Ludgeri Church (north)

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The Ludgeri Church north

The Evangelical Lutheran Ludgeri Church is in the center of the market square in the East Frisian city of Norden . The Romanesque- Gothic structure was built in several phases from the 13th century to the middle of the 15th century.

The Ludgerikirche is around 80 meters long and is the largest preserved medieval sacred building in East Frisia . The structure, which is highly fragmented in the external view, consists of three sections, which also vary in height, and is mainly characterized by the Gothic choir , completed around 1455 . It clearly towers above the Gothic transept and the Romanesque nave. The choir is the only three-aisled sacred building in East Friesland in the style of Gothic cathedral architecture. The Romanesque bell tower, which stands south of the church, is separated from the church by a street.

The Ludgerikirche has a particularly rich interior. The altar of writing, the baroque pulpit, the Gothic choir stalls, the baptismal font, the epitaph of Unico Manninga and above all the organ by Arp Schnitger , historically and sonically a work of art of international standing, are particularly important . Because of the iconoclasm at the time of the Reformation, only small remnants of pre-Reformation art of the Middle Ages existed, which can only be seen in the transept and the choir.

history

Construction of two churches in the historic northern part of the city

North around 1590. In the middle the towers of St. Andrew's Church and the choir and bell tower of the Ludgerikirche

Almost at the same time, two churches were built in the north whose history is inextricably linked, the Andreas Church and the Ludgerikirche. This is probably due to the unusual history of the place. It was not founded centrally, but arose as a common center of the surrounding farmers Ekel, Lintel and Westgaste, who grew together more and more in the following years and thus formed the core of the city north.

The area on which both houses of worship were built is located on a sand island in the marshland , which is in front of the northwesternmost foothills of the East Frisian Geestrücke . The actual church hill has an area of ​​around 150 × 90 meters and rises at its highest point to 10.2 meters above sea ​​level . For the construction of the predecessor church of the Andreaskirche, the hill in its center was raised by 0.6 meters with heather over an area of ​​30 x 13 meters, later also in the peripheral areas by applying humus sand.

The first town church was the Andreaskirche. It stood north of today's Ludgerikirche and had a predecessor made of wood, in the place of which a rectangular one-room church made of tuff was built in the 12th century as the first stone church building in the town. This was later expanded into a basilica. In 1531, the St. Andrew's Church was badly destroyed in conflicts within East Frisia. Attempts to rebuild them have failed. The last remains of the building were removed in 1756.

The St. Andrew's Church probably served as a place of worship for the developing urban community. This is explained by the fact that the church was dedicated to Saint Andrew . He was the patron saint of the city and is the holder of the North city coat of arms.

The Ludgerikirche was initially responsible for the northern region. It was consecrated to Liudger , the apostle of the Frisians and patron saint of the surrounding Norderland . The Ludgerikirche probably also had a much older wooden building. It is uncertain whether this was followed by a tuff stone building before the late Romanesque brick building that is still preserved today was built. The remains of an apse made of tuff stone were found in 1967 when the heating was installed in the area of ​​the crossing. The church was the Sendkirche of the Norderland. In it justice was administered in ecclesiastical and secular matters.

The Ludgerikirche from the 13th century to the Reformation

Cirksena coat of arms in the keystone of the easternmost high choir vault

In the first half of the 13th century (attempts at dating since 1945 vary between 1200/1220) and 1230/1250, the rectangular one-room church was built from brick, which was 41 meters long and 13 meters wide and was slightly larger than the neighboring town church . This is interpreted as an expression of the competitive situation in which the city and state churches were. To the east, this building was completed with a semicircular apse made of tuff, which was nothing unusual at the time. Because of dogmatic and ideological concerns about man-made stones, natural stones were considered more appropriate for the sanctuary at that time. The building had two entrances on the north and south sides, small arched windows and a flat wooden beam ceiling. As was customary at the time, the furnishings will only have consisted of a baptismal font and a simple altar; because the pulpit, altarpiece, candlesticks and other furnishings were still unknown at that time. There weren't any permanent seats either. The faithful had to stand and attend Holy Mass.

The bell tower was built in the early 14th century in the transition from Romanesque to Gothic . According to the old East Frisian custom, which had to do with the often unsafe building site, but which can also be traced back to Germanic-pagan origins, it is free-standing like most of the medieval churches in East Frisia. Around the same time, the front west facade was built with a design of the gable triangle characteristic of the early Gothic, after part of the gable had apparently collapsed in 1296 in a thunderstorm or in 1318 in an earthquake.

