Marienaltar (Lauterbach)
The Lauterbacher Marienaltar is a late Gothic double winged altar from around 1480. It was originally located in the Protestant town church of Lauterbach in the Hessian Vogelsberg district, which was demolished in 1762 . Today the altar is the most important exhibit in the Hohhaus Museum, which is housed in the former Hohhaus City Palace in Lauterbach. The predella and cracks of the altar are no longer preserved. Neither the name of the sculptor nor that of the painter have survived.
The three states of the Marian altar
The winged altar has three changes or states. When closed and simply opened, painted panels can be seen. The altar was only fully opened on public holidays and the inner shrine with its gilded carved figures came to light.
Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret, left panel when closed
Saint Barbara and Saint Dorothea, right panel when closed
Saint Boniface and the Apostle James, inner shrine
Mary Magdalene and Simplicius of Rome, inner shrine
Closed state
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The two panels of the altar when closed represent the four holy virgins. On the left panel, Saint Catherine of Alexandria is shown with her attributes , the sword and the wheel. Next to her is St. Margaret of Antioch on a dragon. The right panel shows Saint Barbara of Nicomedia with her attribute, the tower in which, according to legend, she was held captive by her father. St. Dorothea holds a basket of flowers in her left hand, which was presented to her by the baby Jesus dressed in a white robe, which is recognizable by his cross nimbus.
Once opened
In the second state of the altar four scenes from the life of the Virgin are shown. The panel on the left shows Mary's parents, Saint Joachim and Saint Anna , when they met at the Golden Gate. The other scenes depict Mary's going to the temple, the Visitation and the twelve-year-old Jesus in conversation with the scribes in the temple.
Fully open state
The coronation of Mary is depicted in the center of the shrine . It is flanked on the left by the sculptures of St. Boniface , the patron saint of the diocese of Fulda , and the apostle James the Elder . The two figures on the right represent Maria Magdalena with her ointment vessel and the patron of the city of Lauterbach, the saint and martyr Simplicius of Rome . The two outer painted panels are decorated with scenes of the Annunciation and the birth of Jesus.
literature
- Explanation board in the museum
Web links
- The altar is open
- Guide to the Hohhaus Museum (PDF file; 149 kB)
- State Office for Monument Preservation Hessen (Ed.): Former Stadtpalais Hohhaus In: DenkXweb, online edition of cultural monuments in Hessen
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 50 ° 38 ′ 10.7 " N , 9 ° 23 ′ 43.5" E