendril canopies. The outside of the wings show Christopherus on the left and Sebastian on the right as half-reliefs. The inner wings once had elaborate foliage similar to that of the central shrine. Half-reliefs of Katharina (left) and Barbara (right) can be seen on the inactive wings. A crucifixion group in the form of full figures has been preserved in the altar extract from what was once the more complex explosion. On the right of the predella, next to a relief carving of Anna herself, a kneeling female donor is shown in the same manner, the corresponding donor figure is missing from the missing spot on the left. What is striking about the altar is the contrast between the moving scene in the central shrine, which is based on a motif reproduced several times by Albrecht Dürer, with the calm figures of saints on the wings, which are otherwise rarely found in the area. The half-reliefs on the outside of the wings, which also have no regional equivalent, are just as extraordinary. Only the inactive wing reliefs of the altar in the Bonifatius Church in Braunsbach come close to them stylistically. The altar can be seen as a continuation of the techniques of Niclas Gerhaert van Leyden and Tilman Riemenschneider and was therefore probably made around 1520-25.
A 22	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	Mary Altar	from Lichtenstern Monastery
B 1	Bad Friedrichshall - Duttenberg , Kilian's Church	Pietà	Colored full sculpture made of lime wood, probably originally from the Duttenberg Kreuzkapelle , dated around 1380 for stylistic considerations.
B 2	Bad Wimpfen , Dominican Church	Pietà	Colored clay sculpture, dated 1416 with an inscription on the reverse. Face, hair and materiality of the figure show stylistic similarities with the Neckarmühlbacher apostles group, so that the same master can be considered for both works.
B 3	Bad Wimpfen , Dominican Church	Remains of the cross altar	Colored crucifixion group made of linden wood. In addition to the crucifix and figures of Mary and John, two figures of St. Dominic and St. Peter martyrs also belong to this group. The standing figures, each around 155 cm high, are attributed to Michel Erhart from around 140–85. The crucifix, which is almost twice as large, is probably an assistant job. By the time the Dominican church was rebuilt in baroque style, these figures could have filled the shrine of a high altar in the choir.
B 4	Bad Wimpfen , Dominican Church	Seated Mother of God	Colored, fully plastic carving of the seated Madonna with the child. The figure is 58 cm high, the figure composition follows an engraving by Martin Schongauer (Minott 38). The execution of the folds refers to influences from the Upper Rhine. The figure was probably created around 1525 and was once in the Cornelienkirche . A historical painting shows Tilly praying in front of that figure before the Battle of Wimpfen in 1622.
B 5	Bad Wimpfen , Peterskirche	Remains of the Catherine Altar
B 7	Bad Wimpfen , Peterskirche	Anna herself the third
B 8	Bad Wimpfen , Peterskirche	St. Sebastian
B 9	Bad Wimpfen , Grüssau Abbey	Striding Madonna
B 10	Bad Wimpfen , Grüssau Abbey	Anna herself the third
B 11	Bad Wimpfen , Grüssau Abbey	St. Peter
B 12	Bad Wimpfen , Grüssau Abbey	St. Sebastian
B 13	Bad Wimpfen , Peterskirche	Apocalyptic Madonna
B 14	Bad Wimpfen , Protestant town church	Pietà
B 15	Bad Wimpfen , Protestant town church	Cross nailing
B 16	Berlin , Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation	Annunciation group	formerly in the Klarakloster (Heilbronn)
B 17	Cheap home , Michaelskirche and Allfeld , Georgskirche	Apostle group
B 18	Allfeld , Cyprian Church	bishop
B 19	Bönnigheim , Cyriakus Church	Sending out the disciples (Little Mount of Olives)	Colored bas-relief around 1517, stylistically close to the Herrenberg choir stalls and thus possibly made by a journeyman of Christoph von Urach .
B 20	Brackenheim - Stockheim , Ulrichskirche	Madonna
B 21	Darmstadt , Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt	Altar wing	probably from the collegiate church of St. Peter (Bad Wimpfen)
B 22	Eppingen - Elsenz , Trinity Church	Eleusian Madonna
B 23	Erlenbach , Martinskirche	Three Gothic standing figures
B 24	Erlenbach , Martinskirche	Madonna
B 25	Erlenbach -Binswangen, cath. Rectory	Enthroned Mary
B 26	Erlenbach -Binswangen, Michaelskirche	Pietà	(formerly in the rectory, now on the left side altar)
B 27	Gundelsheim - Böttingen , Michaelskapelle	Vesper picture	(Copy in the chapel, original under lock and key)
B 28	Gundelsheim , Nikolauskirche	Three standing figures from an altar of Mary (?)
B 29	Gundelsheim - Obergriesheim , Dreifaltigkeitskirche	Anna herself the third
B 30	Heilbronn , Städt. Museums	Lord's Supper Scene (Predella)	probably from the Johanneskapelle
B 31	Heilbronn , Städt. Museums	St. Anna (?)	presumably from Kilian's Church
B 32	Heilbronn , Städt. Museums	St. Catherine	probably predelle figure