In the 14th century, East Friesland was hit by a wave of popular piety that was accompanied by a strong veneration of saints . At the same time, the need to create suitable locations for erecting side altars grew. The east apse was probably torn down around 1318 and the construction of a Gothic transept with three square cross vaults on the Romanesque nave began. Just over a century later, after the vaults collapsed, the entire transept with reinforced walls and pillars was rebuilt in its current, elevated form. The inscription on the outside above the south portal reports on this process, which is also the only certain year in the building history of the Ludgerikirche. Until 1987, however, it was not certain whether it referred to the beginning of the high choir building or to the reconstruction of the transept, as is often assumed. The latter reading has been considered certain since 1987, after the classical philologist Gerd Dickers from Northern Germany was able to reconstruct the sandstone inscription, which has been heavily weathered for centuries, after intensive scientific work. Since then, the Latin inscription has been put back in its old place as a supplemented copy and now reads in German translation: This building was restored in the year of the Lord 1445 with the help of the noble Junker Ulrich, the chief to the north, through the care of the parish council and the Citizens of the north . The transept is now 32 meters long and almost 12 meters wide. The steep roof is covered with slate . While the Romanesque nave was still kept quite simple, the transept showed a wealth of architectural forms for the first time. The south side was developed into a representative façade and is richly structured by five staggered blind niches and a late Gothic, ogival niche. In the north transept portal a lintel with a gable-shaped end was let in, which presumably comes from the old St. Andrew's Church. Ulrich Cirksena , the chief of the north and later the first imperial count of East Frisia , played a key role in the reconstruction of the transept and the construction of the choir . His family coat of arms is in the keystones of the crossing and the eastern high choir vault . The choir was probably built by a wandering construction hut that had previously built the choir of the Martinikerk in Groningen . The addition of larger choirs to older churches corresponded to the zeitgeist, as can also be seen in the Church of St. Sebald in Nuremberg, the Aachen Cathedral and the Freiburg Minster . The carved high altar, of which only the late Gothic canopy with the richly carved work has survived, was certainly part of the initial furnishing of the choir, which should have been completed by 1455 at the latest .

The Ludgerikirche from the Reformation to the present

The high choir is divided into three levels.

The Reformation entered the north in 1527. As a result, most of the sculptures were destroyed or whitewashed. 1576/77 of the high altar was in a font altar converted (see triptych of Ludgeri Church (North) ). This corresponded to the reformed understanding of the second commandment now to be read on the altar of writing : DV SCHALT DY NENE BILDE NOR GELIKENISSE MAKE. DO NOT SAY SE TO VND DENE EN. (You shall not make yourself an image or any parable. Do not worship them or serve them.).

After the destruction of St. Andrew's Church in 1531, the Ludgerikirche took over its function as the town church. Presumably some parts of the figurative decoration from the ruin were attached to the facade of the Ludgerikirche. Most of it is now on display in the ambulatory. Above the north portal of the transept there is a relief with the Adoration of the Kings , which was preserved from around 1240.

After the Reformation, both Lutheran and Reformed pastors worked in the Ludgeri Church. Sometimes one denomination, sometimes the other, won the upper hand. Since 1565 the first pastor's office was occupied by the moderately reformed pastor Andreas Larletanus and the second pastor's office by Adolph Empenius, who was more of a militant reformist. When Larletanus died unexpectedly on July 13, 1577, Norden got caught up in the power struggle between the brothers Edzard II , who was Lutheran, and the Reformed Johann II. Both of them held joint sovereignty over East Frisia at that time, but de facto ruled for each other themselves. In the north, both brothers claimed the right to fill the vacant pastor's position. In this power struggle, Edzard II ultimately prevailed and in the spring of 1578 Adolph Empenius was also relieved of his pastoral office and his position was filled with a Lutheran. During this time, the Reformed initially resorted to the inn that Johann II assigned them as a preaching place. Since they were expelled there in 1579, Norden was definitively Lutheran for a long time. As a result, other Christian denominations were forbidden to practice their faith in public until the 18th century.

In 1746 the nave was given the wooden barrel vault. In the 18th century, the community abandoned the ban on pictures and in 1785 left three paintings by the Groningen portrait and history painter Friedr. Corn. Nail de Hosson to the insides of the inscription tablets of the high altar and paint over the outsides in one color. In the center of the altar was now a representation of the Lord's Supper. Left and right next to it paintings of the crucifixion and the descent from the cross of Jesus.

In the 1820s the western part of the nave was separated and used as a school. As a result, there was no incidence of light from the large west window and the church interior, especially under the galleries, became too dark, which is why the large pointed arch windows were installed on the north and south walls in 1840.

Towards the end of the 19th century, two large windows were installed on the north and south sides of the transept. They show the reformers Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon . The northern one was added in 1889 to commemorate the celebrations for the 400th birthday of the Reformer in 1883. The window portrait of Melanchthon followed in 1898.

From 1956 to 1968 extensive renovation work took place in seven construction phases. In the years 1980–1985 a comprehensive renovation of the church followed, during which the roofs and outer masonry were repaired and secured. From 1981 to 1985 the organ was restored. In the course of the work, the interior colors of the church in their original form were exposed and the altar area in the crossing was redesigned. The altar paintings were restored in 1983 in connection with the restoration of the written altar and then hung on the south wall of the nave.

Building description

Floor plan of the Ludgerikirche with components marked in color, as well as numbers for individual pieces of equipment. The white area of ​​the nave is now the entrance hall and meeting room.

With a length of around 80 meters, the Ludgerikirche is the largest sacred building in East Frisia and when the choir was completed it was longer than the previously largest church in East Frisia, St. Mary's Church in Marienhafe , which was 75 meters long until it was partially demolished in 1829. The structure of the Ludgerikirche, which is very fragmented from the outside, consists of three sections, which also vary in height.

In today's red brick nave , the dimensions of the Romanesque church building can be seen somewhat shortened after the apse was separated and the school was installed. The nave of the original aisle church is covered by a wooden barrel vault that was drawn in in 1746, slightly increasing the space and thus aligning with the transept . At the west end of the church, on the south side towards the market square, the former sexton with a sloping roof is attached. The long sides are otherwise structured by large ogival windows with tracery (around 1840). Traces of the former small arched windows can still be seen in the masonry of the north wall and can be seen from the inside as small arched niches. In the elaborately designed gable triangle, the western end of the gable has slightly ogival niches with three small narrow windows, including the upper part of the originally large west window of the church interior, also slightly ogival, and in the lower area three windows with simple round-arched reveals, which are used to light the School rooms set up there around 1820 were broken into, as were the two corresponding windows in the western part of the north wall.

