Parish Church of St. Bartholomew (Greßthal)
The parish church of St. Bartholomew zu Greßthal is one of the oldest church complexes in the Diocese of Würzburg . It was built as a separate church for the Counts of Schweinfurt and received the status of an upper parish in the 15th century . In the 1920s, plans began for an imposing renovation that could not be fully implemented. Today it is of great importance as it contains early frescoes by Alois Bergmann-Franken .
First building
Christianization began in Greßthal around the year 600 through the Franks . The missionaries erect a first cross here on the former pagan cult site . The first church was built in 680. A Franconian traveling bishop consecrated it to Saint Matthias. The Schweinfurt counts founded their first parish in the 8th century. This was equipped with a large parish, which was of very high regional importance.
Since the year 804 Greßthal was assigned to the Fulda monastery . In the 12th century the Fulda abbots expanded the parish church into a fortified church (the fortifications were removed in 1601 and 1749). After numerous disputes between the abbot of Fulda and the bishop of Würzburg , Greßthal became the property of the Würzburg monastery in 1376.
Patronage change
For the All Saints' Day in 1443, Bishop Gottfried IV. Schenk of Limpurg elevated Greßthal to an episcopal parish. Now a canon, who was appointed by the bishop, ruled in Greßthal and the branches as senior pastor. The entire upper parish was his property for life. The first pastor of Greßthal, Eberhard von Grumbach, renovated the interior of the parish church. He now installed Saint Bartholomew as the parish patron . In the middle of the 15th century, many churches were given the patronage of St. Apostle Bartholomew.
Modifications by Julius Echter
The next major construction project followed under Prince-Bishop Julius Echter , as part of his Counter-Reformation in the Reichtal. First a new sacristy was built north of the tower. After completion in 1601, the new late Gothic baptismal font was erected in it. The also late Gothic sacrament niche was built into the wall. The church received large pointed arch windows. The defiant fortifications around the parish church were largely removed during this renovation phase. A painter from Gerolzhofen painted the interior with ornaments from 1610 to 1612. Pictures from the life of Christ were created on the flat wooden ceiling in the nave. It was the same painter who previously redrafted the altars there in the Marienkapelle in Rütschenhausen. The choir room in the basement of the tower remained structurally largely unchanged. Only the choir arch was raised and a new window was added on the east side. After the interior renovation was completed, the tower was raised from 1612 to 1614 and given the massive, typical Genuine peak . The consecration took place on Martinitag 1614.
Baroque
The baroque transformation of the parish church began in 1749 under parish vicar Johann Sigismund Kilian. The steep slope behind the parish church was removed. After the west gable was demolished, the nave was expanded. The pastor Philipp Karl Freiherr von Fechenbach was passed over and no approval was obtained from the cathedral chapter. Finally, the parish vicar completed the construction at his own expense. Inside the parish church was provided with simple but elegant stucco. The baroque altars were added in 1761. These, like the pulpit, were made by the Hassfurt artists Johann Diemer and Matthäus Mayer. After the Baroque era was over, Prince Bishop Karl Philipp von Greiffenclau-Vollraths paid tribute to the work of Vicar Johann Sigismund Kilian by donating a white vestment.
Two new bells were added in 1727 and 1845 to the two old bells that existed before the Baroque era. This historical ring has been lost. The largest and smallest bells were tuned in a ′ and dis ′ ′.
The interior of the parish church was redesigned in 1868 under Pastor Karl Josef Pabst. The baroque altars were replaced by neo-Romanesque ones. The room was also renovated and richly painted in this style.
The Bartholomäuskirche today
After long preliminary planning, the foundation stone for the necessary reconstruction of the parish church was laid on May 16, 1933. On October 9, 1933, Bishop Matthias Ehrenfried was able to consecrate the church interior with its new altars. The frescoes come from the Aschaffenburg painter Alois Bergmann-Franken . The Way of the Cross came from his workshop in 1956. His work is represented here by an early work and a late work. The crucifixion can be seen on the high altar and the Virgin Mary on the altar of Mary. The altars are made by the goldsmith Josef Amberg. To the right and left of the tabernacle, saints are depicted adoring Christ. The pulpit is Josef Wiesner's masterpiece. In 1933, the master carpenter and carpenter Alfons Gößmann produced all of the wooden furnishings.
In 1987 the popular altar and ambo were added. Tongues of fire on the ambo symbolize the Whitsun event. On the folk altar, vines and ears of grain remind us of wine and bread that is transformed into the blood and body of Christ during the Eucharist. In 1987, a former processional Madonna from around 1860 found a new place on the right wall of the nave.
Bells: There are a total of 4 bells in the tower room. The three larger ones form the main bell, while the smallest bell is a so-called sugar loaf. Its year of casting is estimated to be around 1210 to 1240. Unfortunately, it can only be rung by hand, making it one of the oldest bells in all of Lower Franconia.
literature
- Florian Prosch: Greßthal - In the heart of the Reichtal , Obertshausen 2004.
- Wilhelm Apprich: The history of the upper parish Greßthal , Schweinfurt 1903.
- Robert Kümmert : The bells of the Hammelburg district , Würzburg 1955
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 5 ' N , 10 ° 2' E