Sankt Wendelin (Schlaitdorf)
Sankt Wendelin in Schlaitdorf in the Esslingen district is a late Gothic Protestant church of Catholic origin, built around 1500. In 1534 Duke Ulrich von Württemberg had his duchy reformed according to plan with the help of his princes after the reconquest of Württemberg. The then Schlaitdorf pastor Gregorius Fischer then undertook to preach in the spirit of the Reformation. Sankt Wendelin thus became a Protestant church. The church thus became nameless.
History and current church building
The Württemberg village of Schlaitdorf in the Esslingen district, first mentioned in 1088, was originally not an independent parish and, in terms of church organization, belonged to Neckartailfingen . A document dated February 20, 1431 indicates differences between the Neckartailfinger mother community and the Schlaitdorf population. This document shows that Schlaitdorf already owned a chapel at that time. This was the castle chapel of the village nobility based in Schlaitdorf. In 1466 the church organizational separation of Schlaitdorf from the Neckartailfinger mother community took place. Previously, a chaplain was set up in the village on the basis of a foundation from the noble Georg Kaib von Hohenstein, who lived in Schlaitdorf Castle. A descendant of this nobleman of the same name allowed a collection for the establishment of a parish with a baptismal font and the establishment of an adjoining cemetery. In 1482, the owner of the Schlaitdorf castle Ludwig Hafenberg from Neuriet left the aristocratic village building as a parsonage to the then Schlaitdorf pastor Jacob Kramer in exchange for other parish income.
The church of Sankt Wendelin, which is still preserved today, was built around 1500 in the late Gothic style. The tower in the west was added later by the master builder Hans Buß , who also designed the Nürtingen city church. The second floor of the tower is provided with loopholes and probably served as a treasure chamber. Parts of the nave probably go back to the Romanesque period of the 12th century.
The interior
From the late 15th century there is also an artistically valuable glass picture showing the Virgin Mary with child in a halo standing on a crescent moon. This Schlaitdorfer Madonna is integrated into an altar window of the church. The altar dates from the 1950s and was made from coarse-grained, light-colored Keuper sandstone based on a design by Hermann Brachert . A glass altar cross from the Saile glass workshop in Stuttgart based on a design by the architect Ludger Schmidt impresses on the altar. The different colored glasses pick up the colors of a rainbow and are supposed to remind of Noah and his ark.
Renovations in and on the church building
organ
On October 1st, 1989, shortly after the 900th anniversary of Schlaitdorf, the new organ of the Mühleisen Organ Building Workshop in Leonberg was inaugurated. The choir room was chosen as the location. The Goll predecessor organ was positioned very close to the side gallery of the choir. The new location of the organ supports the natural sound development of the instrument throughout the church. The neo-Gothic prospect of the old, repair-prone Goll organ with its fine carvings was reused. The entire village co-financed the new organ through donations and a specially set up organ support association.
Outdoor area
Starting in 2000, the exterior of the Sankt Wendelin church was renovated over a period of almost two years. Different settlement processes of the imbalanced building structure tower and nave led to a sagging of the foundations of up to ten centimeters in the connecting area on the north-facing slope edge. Gaping cracks had opened up in the church. In order to prevent further damage to the nave and to increase the stability, the foundation of the building was exposed and bored piles were driven five meters into the ground. The drainage and sewer system of the building was also renewed.
The roof of the tower was repaired true to style with green glazed, flat rounded plain tiles. Extensive repair work was carried out on the ship's gable roof. The old hand-painted beaver tails were refilled and the roof was re-covered.
The sandstone facade of the nave, which was exposed until the renovation, was adapted to the tower and provided with a lime plaster based on the old model. The stone frames of the windows remained natural.
Indoor
From 2006, the renovation work in the interior was pushed ahead. The door between the nave and the tower was moved so that the stairs to the gallery now belong to the entrance area. The execution of the door in glass reveals a fantastic view of the art of stonemasons.
The hall-like ground floor of the tower opens harmoniously in a pointed arch portal into the nave. Medieval architecture culminates here in the keystone of the splendid ribbed vault with the sign and initials of the master builder Hans Buß. This symbol has been reworked in color and is now easily recognizable. The cracks in the building were concealed with a ceiling mirror. The inclination of the tower roof structure remains noticeable. The previously existing stucco frieze was remodeled using a light frame.
The stairs to the choir have been widened so that choirs can now better set up and position themselves. The baroque pictures with the apostles and evangelists on the gallery were continued at the same level on the north wall "in allusion to the former north gallery, which was removed during a renovation in 1953."
Lived ecumenism in Schlaitdorf
The Catholic Christians in the community of Schlaitdorf are assigned to the parish of the neighboring places Grötzingen and Harthausen . Once a year, the Catholic parishes of Grötzingen-Harthausen and Neckartenzlingen host a pilgrimage to the Schlaitdorf Madonna. This pilgrimage is supported by many evangelical parishioners in Schlaitdorf. Here, as in other projects, the successful ecumenical cooperation between Catholic and Protestant Christians in Schlaitdorf, which has grown over centuries, is evident.
literature
- Josef Maier: Church life in the Catholic community (Schlaitdorf), In: 925 Years of Schlaitdorf, a review, 1988 - 2013, booklet with various reports from Schlaitdorf organizations and associations, Schlaitdorf 2013, pages 24-25
- Dieter Speck, municipality of Schlaitdorf (publisher): Schlaitdorf 1088 - 1988, published by the municipality of Schlaitdorf on the occasion of the 900th anniversary in 1988, Schlaitdorf 1988
- Roger Speier: Evangelical St. Wendelin Church in Schlaitdorf, In: 925 Years of Schlaitdorf, a review, 1988 - 2013, booklet with various reports from Schlaitdorf organizations and associations, Schlaitdorf 2013, pages 17-23
- Roger Speier: St. Wendelin Church in Schlaitdorf - Church guide. Schlaitdorf 2014 (pdf)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The article is based on: (1) Dieter Speck, Gemeinde Schlaitdorf (editor), Schlaitdorf 1988 and (2) Roger Speier, Schlaitdorf 2013 (in particular the chapter on renovations in and on the church building)
- ↑ Roger Speier: Evangelical St. Wendelin Church in Schlaitdorf, 2013
- ↑ Grötzingen is a district of Aichtal ; Harthausen a district of Filderstadt .
- ↑ Josef Maier: Church life in the Catholic community (Schlaitdorf), Schlaitdorf 2013
Coordinates: 48 ° 36 '14.5 " N , 9 ° 13' 22.2" E