This is followed by the transept (rebuilt and enlarged in 1445) with a width of around 32 meters and a length of around 12 meters and the Gothic choir (completed around 1455). The two cross arms each have a large ogival window with tracery on the western and the gable side. The indented gallery of the choir adjoins the east side. The northern transept only has brick in the base area, but is otherwise made of light tuff and decorated with three pointed arches in the gable triangle. The different building materials on the south side of the gable underline the division into three levels: The lower third, like the gable triangle, consists of red bricks, while the middle area with the tracery window is made of tuff stone. The southern triangular pediment is decorated by five narrow blind niches in which sandstone statuettes stand on consoles . Both gable sides are characterized by richly profiled basket arched portals, above which blind niches with profiled pointed arches are attached.

With a length of 33 and a width of 26 meters and a top height of 21 meters, the choir clearly towers above the rest of the building, which became the cruciform church when the construction work was completed. The choir is the only three-aisled sacred building in East Friesland in the style of Gothic cathedral architecture. It is polygonal (polygonal) closed. The large number of large windows make it appear light and flooded with light. The walls of the clerestory are supported by 13 round pillars and with pointed arches - arcades connected. Above the capitals of the round pillars, the pear-shaped vaulting services begin, which merge into the ribs and finally end in keystones. The up-and-coming central nave is divided into three zones with profiled pointed arches: below arches between the high choir and the gallery, in the middle blind niches and, at the end, the cliff windows with sloping reveals. Both in the transept and in the choir there are only cross vaults . This is unusual because the net and star vaults were used more frequently elsewhere at the time of construction . The base area consists of brick, which was also used for the tracery and the pointed arches of the windows as well as the simple frieze under the eaves ; Otherwise, tufa was used for the choir (originally the darker, porous Roman tuff, which was partially preserved, and the lighter, firmer Weiberner tuff during the restoration in 1981–83 in order to prevent it from weathering again soon). Stepped buttresses between the windows support the walkway.

View from the market square to the Ludgerikirche, on the left the free-standing bell tower

The bell tower is a closed type structure. As with almost all medieval churches in East Frisia, it is free-standing. It is located south of the Romanesque nave and is separated from the church by a road. Below the acoustic arcades and in the gables it is structured with whitewashed blind arches, while pointed arches predominate in the blind niches of the gable triangle. The basement was previously used by the city scales. Today there is a memorial for those who died in the world wars. On the east side of the tower, a figure of a German soldier made from terracotta pieces was placed as a memorial for those who fell in the First World War.

Together with the bell tower, the church is the central structure on the city's 6.678 hectare market square.

Furnishing

Longhouse

The Romanesque nave is the oldest part of the building

The three large altar paintings have been hanging on the south wall since 1983, painted in 1785 by the Groningen history painter Friedr. Corn. de Hosson for the high altar. They show the Lord's Supper , the crucifixion of Christ and the descent from the cross .

Detail of the chandelier from 1650 with the Archangel Michael

The chandelier at the west end of the nave was donated by members of the parish in 1927 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Reformation in the north. It is the youngest of the six brass crowns that hang in the nave and transept and in the first choir bay. Most of them date from the 17th century, the oldest of them from 1643. They are among the most magnificent in East Frisia and are mainly donated by members of the community. The crown with the Archangel Michael, which hangs between the pulpit and the organ, dates from 1650, the one with the pelican (symbol of the self-sacrificing Christ), which hangs in front of the organ's Rückpositiv, from 1689.

Stalls

The stalls and the galleries were only added after the Reformation. The little doors of the ground-level box stalls are still occasionally provided with coats of arms , house brands , monograms and dates that testify to the former private property. The closed, simple construction, only decorated with rows of turned wooden sticks on the backrests, ensured in earlier times that the warmth of simple foot warmers, in which a piece of peat glowed, was retained. Around 1690, the number of seats was expanded with the construction of the large galleries in the nave.

pulpit

The Garrels pulpit from 1712 with rich carving

The baroque pulpit was created in 1712 and the old, simple pulpit from 1588 was given away to the Ardorfer Church . The new one is a work by the organ builder Rudolf Garrels , a student of Arp Schnitger , who originally came from the north and worked in Hamburg and later in the Netherlands . The older spelling “Redolph Garrelts” can be found in the contract for the pulpit and on the inside of the entrance door. The pulpit is made of wood and shows important stages in the biblical history of salvation. She is supported by Moses , who holds the two tablets of the Law with the Ten Commandments in his hands. At the staircase and the pulpit there are 18 other carved figures by the Dutch sculptor and woodcarver Jan de Rijk. The central figure is Jesus, represented as Salvator Mundi with the signature I. S. MUNDI . At his side are John the Baptist and the four evangelists on the right , alternately stepping out from under a round arch in the fields and at the corners. On the left, Christ is flanked by Peter , Andrew , James the Elder and Thomas . The row continues at the staircase with six figures (from top to bottom): the apostles James the Younger , Judas Thaddäus , Simon , Matthias and Paul, and finally Martin Luther . The pulpit has twelve steps and an inner door to the pulpit, on which Philip and Bartholomew are depicted. The figures stand on consoles with their names on them. Almost all of them are also characterized by their attributes. For a long time Thomas held the pilgrim staff of his neighbor James (corrected in the meantime), to which a small bag with a buckle and a pumpkin bottle are attached. The broken fingers of James can no longer hold the staff securely. The pouch and the inverted cross are unusual attributes of Squidward. On the door frame to the pulpit stairs, Moses is shown in a bent posture, who obeys God's command and takes off his shoes in view of the holy place (cf. Ex 3.5  EU ).

