Assumption of Mary (Herzogenrath)
The Catholic parish church of the Assumption of Mary is the parish church of Herzogenrath . The existing building was built in 1913–1915 as a neo-baroque basilica based on designs by the district architect Heinrich van Kann .
history
Herzogenrath, which was granted city rights by the last Duke of Limburg, Walram IV , around 1260 , did not have its own parish church throughout the Middle Ages. The area of today's Herzogenrath, which lies west of the Wurm , essentially belonged to the parish of St. Lambert in Kerkrade and to the diocese of Liège . Even when the area fell to Brabant after the Battle of Worringen in 1288 and the subsequent peace treaty , nothing changed.
Only in the context of the conflict between Habsburg and Jülich in the Third War of the Geldr Succession did interest focus on Herzogenrath as an important border point, and after long negotiations a pastor's office was set up in 1564 and separated from St. Lambert. Like St. Lambert, the newly created parish belonged to the Maastricht deanery in the diocese of Liège. At that time there was a small chapel in the town that the faithful used as a parish church. In 1780 the diocese approved the demolition of this building and the construction of a new church on the site of the present church, which was consecrated at Christmas 1781.
With the incorporation of the areas on the left bank of the Rhine into the French state and the French Concordat of 1801, the parish of the Assumption of Mary came to the newly founded diocese of Aachen . Through the Agreement of Aachen in 1816, the area of today's city of Herzogenrath was taken over by the Kingdom of Prussia, but it was not until 1821 that the diocese of Aachen was repealed in the papal bull De salute animarum . At the same time, the parish was expanded to include districts west of the Wurm, which it took over from St. Lambert, and became part of the rebuilt Archdiocese of Cologne .
Triggered by the rapidly increasing population as a result of mining and industrialization, there have been repeated plans for extensions to the church or a new building since the middle of the 19th century. Towards the end of the century the first order for the design of a new building was received. The decision dragged on for many years with designs by several architects in different styles of historicism, until a new Baroque design by the district architect Heinrich van Kann prevailed. Shortly before, the southern areas of the parish had been separated and the new parish of St. Joseph was founded. The existing church was demolished in 1913 and the new building erected in its place, which was consecrated in October 1915.
Parish
The parish of the Assumption of Mary belongs to the deanery Herzogenrath / Merkstein in the diocese of Aachen. Since 2002 she has formed the parish association Herzogenrath-Mitte together with St. Gertrud and St. Antonius
architecture
The central nave of the basilica, which is built in a north-south direction, is pulled forward slightly between the two 40 m high towers. Aisles and choir have a rectangular finish. Four square domed vaults rise above the central nave and the choir, as do the side aisles and side choirs with square domed vaults. The extensions of the aisles to the towers have barrel vaults.
Furnishing
The neo-baroque high altar was designed by Johann Curtius from Aachen and commissioned from Johann and Alfons Dörr in Saulgau , who also made the two side altars (Joseph altar and cross altar).
Originally, Hans Schaffrath painted the church figuratively according to a Marian program. This painting could neither be preserved nor restored and Günther Reul redesigned the color of the church in 1953.
organ
In the context of secularization, many organs were for sale, which could be bought cheaply. Herzogenrath succeeded in buying an organ from the Katharinenkirche in Maastricht , which was transferred by the organ builder Joseph Binvignat and set up in the Assumption of Mary (meanwhile a transitional instrument in St. Matthias).
An emergency organ was installed in the new church in October 1915 by the Stahlhuth company from Aachen. This was sold in 1950 after the Karl Bach organ building company had started to gradually build a new organ in 1947 .
In 2013, the master organ builder Werner Gibisch from Merkstein carried out an extensive restoration, after which the organ presented itself in the following disposition:
1. Manual main work: Bordun 16 ′ (new), Prinzipal 8 ′ (formerly II), Rohrflöte 8 ′, Liebl. Gedackt 8 ′ (new), Octave 4 ′, Viol flute 4 ′, Nasard 2 2/3 ′, Superaktave 2 ′, Sesquialtera 2-fold, Mixtur 4-fold 1 1/3 ′, Trumpet 8 ′
2. Manual: Wooden principal 8 ′ (new), Salicional 8 ′, Vox coelestis 8 ′ (new), Gedackt 8 ′, viol 4 ′, forest flute 4 ′, recorder 2 ′, fifth 1 1/3 ′, cymbal 3-fold 1 ′ , Dulcian 16 ′ (new), Oboe 8 ′
Pedal: Subbass 16 ′, principal bass 8 ′, Gedacktbass 8 ′, choral bass 4 ′, trombone 16 ′, trumpet 8 ′ (formerly in the main work)
literature
- Frank Pohle, Louis Augustus (ed.): Roda Pastoralis - 900 years of pastoral care in Kerkrade, Afden and Herzogenrath - The Klosterrath Abbey and its patronage parishes. einhard, Aachen 2004, ISBN 3-936342-38-5
- Josef Reuter: The re-establishment of the diocese of Aachen . B. Kühlen, Mönchengladbach 1976, ISBN 3-87 448-089-5
Web links
- Dean's office: list of parishes
Coordinates: 50 ° 52 ′ 4.7 " N , 6 ° 5 ′ 28.7" E