Parish Church St. Johannis (Wirsberg)
The Evangelical Lutheran parish church of St. John is a church in Margrave style in Wirsberg .
altar
The pulpit altar stands freely in the choir on an elevation. The old organ was above the altar until 1882. In 1882 it was demolished and replaced by a new organ in the west portal above the main entrance area.
The pulpit altar was made in 1744 by the sculptor Wolfgang Adam Knoll from the Knoll family of sculptors. Since it was still unpainted in 1772, Pastor Johann Georg Frank (1761–1797) contacted the painter Wilhelm Bauer in Bayreuth, who agreed to paint the pulpit, altar and organ for 250 guilders . But when he asked the high ducal government and the deputation of saints in Bayreuth for approval of the accord, he was informed that the court painter Wunder in Bayreuth had the privilege of all church paintings and that he should get in touch with them. Against miracles, however, the community declared itself, "measured them this man, although they admittedly in his art and science in all value, had not been recruited for the best," and turned to the painter Johann Schneider from Hof , who ran the pulpit in Steben and had painted the organ in Ahornberg . A few days later, however, the court painter Sebastian Friedrich Müller appeared from Kulmbach and also applied for this commission on the grounds "that he had a high princely privilege and Dicret on the high-princely administration in Kulmbach and that the painter Wunder could not cause him any hindrance".
After approval by the margravial government on October 12, 1778, the work was transferred to Müller. He was supposed to paint the altar, pulpit, organ, but also the galleries like in the castle church in Bayreuth, and asked for 350 guilders and two Carolin allowances. The whole decoration came to 486 guilders 30 kr., For other expenses 43 guilders 26 kr. in addition, it was a total of 530 guilders 12 kr. These costs were raised through a collection in the localities of the parish. A list of donors was written in gilded letters on two large plaques above the entrance to the sacristy.
In 1906 the altar was redesigned, ornaments, capitals and angel clothing were gilded.
The saying on the altar behind the altar cross reads:
"But let man examine himself, and so eat of this bread and drink of this cup." (1 Corinthians 11:28)
Baptismal font
The baptismal font embodies the three construction periods of the church:
- late Gothic sandstone foot; (around 1500)
- Wooden frame of the pool from 1647: The wooden frame of the pool is painted with portraits of the donors and coats of arms between diamond-coated corners, and above it is an inscription numbered 1647. The octagonal sandstone basin with keel arch ornamentation in the side panels, which belongs to the late Gothic foot, is still present and placed in the church on a simple pillar with chamfered corners.
- Lid with a wooden group of the baptism of Christ from 1966
The old baptismal font was donated by Georg Schneider in 1646, “Princely Bayreuther Mundkoch zu Culmbach and his beloved Mr. Andmann as the venerable and honorable and well-invited Mr. Christophero Wolfrumb pastor and pastor of Wirsberg.” The portrait of this priest and his wife Margarete is on the baptismal font.
The inscription on the underside of the baptismal cover reads: "This is my dear son, in whom I am well pleased." This inscription is also on a picture of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist on the underside of the baptismal cover.
On the flag of John the Baptist on the baptismal lid reads: "Ecce Agnus Dei" in German: "See God's lamb" according to John 1.29b: "See, that is God's lamb that bears the sin of the world."
Late Gothic font
Portrait of Christoph Wolfram († 1656) on the font
Portrait of Margareta Wolfram on the font
Epitaph by Johann Georg Thümmig († 1662)
Bells
The church tower has three bells that were not confiscated during the war because of their age and have thus been preserved.
The big bell
The big bell dates from 1510. It has a strong eye and is very thick. At the top around the edge you can read in Latin letters in Gothic script: “DEFUNCTOS PLANGO, VIVOS VOCO, FULGERA FRANGO. ANNO DOMMINI 1510 ”. Translation: I mourn the dead. I call the living. I break the lightning. The lower edge of the bell bears the 17 cm high portrait of John the Baptist and the inscription: “S. Johannes T. "
The middle bell
The middle bell is missing the eye because it melted away in the fire of 1633. It is attached to the yoke with six iron tenons. Around the edge is a hard-to-read script: “O Rex gloriae, veni cum pace. Linhardus. Ave Maria. Lucas; Marcus. John. Matthew ”. Translation: “O glorious king. I came with peace. Hail Mary ”. According to a bell expert, it is probably the oldest bell in the district and comes from the Leonhard Chapel.
The little bell
The little bell has a pretty, subtle eye shaped like a face at the top. Around the edge is written: "GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO MDLXXIX (1579) - HANS STAIN M. ton fis"; below the edge are two ten centimeter high portraits without naming on two sides.
literature
- August Gebeßler : City and District of Kulmbach . The art monuments of Bavaria , brief inventories, III. Band . German art publisher . Munich 1958. p. 107f.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Bavarian art monuments in the city and district of Kulmbach. P. 107.
- ^ Helmut Meißner: Churches with pulpit altars in Bavaria. P. 296 ff.
- ^ Johann Schlundt and Wilhelm Bayer: Wirsberg. In: Bamberger Hefte Heft 8/9. P. 56 and 57.
- ^ Karl Hahn: Wirsberger Chronik. Pp. 160, 162.
- ↑ Bamberg Hefts for Franconian Art and History Heft 8/9. P.56.
Coordinates: 50 ° 6 ′ 25.8 ″ N , 11 ° 36 ′ 26.8 ″ E