The oversized, tower-like pulpit lid is clearly based on Dutch models. At the corners there are six female and male figures, whose instruments of torture bring to mind the crucifixion. The five reliefs on the lantern indicate the resurrection of Jesus Christ , the angels above indicate eternity . On the middle relief, the risen One is shown with the flag of victory, flanked by two Emmaus disciples and an angel on each outside. The crowning angel at the top is blowing a trumpet and is holding a book with the words The Eternal Gospel in the other hand . The contract was at the bottom of the sound cover according not, as was customary, a dove , but attached a rose.

Transept

Sandstone relief above the north portal (around 1250)

There is a relief on the outside above the north portal of the transept. It depicts the adoration of the kings who can be seen on the left. The central element is Mary with the child. To the right of her sits Joseph with a Jewish hat as headgear and next to him a saint, presumably the apostle Andrew .

The altar set up in the crossing was created in 1985. The main Lutheran service with the Lord's Supper is held here, while the altar in the high choir is used for weddings, baptisms and devotions.

The two large windows on the north and south sides of the transept show the reformers Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon. The second oldest stalls originally built into the Ludgerikirche (after the count's chairs of the high choir) is the Herrenboden , built in 1587 , on which the members of the Northern Magistrate once sat . In 1595 he was provided with verses from the Bible in Middle Low German. Below the manor floor there are some prieches , some of which are richly decorated with paintings.

The bridge-like gallery between the transept and the choir, the so-called prince's chair , is dated to 1596. It was built as a replacement for the old Gothic count's chairs, which were oriented towards the high altar, and now offered the count, later princely family a good view not only of the high altar but also of the pulpit, which has been a second worship center in the church since the Reformation. The sermon service was held from here, whereas the sacrament service was held from the high altar. In 1601 the prince's chair received a gable. In the midst of a golden sun is the name of God in Hebrew characters , including the year 1601; there are also the coats of arms of the Cirksena and the Swedish royal house Wasa . This was where the then Countess Katharina came from, who after the death of her husband, Count Edzard II († March 1, 1599), first lived in Norden, later in Berum .

Fresco Christ as Judge of the World

Under the pedal tower of the organ, not far from the Princely Chair , is the Süderboden , commissioned by a Lieutenant Colonel von Moltke in 1711 , which is closed in the front area with sliding windows. The parapet bears the coats of arms of the lieutenant colonel and his wife. During the restoration in 1980-85, the original marbled color version, a rarity in this country, was completely exposed under two later versions.

On the opposite pillar is the so-called church council chair , which originally belonged to the Steinböhmer family. In 1890 it was acquired by the church council when it was planned to demolish this gallery as part of a church renovation. As with the other wooden fixtures and fittings in the church, the oldest color was restored on the church council chair.

In the crossing above the triumphal arch there is a fresco with Christ as the judge of the world, a motif typical of the late Middle Ages . As a sign of God's covenant with mankind, he is enthroned on a rainbow. His feet rest on the globe. Sword and lily go out from his head as a sign of justice and mercy. Right and left, Maria and John kneel as intercessors for the people. The dead rise from their graves under his feet.

Epitaph of the Unico Manninga

Tomb of Unico Manninga

On the back of the pillar with the church council chair is the grave monument of the chief Unico Manninga († 1588). He was Drost von Lütetsburg , builder of the still existing outer bailey of the castle there and ancestor of the counts and princes of Inn- and Knyphausen . The house book published by him is considered the oldest scientific costume book in Germany.

The tomb was added or rebuilt here in 1678, exactly 90 years after his death. The life-size marble figure of the dead man and the marble head of Christ seem to have been taken from a tomb erected in 1588 and inserted into the baroque architectural framework.

The deceased is depicted lying down and praying. Above it, framed by the family coat of arms, is a relief showing the resurrection of Jesus. It is flanked by figures of the two cardinal virtues prudence and prudence. Above them on the cornice are the statues embodying the cardinal virtues of justice and valor. The gable is broken by a Christ head around which the figures of the three Christian virtues of faith, love and hope are grouped. All virtues are represented by women with the appropriate attributes and given their Latin names.

organ

Schnitger organ (1687) has a single large pedal tower on the southeastern crossing pillar.

The first larger swallow's nest organ was installed in 1567 by master Andreas de Mare on the south wall directly behind the south-eastern crossing pillar. After being destroyed in the war in 1618, this instrument was replaced by master Edo Evers , who took over pipes from the old organ. Both were choir organs, which from there performed their independent tasks in worship. It was only after 1641 that it became customary to have the organ accompanied by the church singing.

Arp Schnitger met this new task with the construction of today's organ (built: 1686–1688, expanded 1691/1692) by building it on a new, lower-lying organ loft that extends further into the room and extends into the crossing and so the organ makes it easy to hear for the church service in the nave. The instrument has 46 registers , eight of which were taken over from the previous models. The total of 3110 pipes are distributed among five different plants. They are played from three manuals and from the pedal .

