Magdalenenkapelle (Baunach)
The Magdalenenkapelle in Baunach (15th century) is located on the Kapellenberg, a hill away from the town center by the cemetery. It is the burial church of the St. James pilgrim and city patron of Baunach Victor Überkum († around 1440) and has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries .
Exterior construction
The late Gothic building shows two parts of the building, which are also externally different: the high and wide nave and, significantly narrower and lower, the adjacent choir in the northeast with a polygonal closure. The slate roof of the nave is sloping to the northeast with a crested hip and carries a baroque octagonal roof turret with an onion dome . The high gable of the nave in the southwest ends with a stone cross at the top. The walls are stabilized on the sides, at the corners and also on the gable by offset wall pillars and structured horizontally by cornices . Large natural stone blocks were used as building material. Pointed arch windows on the side walls and in the choir illuminate the interior. Some of them show simple Gothic tracery .
inner space
The interior of the nave appears very wide due to its almost square floor plan. It is closed at the top by a wooden barrel vault . A pointed arch separates the nave from the narrower choir with its flat beamed ceiling. On both sides of it are baroque side altars that were purchased by the Franciscan Church in Bamberg in 1740 .
In the choir is the high altar from 1693. The central painting of the altar structure shows St. Magdalena , the side figures represent St. Agatha and St. Margaret . In the middle of the choir is the high grave of Blessed Überkum.
Further equipment
- pulpit
- The late Gothic stone pulpit from 1591 is located directly on the choir arch. The representations in the fields of the pulpit basket show the coats of arms of the pastor Liborius Frankenhausen, the pastor Simon von Berg and the Baunach market. Below that are the initials of the members of the then market council. The kneeling figure on the cover represents Mary Magdalene.
- Wooden sculptures and reliefs
- On the south-east wall of the nave there are four life-size wooden figures, which presumably come from the Riemenschneider school . They show the Mother of God , Saint Barbara , Maria Magdalena and Saint Catherine and were made around 1500.
- The wooden relief Magdalena anoints Jesus' feet on the opposite wall dates from the same time.
- organ
- The small two-manual organ is a rarity in the baroque style and was rebuilt in 2001 by the Bamberg organ builder Thomas Eichfelder . It not only includes a tremulant , but also the rare Rossignol effect register . Another special feature are the (non-acoustic) stop bars Lucerna for the light and Ventus for the wind (on / off switch).
- Open pulpit
- On the square in front of the chapel you can see a stone pulpit that was in the parish church of St. Oswald until 1729 . Due to the rush of pilgrims, there was no longer enough space in the chapel so that services were held in the open air.
Stone pulpit from 1591 with a kneeling Magdalena on the sound cover
Wooden sculptures
(around 1500),
St. Catherine on the left,
Maria Magdalena on the right
Wooden sculptures
(around 1500),
St. Barbara
on the left, the Mother of God on the right
Open pulpit in front of the chapel
Building history
The Baunach citizen Victor Überkum donated the Magdalenenkapelle for his funeral. He is said to have made several pilgrimages to Rome and Santiago de Compostela .
| year | event |
|---|---|
1401 |
First documentary mention of a chapel on the site of the current building |
Um 1440 |
Death of the St. James pilgrim Victor Überkum A small chapel (today's choir) is built. Überkum is buried in the floor. The chapel becomes a place of pilgrimage. |
1475 |
The still existing nave with barrel ceiling and the south-west facade are being built. |
1508 |
Beatification of Victor Überkum |
1737 |
The roof turret will be renewed and will get its current shape. |
1985–2000 |
The building is being extensively restored. |
2001 |
The chapel receives a pipe organ . |
The legend of the blessed Überkum
Towards the end of his life, the pious Baunach citizen Überkum gave half of his fortune to the poor. The other half, he stated in his legacy, was to be used to build a chapel in honor of St. Magdalena. He should be buried there too.
The legend tells that Überkum had decided that one should put his corpse on a ribbon and let his blind horses pull it away. The chapel should be built at the place where the horses stopped. The ceremony was also carried out, but the Baunach citizens considered the place where the horses stopped to be unsuitable and began to build elsewhere. But every morning her daily work was put back into place by an unknown hand. Finally they gave up and submitted to Überkum's will.
swell
- Information board at the chapel
- Info from the parish community of St. Christopherus in Baunach-Itz- and Lautergrund
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 58 '58.3 " N , 10 ° 51' 7.2" E