Petrikirche in Bosau

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St. Petri in Bosau, south side
St. Petri, view of the altar
St. Petri, altar

The Evangelical Lutheran St. Petri Church in Bosau at the southern end of the Großer Plöner See is a stone church from the 12th century, Romanesque in its origins , which was founded by Bishop Vicelin .

Bosau was temporarily from 1150 to 1156 the seat of the Oldenburg diocese under the bishops Vicelin and Gerold . In this respect, the Petrikirche is a former bishop's church and is therefore also referred to as the “smallest cathedral in the world”. The chronicler and priest Helmold von Bosau wrote his Chronica Slavorum here from 1167 to 1172 .

The Bosau Petrikirche has been the central performance location of the Bosau Summer Concerts for over 40 years .

prehistory

Diocese of Oldenburg in Holstein

The Diocese of Oldenburg in Holstein was founded by Archbishop Adaldag of Hamburg on behalf of Emperor Otto I in 972 for the purpose of missioning the Slavs and colonizing the Wendish areas. The area of ​​the diocese initially extended from the Danish border on the Bay of Kiel to the border of the Havelberg diocese in the south, but was limited to the actual Wagrien (Ostholstein) in the 11th century .

After a few peaceful years, the establishment of the diocese was followed by a long period of Slavic uprisings and armed conflicts. In 983 the church in Oldenburg went up in flames. The most violent Wagrier uprising took place in 1066 under the leadership of the Liutizen tribe , who destroyed everything Christian in the country , after some quieter phases . Bishop Ezzo escaped the slaughter, but the diocese of the Wagrians disappeared from history for over 80 years.

Bosau before the church was founded

The Bosau peninsula in the Großer Plöner See was originally an island and probably also the site of a Wendish cult site in pre-Christian times . The name Bosau is the further development of the Slavic settlement name Bozowe , one possible interpretation is "under the beeches", other suggestions range from "Gottesfeld" to "Siedlung des Boz". One of the first bishops of Oldenburg (Holstein) had already laid out a farmyard at this point in the 10th century, which was protected by the location, but could not be held and was finally destroyed by the Slavs in 1066.

Bosau as the seat of the Diocese of Oldenburg

In the 12th century Heinrich the Lion pushed the colonization in the Slavic settlement areas of the eastern North Elbingen and in Mecklenburg again in a second big attempt. In the course of this second colonization, the old Wendish missionary diocese of Oldenburg was formally restored. (→ Wendenkreuzzug )

In 1149 the Wenden missionary Vicelin was installed as Oldenburg bishop after the bishopric had been orphaned for over 80 years. Because the area around Oldenburg itself was still a Wendish retreat and the bishop's seat there was not yet secure, Bishop Vicelin moved to Bosau.

Church foundation by Vicelin

Bishop Vicelin, reproduction of an engraving from 1590

Bishop Vicelin had the Petrikirche built between 1151 and 1152, one of many field stone churches still called Vicelinkirchen today from the time of his mission in Holstein and Wagrien. The later Bosau pastor and chronicler Helmold († 1177) wrote about this in his Slav chronicle in Book I, Chapter 71:

“So there was peace in the land of the Wagrians, and the young plantation increased more and more by God's grace. The trade in Lübeck grew from day to day and the ships of the merchants there increased. Bishop Vicelin, however, began to inhabit the island, which was called Bozowe, and camped under a beech tree until they had built huts in which to stay. There he began to build a church in the name of the Lord and in memory of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles. "

Construction began in 1151; craftsmen and materials came from Segeberg and Neumünster . When Bishop Vicelin returned to Bosau in 1152 from the Merseburg Diet of the young Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa , the construction of the church had progressed so far that Vicelin could carry out the inauguration. A few days after the consecration of the church in Bosau, he suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side and severely impaired his ability to speak. After two years of suffering, he died on December 12, 1154 in Neumünster. Under his successor, Bishop Gerold , who had resided in Eutin since 1156 , the original Oldenburg bishopric was moved to Lübeck in 1160 (according to recent research, perhaps not until 1163) . Gerold died in 1163 with his friend Helmold in Bosau, whom he had encouraged to write the chronicle.