The instrument is Schnitger's second largest surviving work in Germany and the largest organ in East Frisia . Historically and musically, it is a work of art of international standing.

High choir

In contrast to the nave and transept, the furnishings of the high choir come mainly from the pre-Reformation period and can be assigned to the Gothic period. Today, this part of the church is mainly used for smaller worship celebrations such as baptisms, weddings and weekly devotions, but also for concerts.

The medieval painting of the transept and the choir is purely ornamental and underlines the architectural forms of the late Gothic. After the Reformation, the paintings were whitewashed for centuries. During the last major church renovation (1980–85) they were exposed again.

The wooden panes in the vaults painted with stars follow the sky-striving ideal of the Gothic. In addition, they have a practical meaning in that they cover the holes in the vault from which the ropes for a sailor's chair were previously lowered. With this the painter could reach his workplace on the ceiling.

Seating

Late Gothic count chair with unicorn coat of arms
Choir desk side of the northern count chair with the Cirsena coat of arms

The two-seater count chairs are part of the gothic initial furnishings of the high choir . It is believed that they were commissioned by Count Ulrich I immediately after the choir was completed. On the side walls of the desks they are decorated with carved coats of arms. The northern one bears the virgin eagle of the Cirksena , the southern one a coat of arms with a unicorn , the symbol of Christ, but also of virginity, in the coat of arms . Both are wood-sighted. In the middle between the count's chairs is a three-seated desk with two Christian symbols on its desk on its south side: a pelican, which stands for self-sacrificing love and for Jesus Christ , and Jonah in the mouth of a fish , whose history in Christianity is a symbol of death and the resurrection of Jesus applies.

The choir stalls on both sides of the high choir were probably built in 1481 for the Marienthal Benedictine monastery , which was destroyed by Balthasar von Esens in 1531. It was probably moved to the Ludgerikirche in the mid-1560s, when the choir room was transformed into a Reformed communion choir during the tenure of Pastor Andreas Larletanus (1565–1577). The former monk's stalls had to be shortened before installation and now served the community as a communicant bank in a circular arrangement. The remaining seats are in the ambulatory. The eastern side cheeks of the northern row of chairs are decorated with the crucifixion of Jesus; The Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary can be seen on the southern row of chairs . The hand knobs between the rows of chairs show plant motifs and a human head.

High altar

The late Gothic high altar was transformed into a Protestant written altar in the course of the Reformation.

Of the five altars that stood in the Ludgerikirche before the Reformation, the high altar (built before 1481) is the only one that has been partially preserved. The late Gothic carved altar was probably a Marian altar before it was redesigned .

The late Gothic canopy , which is decorated on the edge with keel arches , pinnacles , finials and Gothic crabs , comes from this . The altar is shaped by the Reformation iconoclasm . In northern Germany, in the 16th and 17th centuries, written altars took the place of medieval sculptures in the Reformed and Lutheran churches . The Norder Altar was inscribed in Middle Low German in 1577 with gold letters on an azure background. When open , an extract from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians can be seen on both wings of the triptych . They are on the left 1 Cor 10.15 to 17  EU and on the right 1 Cor 11.26 to 28  EU . The inauguration text for the Lord's Supper is listed on the middle panel ( 1 Cor 11 : 23-25  EU ).

The double doors were closed according to liturgical custom during the daily weekly services. The ten commandments that regulate everyday life are listed on the weekday page.

The wooden communion table in ancient temple architecture, divided into three fields by Ionic columns, replaced the original stone cafeteria in 1577 .

The two knee benches to the right and left of the altar probably date from 1785. In that year, the inner tablets were replaced by late baroque paintings by the Groningen history painter Friedr. Corn. de Hosson covered and the Ten Commandments painted over in one color on the reverse. In 1983 the paintings were removed for restoration, so that the altar of writing can now be seen in its original form. The removed paintings have been hanging in the nave since then. The inscriptions on the back of the altar wings had been restored as early as 1892, but then with a black background.

Sacrament house

The late Gothic tabernacle

Between two of the northern round pillars of the choir is left of the altar in 1480 from Baumberger calcareous sandstone carved tabernacle . In a reduced form, it represents the idea of ​​the ideal architecture of a Gothic tower, as it could not be realized in reality, since the delicate forms made of the soft stone in the outdoor area cannot withstand the climatic conditions.

The multi-storey crowning looks like a late Gothic church spire. At the top there was originally a pelican.

The figurative jewelry is more recent. One of the figures comes from the workshop of the master of the Molbergen Altarpiece . It is assumed that there was also a rich figure decoration originally. The sacrament house forms a unit with the adjoining lintel, which has the same late Gothic decorative elements.

Four wall frescoes dating from around 1500 have been preserved inside the sacrament house. Each of these frescoes shows an angel holding a burning candle in one hand and swinging a censer with the other . This is how the veneration of the hosts once kept inside should be expressed.

In the 19th century the tabernacle was in such a desolate condition that it was renovated in 1886. In the course of the neo-Gothic movement , parts of the medieval work were carefully reconstructed. Some figures were freely supplemented and the originals changed. A total of 90 additional pieces were made and a finial was placed on the tip in place of the pelican .

Baptismal font

The baptismal font is the oldest piece of furniture.

