Matthew Church (Römstedt)
The Evangelical Lutheran St. Matthew Church is centrally located in the village of Römstedt , near Bad Bevensen in the Uelzen district . The church was named after the evangelist Matthew . The church has probably been around since the 13th century, where it was probably built by the local noble families as a castle and palace chapel. In the past the church has been renovated and enlarged many times. Significant pieces of equipment are a Furtwängler organ, two church bells and the figure of a Man of Sorrows .
history
Römstedt actually bears the name Remstede, this name is, as one suspects, of Longobard origin and is actually a personal name, one suspects from Ramo or Rami. There are other names in the area that could come from the Lombard period, but it cannot be clearly identified with certainty. The ending "stede" preferably designates the seats of the free, which could indicate that individual noble families caused the establishment of the place. New research has also shown that knights had settled on or next to the land of today's church and pastor property. The first written mention of Römstedt dates back to the 12th century. In the course of the 12th century the division of the large parish districts and the number of clergymen began to grow . Small chapels or so-called oratorios were built on the knight's courts and with the help of the monasteries . These chapels or oratories later developed into their own parish churches . In the 14th century, twelve parishes and chapels were built in the Bevensen area. It is believed that both churches in Römstedt and Gollern were probably built as palace and castle chapels by the local noble families. The old cemetery definitely indicates that there has always been a church in Römstedt. There are also old bills of the church in which the salt law was insisted and also indicate that there was already a church. This salt law appears in the oldest church accounts from 1545 and points to one of the oldest components of the church's property. The salt was valuable and was a very popular capital investment of the clergy and neighboring countries. The Reformation was introduced late in the Römstedt Church because of the continued dependency on the Medingen Monastery , which had had the right of patronage to the Römstedt Church since 1363 .
Chronological order
There is evidence that there was a church in Römstedt as early as 1238. The parish in Römstedt acquired the salt rights in 1322. Havekost was accepted into the parish in 1438. In 1408 a cup of communion was donated, and it is believed that archdeacon Grawrock from the Lüne monastery may have donated it. The first evangelical preacher, Pastor Heske, was installed in 1545. The village Gollern entered the 1567 parish a Römstedt. A new church order was drawn up in 1567. The Thirty Years War broke out. The bell was re-cast in 1641 as it was damaged. A new pulpit was built in 1656. After further damage to the bell, a new bell was cast and hung up in 1675. The Man of Sorrows was renovated in 1648. From 1685 to 1690 the church was renovated. In 1700 the church bought a striking clock for 20 thalers , which was in Uelzen . A second bell was purchased in 1707. The clock and the second bell had to be removed in 1759 due to the dilapidation of the church. In 1765 21 oaks were acquired for the new tower. The church got a new roof in 1769. The first gallery was added on the west side in 1850, an extension on the north side followed from 1866 to 1867 and the rectory and barn were built in 1867 . The church received a Furtwängler organ in 1876, which previously had its place in the Lamspringe monastery . The tower was dilapidated, the renovation allowed the church to expand to 450 seats. The tower was completed in 1910/11.
architecture
Exterior construction
The nave was built as a Gothic brick building. Since this construction was only used in the 14th century, it can be concluded that the church was built between the 14th and 15th centuries. The church has a large tower that was repaired in 1559. In 1897 the half-timbered tower was dilapidated. During the renovations, the tower was built in the direction of the street and 450 more seats were gained. Next to the church is the rectory and an old barn.
inner space
The interior has a choir closure in half a decagon. There is also a relief depicting the head of Christ . There are small pointed arch niches under the windows of the side walls. At the entrance on the north side there are pointed arches with structured edging. The earlier and original main entrance to the church, also known as the north door, now consists of only one window. The dragon that stands diagonally above the entrance is clearly recognizable. This dragon represents a defense spell that should keep all evil away from the interior of the church. Such animal figures indicate the Gothic architectural style. The outer walls of the church used to be surrounded by a ribbon made of green-glazed bricks. But this can only be seen in some places, as a lot had to be renewed over the centuries. The church also has a choir, which has been reduced in size over the centuries due to lack of space, an organ and two bells . In the past, the church also had a pulpit that stood on the southeast wall opposite the choir door. The winged altar also consists only of the middle piece, the two side wings were missing as early as 1861. The middle piece shows Mary with the child and the three kings in the middle. In addition to the altar, a larger wooden Man of Sorrows can be seen, depicting Christ sitting on a wooden stump with a crown of thorns and wounds on his hands and feet. This figure is believed to have originated in the transition from the 14th to the 15th century and was restored in 1648.
Furnishing
- Two old sacrament goblets that are still in use today. Both goblets are decorated; one of the cups has an inscription with the name "Jesus" on the handle. A bishop and crosier are engraved on the foot and the inscription on the underside.
- Clockwork manufactured by the tower clock factory JF Weule in Bockenem near Hildesheim.
- Man of Sorrows
- Two bells
- Furtwängler organ, which was originally in Lamspringe Monastery .
Parish
The villages of Drögennottorf , Gollern, Havekost, Masbrock , Höver and Niendorf belong to the parish of Römstedt in the parish of Uelzen of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover . In 1545, under the first Evangelical preacher, Pastor Heseke, the congregation joined the Reformation. A cemetery a little further away belongs to the community and testifies to the history of the church and the place.
Pastors
The following people were pastors at the Matthäus-Kirche in Römstedt:
- 1651–1694: Johannes Mensing (born June 21, 1624), started the baptism, marriage and death registers.
- 1701–1709: Johann Joachim Hildebrandt
- 1710–1713: Ludolph Justus Bußmann (born April 1, 1680)
- 1713-1728: Martin Curtius
- 1728–1736: Johann Peter Rieckmann
- 1737–1740: Christian Scheller († March 17, 1740)
- 1740–1755: Erdmann Christoph Runge, married Pastor Scheller's widow
- 1755–1768: Friedrich Gude
- 1768–1790: Johann Friedrich Knopf
- 1790–1824: Georg Joachim Leopold Küchenthal. He built a new rectory.
- 1824–1852: Friedrich Georg August Biermann
- 1853–1863: Ernst Friedrich Christian Jordan
- 1864–1866: Friedrich Heinrich Schultze. He rebuilt the rectory.
- 1866–1877: Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Wittrock
- 1878-1892: Adolf Wilhelm Becker
- 1891–1893: Ludwig August Heinrich Wörmer, was married to Pastor Becker's daughter.
- 1893–1897: Gerhard Friedrich Borchers (* March 25, 1833, † January 18, 1897)
- 1897–1909: Wilhelm Wecken
- 1910–1935: Louis Karl Gustav Bösenberg (* 1866), on the occasion of the baptism of his son he donated a baptismal font.
- 1936–1956: Günter Max Julius Marr
bibliography
- Günther Marr: History of the parish Römstedt and its pastors
- Wilhelm Lüdeke: Finds and observations during the renovation of the Römstedter Church. 1966/68
Web links
Coordinates: 53 ° 5 '47 " N , 10 ° 39' 3.3" E