Building history

The course of the foundations of the original round tower marked by field stones

It is not possible to determine exactly how the Petrikirche in Bosau originally looked, as the construction plan was changed during the construction period and the church was later rebuilt several times. Remains of foundations found during excavation work in the nave suggest a three-aisled basilica . The west tower, choir and apse were initially not in place; they were only built around 1200 when the three-aisled basilica was converted into a hall church.

The oldest surviving image of the church from 1559 shows the tower in a round shape with a pointed helmet cone. The foundations of an original round tower could also be proven by excavations and are clearly marked by field stones in the ground around the current tower. When the church was bombarded during the Thirty Years' War in 1627, the round tower was destroyed except for small remains. The tower was rebuilt on an almost square floor plan, the tower was given a curly baroque helmet .

The original fieldstone technique can be observed particularly well at the Bosau church, as large parts of it have been preserved in their original form. The field stones were poured from the Segeberger Kalkberg in a wooden casing with plaster mortar , so that the glow of the white surface could be seen from far above the Plöner See. After large parts of the plaster surface were lost and the masonry had to be repaired with bricks, the church was given a uniform white lime paint in 1970, so that its current appearance - apart from the round tower - comes very close to that of earlier times.

Furnishing

Apse, baptismal font, main altar
Large triumphal cross in the choir arch
North gallery with painting panels
Epitaphs on the south wall

Remnants of frescoes and baptismal font

Inside the church, in the apse with tendril paintings and a fresco (Peter and a donor) that are no longer completely preserved, smaller remains of the original Gothic wall painting, which were discovered and uncovered in 1952, have been preserved. The oldest object in the church is the medieval font made of Swedish granite from the 12th or 13th century, to the left of the main altar; it stands on a younger pedestal made of limestone from the island of Gotland .

Main altar

The winged altar is one of the oldest and most important in Ostholstein. The current appearance of the carved retable is no longer the original. Until 1915 the reredos hung unnoticed on the south wall of the church and deteriorated. The consequences of the well-intentioned restoration were catastrophic, and the historic altarpiece was completely redesigned. Almost all figures were exchanged and implemented, some changed or even recreated, the apostle Judas Thaddäus lost his attribute , the club, he became John the Baptist. The alleged, repeatedly described sequence in the middle section - Mary, Christ with Abraham and Moses, John the Baptist - replaced the original sequence Peter - Christ (without Abraham / Moses) - Judas Thaddäus. Of the 14 main characters, 12 were swapped, one “re-baptized”, only Christ remained in his place. The redesign of the winged altar including the minor figures in 1915 was thorough and extensive. However, it can be substantiated by means of records and photos that are in the archive of the Schleswig-Holstein State Office for the Preservation of Monuments. During the next restoration around 1968, the prophets were exchanged again. So today's front view of the altar is a coincidence of the restorations of the 20th century.

Overpainting was removed from the left wing on the back in 1915. Older paintings with the following themes came to light: crucifixion , entombment , Gregory mass and Christ's descent into hell . Even if these paintings probably date from the 15th century and are therefore not part of the original holdings of the winged altar, the Bosau altar is still one of the oldest reredos to have a Gregory mass. The so-called side altar of the "Apostles Peter and Paul" is a remnant from the "Eternal Vicariate " donated by the parishioners in 1493 and endowed with 350 marks lübsch .

Triumphal cross

An artist from Bernt Notke's workshop created the large triumphal cross around 1470 , which hangs in front of the choir arch and immediately attracts everyone's attention when entering the church. It shows Jesus being executed on the cross like a criminal. The three lilies that grow from his head are signs of his purity and innocence. Four angels hovering around the crucified one catch the flowing blood from his wounds in sacrament goblets. The four ends of the cross bars are enlarged and show the symbols of the evangelists : the winged man as a symbol for Matthew, the lion for Mark, the bull for Luke and the eagle as a symbol for John. The cross beams are shaped as the tree of life by growing leaves and thus point to Jesus' victory over death.

During the restoration of the triumphal cross in 1916, five relics were discovered in the Christ head . With each relic there was a strip of parchment with its exact name. According to this, the bone fragments are said to come from Saints Laurentius , Maternianus and Mauritius , and other bone fragments are said to come from the eleven thousand virgins who were martyred near Cologne. A small limestone is said to be “de monte Tabor”, that is, from Mount Tabor in Palestine .