The font, presumably from the early 14th century, is the oldest piece of equipment in the Ludgerikirche. It was created from Bentheim sandstone . The round baptismal font rests on a hexagonal shaft. Both parts are decorated with three-pass bows . In 1957, the baptismal font was given its current brass insert and the baptismal font was placed in its current place next to the high altar, after having changed its location several times over the centuries.

Ambulatory

As with the high choir, the furnishings in the ambulatory mostly come from pre-Reformation times. There are many epitaphs on the pillars, mostly as wooden memorial plaques. There are several stone grave slabs on the floor, which testify that the space under the church floor was used as a burial place until 1803.

In the ambulatory, the remains of those sculptures made of Baumberger sandstone, which until 1957 had their place in the window shades of the transept gable, were set up to protect against further weathering. They are dated to the second quarter of the 13th century and show the influence of French cathedral sculpture. Originally they probably come from the former St. Andrew's Church. Of greater artistic importance is the Annunciation group. The very well-preserved statue of Mary stands opposite an angel (today without a head) who seems to be walking towards her to announce the birth of Jesus. To the left of this group stands an angel who is attending Jesus' baptism and is holding his clothes. Other objects exhibited in the ambulatory include an inscription in sandstone that was originally placed above the south portal. It is considered to be the first clear written testimony from the building history of the Ludgerikirche. It was probably installed in memory of the reconstruction of the transept in 1445. Deciphering it was difficult because of the severe weathering. In the further course of the ambulatory is the figure of a bearded saint. It used to be placed above the south portal and was mistakenly viewed as Liudger for a long time. Additional copies of the sandstone figures and the inscription, made by the sculptor Georg Arfmann from Königslutter, have been decorating the south transept again since 1988.

Bells

The church bell consists of three bronze bells. The oldest still preserved bell is the middle one, the so-called Luther bell. It was cast in 1911 by M & O Ohlsson in Lübeck. The material from a bell from 1489 (Annenglocke) was reused, which was then cast by the son of Ghert Klinghe , Barthold Klinghe. The material obtained in this way was used to cast another, the Christ bell, which - like the other bells in the tower - had to be handed in during the world wars (they were returned after the First World War and melted down in the Second World War). The Luther bell was preserved as the smallest of the bells. It was the only bell in the tower from 1917 to 1919 and from 1942 to 1951. On the Luther bell there is a relief of the patron saint with lettering, the verse "A strong castle is our God a good defense and weapons", the names of the preachers Thomsen, Schomerus and Buse as well as the church leaders Eiben, Schwandt, Straakholder, de Boer, Franzen, Janssen, Hinrichs, Hasbargen, Hibben, Hobbje, Siemons and Eilts are shown.

The striking bell (f) in the roof turret was cast in 1921 by the Rincker bell and art foundry . The large bell (d) and the small bell (f) were also manufactured by Rincker in 1971. They replaced two damaged cast steel bells from the post-war period. Until 1971 the bells hung clearly visible in the large sound openings of the tower. Since then, the bells have had a belfry inside the building.

Carillon

In 1992, a carillon made by the Dutch bell foundry Eijsbouts was installed in the eastern large sound opening of the tower . Four times a day (at two minutes before 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.) songs from the respective church seasons can be heard. The large bell bears the inscription NÖRDER BÖRGERS HEBBEN DIT KLOCKEN SPILL GETEN LATEN - GOTT TO EHR UN DE MINSKEN TO FREID . The 18 bells g to the tones, a, h, c 1 , cis 1 , d 1 , dis 1 , e 1 , f 1 , f # 1 , g 1 , g # 1 , a 1 , b 1 , h 1 , c 2 , c sharp 2 , d 2 tuned. They have an unusual shape, which is calculated in such a way that the respective pitch can be heard more clearly than usual without disturbing secondary tones. Therefore, the melodies are easy to recognize and the melodies of the polyphonic pieces are unusually melodious. It is the second carillon that has been installed in the tower.

The first was delivered in March 1936 by the company Korfhage & Söhne , Buer / Osnabrück, and installed in the northern sound hole of the bell tower. The twelve bronze bells were tuned to the notes g, a, h, c 1 , d 1 , e 1 , f 1 , f sharp 1 , g 1 , a 1 , h 1 , c 2 . The plans at that time envisaged a system with a total of 25 bells. 13 more bells were to be installed at a later date, but this did not happen. During the Second World War, almost all bells had to be turned off in 1942. Only four survived the war on the floor of the tower. Because of their bronze, church bells were a material that was important to the war effort and were drafted throughout the empire to be used in the armaments industry after they were melted down . At the end of the 1980s, the then mayor of the city, Fritz Fuchs, initiated a fundraising campaign that was used to finance today's carillon.

Parish and superintendent

The Ludgeri parish is the largest in the north of the city. The church is also the seat of the superintendent for the parish north. The office and the associated first parish office of the Ludgeri Church has been with Dr. Helmut Kirschstein occupied.

