Marienaltar Leipzig-Lützschena

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View of the chancel with the feast day side of the Marien Altar
The closed altar shrine
The first change
The second change / holiday side

The Marien Altar of the Schlosskirche Leipzig-Lützschena is a five-winged late Gothic carved altar. The body is made of softwood , the figures of the saints are carved from linden wood. The workshop in which it was created around 1460 is unknown.

history

The Lützschenaer Marienaltar was built in the second half of the 15th century. One suspects a connection with a foundation by the von Üchtritz family, who have been enfeoffed with the village since 1404 .

When Maximilian Speck (1776–1856), Baron Speck von Sternburg since 1829 , acquired the rule of Lützschena in 1822 , a year later he had the interior of the church redesigned in a classical style and a Protestant pulpit altar installed in place of the winged altar . On the occasion of the birthday of his wife Charlotte geb. Hänel von Cronenthall (1787–1836) the east gable of the church was re-plastered in 1835 and the winged altar was installed there.

Pastor Ernst Moritz Reichel (1798–1863) noted in the parish and local journal he wrote:

“May entered immediately with the mildest spring weather, and soon covered the trees around us with a white, blooming snow. ... The neighboring church also experienced the most beneficial improvement and embellishment at the same time. The Baron had the gable cleaned to fix the former altar sheet to it and to give it a new dial ... On May 8th, one of the most festive days appeared to us, the birthday of our esteemed Mrs. Charlotte von Speck-Sternburg. … Singing and blessing concluded the religious celebration… whereupon breakfast was served in Lützschena in the open space in front of the festively decorated gable of the church. "

In 1855 the Leipzig architect Oscar Mothes (1828–1903) was commissioned to renovate the Lützschena church. As a member of the German Society for Research on Patriotic Language and Antiquities in Leipzig, he campaigned for the winged altar to come into their care. According to a letter dated September 14, 1855 and again by a reversal from May 19, 1857, the owner remained the parish of Lützschena. The winged altar came to the depot of the City History Museum of Leipzig in 1947 via the Art History Institute of the University of Leipzig . Both before and after the Second World War , the church council tried to set up the winged altar again in the Lützschena church. The projects failed for various reasons. The complete renovation of the castle church at the end of the 1960s / beginning of the 1970s under the direction of the church building manager Gerhart Pasch aimed at the re-erection of the winged altar, which the state authorities in turn prevented.

It was replaced by an altar cross made of metal and glass by the Leipzig artist couple Ulrike (1939–2012) and Thomas Oelzner (born 1939). In the summer of 2012, through the mediation of the art sponsor Wolf-Dietrich von Sternburg, a new attempt was made and negotiations began with the city of Leipzig and the city history museum.

In May 2013 the Lützschena church council decided to bring the winged altar back. The project was presented to the public on June 27, 2013, with a full-size model unveiled, and on July 24, 2013 - after the first emergency securing of the paint layer - the altar was returned to its historical location. After with the support of the Kunstretter e. V. the necessary funds were raised from the Free State of Saxony , the German Foundation for Monument Protection , the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung together with the Sparkasse Leipzig , the Saxon State Church and private sponsors , the restoration began in September 2014. At the same time, there was an intensive discussion about the future installation site. A specially formed commission finally recommended the installation on the altar square and the placement of the Oelzner cross in the axis of the morning light. The church council followed this recommendation on May 14, 2015.

The altar was solemnly rededicated at a festive service on June 28, 2015.

The closed altar shrine

Both the historical documents and the arrangement of the hinges speak for a five-winged altar shrine. Three of them, the central shrine (1) and the inner wings (2 + 3) are still preserved. As part of the restoration, two wings were added according to historical patterns, which were deliberately not designed in order to give the community the opportunity to make a decision here after an intensive discussion.

The first change

After the first change, four scenes from the cycle of the Marian feasts can be seen. Above left is the meeting between Maria and Elisabeth ( Visitation of the Virgin Mary , July 2nd). Next to it on the right is the Nativity of Christ ( Christmas , December 25th) and below that the presentation of Jesus in the temple ( Candlemas , February 2nd). At the bottom left the pictorial program concludes the death of Mary in the midst of the apostles ( Assumption of the Virgin Mary , August 15).

The second change / holiday side

The Marian altar of the castle church shows on the festival side in the center Mary as Queen of Heaven with the baby Jesus in her arms. Both are flanked by eight saints; on the left above Nikolaus and Katharina , below Dorothea and Mauritius . On the right are Barbara and Wolfgang at the top and Georg and Margarethe at the bottom . In the two side wings, the 12 apostles are arranged in groups of three. Of these, the following can currently be assigned:

literature

  • Steffen Berlich, Gerhard Graf: Festival program for the consecration of the Gothic St. Mary's Altar in the Schlosskirche Leipzig-Lützschena on the 4th Sunday after Trinity 2015

Web links

Commons : Marienaltar (Leipzig-Lützschena)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ernst Moritz Reichel, Parish Journal for Lützschena, Hänichen and Quasnitz (1831–1863) , Parish Archives Lützschena, Chr. 24 p. 24f.

Coordinates: 51 ° 22 ′ 47.5 ″  N , 12 ° 16 ′ 50.4 ″  E