Late Gothic carvings

The carved figures on both sides of the apse arch of Maria on the crescent moon (walnut wood) and by Bishop Vicelin (oak wood), to whom a church model was placed on the hand in the 19th century , also come from the late Gothic period . The choir stalls from the 15th century show finely carved heads on the cheeks .

Baroque pulpit

At the time of the Thirty Years' War the ornate pulpit was carved in 1636 , which is quite astonishing in view of the great destruction of 1627. In niches between the corner pillars are Christ and the Evangelists as well as Paul and Andrew . The small hourglass on the pulpit parapet is supposed to indicate the length of the sermon time; it was donated by a parishioner at Christmas 1734.

Gallery with picture panels

The uprights of the north gallery, built in 1656, are quite roughly crafted, and the twenty painting panels between the pillars tell scenes from the life of Christ, especially about his suffering and death. The pictures, painted in the popular style, are by Hans Welcker, who also painted the original ceiling painting of the baptism of Jesus, which is now on the west side of the gallery.

Epitaphs

On the south wall hang three epitaphs , two in the late Renaissance style and one in the baroque style . The most splendid is that of Henning Meyer (around 1670) with fully plastic figures, twisted columns and rich floral decorations in cartilage style . (The episcopal bailiff Meyer had to donate a total of seven similar tablets as a penance for marital infidelity.)

organ

Prospectus of the Becker organ

Today's organ in the church was built in 1972 by the Becker company . The prospectus is made of darkened oak. The instrument has 16 registers on two manuals and a pedal . The instrument has the following disposition :

I main work Cg 3
1. Principal 8th'
2. Reed flute 8th'
3. Octave 4 ′
4th Dumped 4 ′
5. Gemshorn 2 ′
6th Mixture IV
7th Sp. Trumpet 8th'
II breastwork C – g 3
8th. Dumped 8th'
9. Pointed flute 4 ′
10. Nasat 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
11. Principal 2 ′
12. third 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
13. Scharff III
Pedal C – f 1
14th Sub bass 16 ′
15th Principal 8th'
16. Choral bass 4 ′

Clergy

literature

General

  • Helmold von Bosau: Chronica Slavorum. Translated from Latin by JM Laurent and W. Wattenbach. Phaidon, Kettwig 1990.
  • Guide to prehistoric and early historical monuments, Volume 10: Hanseatic City of Lübeck - Ostholstein - Kiel. von Zabern, Mainz 1972.
  • Andreas Rumler: Schleswig-Holstein. Dumont Art Guide, Dumont, Cologne 2007.
  • Rumold kitchen master: 800 years of St. Johanniskirche in Oldenburg. In: Festschrift for the 850th anniversary of the St. Johanniskirche in Oldenburg in Holstein. Church council of the evg.-luth. Parish of Oldenburg in Holstein, Oldenburg 2007. (Original article from 1957 with historical additions by Jürgen Eberhardt 2007.)
  • Antje Schnitz: The names of places and waters in the Ostholstein district. Karl Wachholtz Verlag, Neumünster 1981.

Petrikirche Bosau

  • J. Burmeister: The miraculous change of the Bosauer altar. In: Natur- und Landeskunde, Zeitschrift für Schleswig-Holstein, No. 10–12, December 2008.
  • Hans Gerber: Sankt Petri Church in Bosau. Struve's printing and publishing house, Eutin 1973.
  • Johannes Habich , Matthias Hartenstein: The church at Bosau on the Plöner See (Langewiesche library). Koenigstein i. Ts. O. J. (1982), ISBN 3-7845-0262-8 .
  • Information sheet from St. Petrikirche Bosau, Beuroner Kunstverlag. Without a year.
  • J. Piening: The Petrikirche Vicelins in Bosau and its community. 1913/17.

Web links

Commons : Petrikirche (Bosau)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 54 ° 6 ′ 25 ″  N , 10 ° 25 ′ 30 ″  E

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Helmold: Slawenchronik , Book I, Chap. 75
  2. ↑ Information on the organ