See also

literature

  • Ufke Cremer: From the history of the Ludgerikirche. In: Festschrift on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the Reformation in the north. North 1926.
  • Ufke Cremer: 1445-1945. Five hundred years from the history of the Ludgerikirche. In: Reminder sheets for the 500th anniversary of the Ludgerikirche Norden. North 1946.
  • G. André: The early Gothic sculptures in North / East Frisia. In: Low German contributions to art history. Volume 7, Munich, Berlin 1968.
  • Gottfried Kiesow: East Frisian Art . (= East Frisia under the protection of the dike, Volume 4). Pewsum 1969.
  • Menno Smid : East Frisian Church History . (= East Frisia under the protection of the dike, Volume 6). Pewsum 1974.
  • Karl Lange: The Ludgerikirche in the north (= large architectural monuments . Issue 219). 3. Edition. Munich / Berlin 1977.
  • Hans-Bernd Rödiger, Heinz Ramm: Frisian churches in Auricherland, Norderland, Brokmerland and in Krummhörn , Volume 2. Verlag CL Mettcker & Söhne, Jever (2nd edition) 1983, p. 103 ff.
  • Festschrift for the rededication of the restored Ludgerikirche with Arp Schnitger organ . Norden 1985. In it: Reinhard Ruge: The rediscovered writing altar ; Gerd Dickers: The inscription from 1445 above the south portal ; Elke Erchinger: Old and new thoughts on the building history of the Ludgerikirche ; Angelika Ruge: data on the building and art history of the Ludgerikirche ; Elke and Heie Focken Erchinger: The choir stalls - a valuable Gothic carving ; Heie Focken Erchinger: Restoration and repair of the Ludgerikirche 1980/1985 ; Reinhard Ruge: Building history of the Ludgeri organ and disposition of the organ .
  • Robert Noah: The Ludgerikirche to the north. The construction and its equipment. In: Yearbook of the Society for Fine Art and Patriotic Antiquities in Emden . Volume 66, Verlag Ostfriesische Landschaft, Aurich 1986, ISSN  0341-969X , pp. 65-93.
  • Edgar F. Warnecke: Old churches and monasteries in the country between Weser and Ems. Verlag H. Th. Wenner, Osnabrück 1990, ISBN 3-87898-319-0 , pp. 130 ff.
  • Gottfried Kiesow: Architecture Guide East Friesland . Verlag Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz, Bonn 2010, ISBN 978-3-86795-021-3 .
  • Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. 2nd Edition. North 2015.