B 33	Heilbronn , Städt. Museums	St. Catherine	formerly in the Katharinenhospital
B 34	Heilbronn , Städt. Museums	bishop	probably from Neckarsulm
B 35	Heilbronn , Teutonic Minster of St. Peter and Paul	Eleusian Madonna
B 36	Heilbronn - Biberach , Catholic parish church of St. Cornelius and Cyprian	Epiphany
B 37	Heilbronn - Biberach , Catholic parish church of St. Cornelius and Cyprian	Our Lady on the crescent moon
B 38	Heilbronn - Kirchhausen , cath. Rectory	St. Leonhard
B 39	Karlsruhe , Baden State Museum	Madonna	from the church in Gemmingen
B 40	Karlsruhe , Baden State Museum	Mary with child	from the church in Neidenstein
B 41	Karlsruhe , State Monuments Office	Pietà	from Billigheim-Allfeld
B 42	Neckarmühlbach , Nikolauskirche	Apostle group
B 43	Neckarsulm , Ganzhornstube	Two panels from a Marian altar
B 44	Neckarsulm , city archive	Two bishops
B 45	Neudenau , Gangolf Chapel	Apostle group
B 46	Neudenau , local history museum	Three individual figures
B 47	Obersulm - Affaltrach , St. Johann Baptist	Apocalyptic Madonna
B 48	Obersulm - Affaltrach , St. Johann Baptist	Figures from a St. John's altar
B 49	Obersulm - Eschenau , Wendelinskirche	Three standing figures
B 50	Obersulm - Sülzbach , Kilian's Church	Entombment	High relief made of linden wood, colored, around 1480, Neckar-Swabian influence, possibly journeyman of the master of the great Pietà of the Neckarsulm Dionys Church. Set in a baroque frame in 1630 and redesigned, restored in 1966, revealing the original color.
B 51	Oedheim , Mauritius Church	Four individual figures
B 52	Schwaigern , Johanneskirche	Johannes altar (two wings)	Although no St. John's altar is mentioned among the ten altars occupied in the church in 1496 and the altar panels could also come from another altar, it is assumed, due to the patronage of St. John, that the panels are remnants of a former high altar dedicated to the church patron . The decapitation of John the Baptist and an apocalyptic Madonna can be seen on the outside of the wings. The insides of the wings show the baptism of Jesus on the left, the Saints Peter and George on the right with their respective attributes: Peter with papal crown, book and key, George in armor, with flag and dragon. The backgrounds of the inside of the panels are uniformly formed by half-height curtains with rich vegetal patterns. As a peculiarity of the unknown painter who carried out the work, the strict, straight folds of the garment, whose hard composition contrasts with the filigree rendering of the garment patterns and textile structures, are considered. This peculiarity of the dressing as well as the same naturalistic plant depiction as on the wing side with Johannes can also be found on two altar panels from Rottweil, which are kept in the Württemberg State Museum in Stuttgart and which are attributed to a Neckar Swabian master around 1440. Since the panels in Schwaigern are more compositionally accomplished, a painter of his own origin from a somewhat later period, perhaps around 1450–60, comes into question.
B 53	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	St. Vitus	from the Heilbronn area
B 54	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	Mother of God	from Möckmühl
B 55	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	Ursula altar	from Obersulm-Eschenau
B 56	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	Four figures	from Olnhausen
B 57	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	Vesper picture	from Schwaigern
B 58	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	Three relief panels	from Schwaigern
B 59	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	Two panels from a passion altar	from Schwaigern
B 60	Talheim , Church of the Assumption	Madonna
B 61	Weinsberg - Gellmersbach , Leonhardskirche	St. Leonhard
B 61	Zaberfeld - Michelbach , Evang. church	Pietà
C 1	Bad Friedrichshall - Jagstfeld , Church of the Resurrection	Madonna	stolen in 1976
C 2	Bad Wimpfen , St. Peter's Collegiate Church	Risen Christ	1953 still in the cloister, whereabouts unknown
C 3	Gemmingen , castle	Two panels with the Annunciation and the Mount of Olives scene	removed from the castle in the 1920s, whereabouts unknown
C 4	Neckarsulm , unknown location	Maria	described in 1931, location and whereabouts unknown
C 5	Neudenau - Herbolzheim , former Kilian's Church (?)	Three relief panels	even before the new building of the cath. Church lost
C 6	Stuttgart , Württemberg State Museum	Farewell of Jesus	formerly in the Klarakloster (Heilbronn) , burned in the Second World War

Legend for numbering: (A) preserved altars, (B) fragments of former altars, (C) losses in the 20th century. The structure is not always logical, because some of the altars mentioned under (A) are actually only fragments or pieces of several fragments.

literature

• Hartmut Gräf: Unterländer Altars 1350–1540 , Heilbronn 1983