Web links

Commons : Ludgerikirche Norden (Ostfriesland)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Eberhard Rack: Small regional studies of Ostfriesland . Isensee Verlag, Oldenburg 1998, p. 94.
  2. ↑ Rolf Bärenfänger : Ostfriesische Fundchronik 1996. In: Ostfriesische Landschaft , Society for Fine Arts and Patriotic Antiquities to Emden , Lower Saxony State Archives (Aurich location) , Johannes a Lasco Library (ed.): Emder Yearbook for Historical Regional Studies Ostfrieslands . Volume 76 (1996) p. 220.
  3. ^ Rolf Bärenfänger: The Andreas Church in the north. In: Rolf Bärenfänger (editing and editing): Guide to archaeological monuments in Germany. Volume 35: East Frisia. Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-8062-1415-8 , pp. 187f.
  4. ↑ Information according to the information board in the East Frisian Tea Museum in the north (with an attached local history museum).
  5. ^ Hermann Haiduck: The architecture of the medieval churches in the East Frisian coastal area . Verlag Ostfriesische Landschaft, Aurich 1986, ISBN 3-925365-07-9 , p. 155.
  6. ↑ a b c d Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 5.
  7. ↑ Robert Noah: The Ludgerikirche to the north. The construction and its equipment. In: Emder yearbook. Volume 66, 1986, p. 75.
  8. ↑ Georg Fegter: Reflections on the riddle of St. Ludgeri from the area of ​​building consideration. In: Reminder sheets for the 500th anniversary of the Ludgerikirche zu Norden on September 16, 1945. Norden 1946. Printed by Heinrich Soltau, p. 46.
  9. ↑ Information according to the information board in the East Frisian Tea Museum North. (with an attached local history museum).
  10. ↑ Elke Erchinger: Old and new thoughts on the construction history of Ludgerikirche . In: Festschrift for the rededication of the restored Ludgerikirche. Ev.-luth. Kirchengemeinde Norden, 1985, p. 47.
  11. ↑ a b c Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 2.
  12. ↑ Robert Noah: God's houses in East Friesland. Soltau-Kurier, Norden 1989, ISBN 3-922365-80-9 , p. 82.
  13. ^ Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 21.
  14. ↑ Elke Erchinger: Old and new thoughts on the building history of the Ludgerikirche. In: Festschrift for the rededication of the restored Ludgerikirche. Ev.-luth. Kirchengemeinde Norden, 1985, p. 49f.
  15. ↑ Elke Erchinger: Old and new thoughts on the building history of the Ludgerikirche. In: Festschrift for the rededication of the restored Ludgerikirche. Ev.-luth. Kirchengemeinde Norden 1985, p. 47.
  16. ↑ Robert Noah: The Ludgerikirche to the north. In: Emder yearbook. Volume 66, 1986, p. 75.
  17. ↑ Robert Noah: God's houses in East Friesland . Soltau-Kurier, Norden 1989, ISBN 3-922365-80-9 , p. 84.
  18. ↑ Robert Noah: God's houses in East Friesland . Soltau-Kurier, Norden 1989, ISBN 3-922365-80-9 , p. 85.
  19. ↑ a b c Gottfried Kiesow: Architectural Guide Ostfriesland . Verlag Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz, Bonn 2010, ISBN 978-3-86795-021-3 , p. 266.
  20. ^ Johann Haddinga, Martin Stromann: Norden-Norddeich. An East Frisian coastal town introduces itself . Verlag SKN, Norden 2001, ISBN 3-928327-43-7 , p. 58.
  21. ↑ a b Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 18.
  22. ^ Menno Smid: Ostfriesische Kirchengeschichte (=  East Friesland in the protection of the dike . Volume 6 ). Self-published, Pewsum 1974, p. 215 ff .
  23. ↑ Monika van Lengen: Norden Norddeich - Ludgeri Church with Arp Schnitger organ in Norden , accessed on March 26, 2018 (PDF).
  24. ^ Karl-Ernst Behre, Hajo van Lengen : Ostfriesland. History and shape of a cultural landscape . Ostfriesische Landschaftliche Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft, Aurich 1995, ISBN 3-925365-85-0 , p. 272.
  25. ↑ Robert Noah: God's houses in East Friesland . Soltau-Kurier, Norden 1989, ISBN 3-922365-80-9 , p. 86.
  26. ↑ a b c Gottfried Kiesow: Architectural Guide Ostfriesland . Verlag Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz, Bonn 2010, ISBN 978-3-86795-021-3 , p. 271.
  27. ↑ Gottfried Kiesow: Architectural Guide Ostfriesland . Verlag Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz, Bonn 2010, ISBN 978-3-86795-021-3 , p. 268.
  28. ↑ a b Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 9.
  29. ^ Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 7.
  30. ↑ a b norden-ludgeri.de: Church tour , seen August 10, 2011.
  31. ↑ The individual representations are described by Kurt Perrey in: Heim und Herd, supplement Ostfriesischer Kurier . SKN-Verlag, Norden: I. Mose carries the pulpit (May 18, 1991), II. Martin Luther with Bible and swan (December 5, 1992), III. S. Paulus with Bible and Sword (February 20, 1993), IV. S. Matthias - more than just a substitute (July 17, 1993), VS Simon with the saw (August 7, 1993), VI. S. Judas Thaddaeus - a figure who asks questions (September 18, 1993), VII. S. Jacobus Minor - a man with the characteristics of his apostolic life (November 27, 1993), VIII. S. Thomas - one who has asked and got answer (December 24, 1993), IX. S. Jacobus the Elder - first martyr from the disciples' circle (February 19, 1994), XS Andreas - a man who led people to Jesus (April 23, 1994), XI. S. Petrus, a person like you and me, called to something special (June 4, 1994), XII. JSMundi - Jesus, Savior of the World (July 16, 1994), XIII. S. Johannes d. Baptist, Herald Jesus and the forerunner of the coming (December 3, 1994), XIV. S. Matthew - the first Evangelist (December 24, 1994), XV. S. Marcus - Evangelist and Co-worker of the Apostles (January 28, 1995), XVI. S. Lucas - a writing witness to the healing power of the word (April 1, 1995), XVII. S. Johannes - fourth evangelist and favorite disciple of Jeus (April 8, 1995), XVIII. S. Philippus and S. Bartolomäus at the inner door to the pulpit (April 22, 1995).
  32. ↑ See a photo of Squidward on www.flickr.com and photos of the other characters; seen August 11, 2011.
  33. ^ Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 5f.
  34. ^ R. Walther: The house book of the East Frisian chief Unico Manninga (1529–1588). Oldest scientific costume book in Germany. In: Central Office for Person and Family History (Hrsg.): Genealogical yearbook . Volume 12. 1972, pp. 149-154.
  35. ^ Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 8f.
  36. ^ Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 13.
  37. ↑ a b c Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 15f.
  38. ↑ Dietrich Diederichs-Gottschalk : The Protestant written altars of the 16th and 17th centuries in northwest Germany: a church and art-historical study of a special form of liturgical decoration in the epoch of denominationalization . Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2005, ISBN 3-7954-1762-7 , pp. 49, 55, 67.
  39. ^ Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 17f.
  40. ↑ Gottfried Kiesow: Architectural Guide Ostfriesland . Verlag Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz, Bonn 2010, ISBN 978-3-86795-021-3 , p. 272.
  41. ^ Georg Dehio : Dehio - Handbook of German Art Monuments: Handbook of German Art Monuments, Bremen, Lower Saxony . German art publisher; Edition: revision, greatly expanded edition. Munich, Berlin (January 1, 1992), ISBN 3-422-03022-0 , p. 991.
  42. ↑ Dietrich Diederichs-Gottschalk: The Protestant written altars of the 16th and 17th centuries in northwest Germany: a church and art-historical study of a special form of liturgical decoration in the epoch of denominationalization . Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2005, ISBN 3-7954-1762-7 , p. 40.
  43. ^ Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 14.
  44. ^ Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 18f.
  45. ↑ ndr.de: Ludgerikirche in Norden , accessed on December 2, 2015.
  46. ↑ a b Reinhard Ruge (text), Ev.-luth. Ludgerigemeinde Norden (ed.): The Ludgeri church to the north. Norden 2015, p. 21f.
  47. ↑ Ostfriesischer Kurier of April 18, 1992: Gott to Ehr un de Minsken to Freid .
  48. ↑ norden-ludgeri.de: The target sets the guiding principle of Ludgeri church , seen on December 22, 2011th
  49. ↑ Kirchenkreis Norden: Superintendentur , viewed on December 22, 2011.

Coordinates: 53 ° 35 ′ 43 ″  N , 7 ° 12 ′ 13 ″  E

This article was added to the list of articles worth reading on December 28, 2011 in this version .