Servaas Basilica (Maastricht)

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Servatius basilica at the Vrijthof

The Servaasbasiliek ( German  Servatiusbasilika ) in Maastricht , the Netherlands, is a Romanesque , three-aisled cruciform basilica . It is considered the oldest surviving church in the Netherlands. The community is Catholic.

history

Floor plan of the basilica
Westwork of the Servatius basilica
Capital in the westwork

After Servatius , Bishop of Tongeren , died near Maastricht in 384, a wooden memorial chapel was built over his grave. Shortly after 549, at the instigation of Bishop Monulphus , this was replaced by a stone church with a crypt . The large influx of pilgrims made a larger new building necessary, which was started at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries . Large parts of today's central nave, the side aisles and the choir originate from this construction phase . During the second construction phase in the second half of the 11th century, the transept and the adjoining chapels were built.

In the 12th century the apse was rebuilt and received a dwarf gallery and choir towers based on the model of the Speyer Cathedral . The westwork with west choir and imperial hall (built under the provosts Arnold II von Wied , Gerhard von Are and Christian von Mainz ) was built around this time. At the beginning of the 13th century an early Gothic portal was added to the south side , possibly the earliest Gothic structure in the Netherlands. Further Gothic alterations were made in the 14th century. In 1556 the church was given a third tower between the two west towers, which was replaced by a baroque building in 1770 .

The monastery was abolished in 1797 during the French occupation and the church was then used as a horse stable. In 1804 the basilica became a parish church. Between 1866 and 1900, the church was thoroughly restored by the architect Pierre Cuypers , the baroque alterations being reversed. His guiding principle was to regain the state of the late medieval building - as far as possible. In 1955 the basilica was damaged by fire and the central tower was destroyed. In 1985 the church was elevated to a minor basilica .

According to plans that the architect Teunis (Teus) van Hoogevest had worked out since 1977 and for which he had examined the building history of the church, it was completely restored from 1981 to 1993. On this occasion, extensive excavations were carried out under the nave from 1981 to 1989 under the direction of Titus ASM Panhuysen. The restoration was so profound that it was decided to rededicate the church in 1993 . As with the consecration in 1039, twelve bishops were present at the consecration in 1993.

Art historical importance

The westwork of St. Servatius Church is one of the most interesting buildings of the 12th century in the Meuse area. The building sculpture in the west building is particularly important, probably made during the term of office of the provost Gerhard von Are . The 34 capitals are one of the most important events in Maasland sculpture . Depicted are scenes from Augustine De civitate Dei : motifs of leaves, pairs of animals, fighting people and animals, and people at work every day. A close relationship between the Maastricht stone sculpture and the dwarf gallery of the double church in Schwarzrheindorf and part of the capitals in the palace of the Wartburg near Eisenach has been established by art historians.

The so-called Servatius key ( Aachen , IX century), the Servatius cross ( Trier , XI century), the Servatius shrine (Maastricht, XII century) and the Servatius bust are among the possessions of the treasury (Italy, after 1579) and a patriarchal cross ( Nuremberg / Maastricht, 15th century) are remarkable, as is an important collection of medieval textiles. Large parts of the church treasure (including the so-called Einhardbogen or Arcus Einhardi ) were lost after the abolition of the monastery by the French occupiers in 1797. Nevertheless, the Servatius treasure is largely the most important cathedral treasure in the Netherlands.

Furnishing

Organs

Prospectus of the main organ
Choir organ
Cabinet organ

The basilica has three organs : the main organ in the westwork, a choir organ and a cabinet organ.

The main organ in the westwork of the basilica has a varied history. The origins of the instrument go back to around 1650; The organ was built for the nearby Dominican Church, with 19 stops on three manuals. In the middle of the 18th century the instrument was rebuilt and expanded by the organ builder Jean-Baptiste Le Picard (a total of 28 stops on three manuals).

At that time there was an organ in the basilica, about which there is no information. But it must have been a larger instrument, which in the turmoil of the French. Revolution was lost. After the reopening of the Servatius Basilica in the 19th century, the organ of the Dominican Church was acquired for the basilica and installed there by the organ builder Joseph Binvignat more or less unchanged. Around 1840 his son Adam Binvignat made some changes to the instrument. In 1843 the organ was rebuilt by the organ builder Gebr. Franssen (Horst) and placed in the westwork of the basilica, with a large part of the pipework being renewed and an independent pedal system added. In the 1850s the organ was gradually expanded by the organ builders Pereboom and Leijser.

The instrument was last restored in 1989 by the organ building company Verschueren, whereby the organ case was also revised and adapted, and the console was placed in the middle in front of the organ. Today the instrument has 41 stops on three manual works and a pedal.

I Grand Orgue C-g 3
01. Montre 16 ′
02. Bourdon 16 ′
03. Montre 08th'
04th Bourdon 08th'
05. Flute harmonique00 08th'
06th Viola di gamba 08th'
07th Prestant 04 ′
08th. Flood 04 ′
09. Salicional 04 ′
10. Fifth 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
11. Duplicate 02 ′
12. Fittings III
13. Cymbals II
14th Cornet V
15th Bombard 16 ′
16. Trumpets 08th'
17th Clairon 04 ′
II positive C-g 3
18th Montre 08th'
19th Bourdon 08th'
20th Salicional 08th'
21st Unda Maris 08th'
22nd Bilingua 08th'
23. Prestant 04 ′
24. Flood 04 ′
25th Duplicate 02 ′
26th Flageolet 01'
27. Mixture II-III
28. Basson-Hautbois 00 08th'
III echo C-g 3
29 Bourdon 08th'
30th Flood 04 ′
31. Flageolet 02 ′
32. Cornet II-III
33. Voix humaine 00 08th'
Pedale C – f 1
34. Montre 16 ′
35. Soubasse 00 16 ′
36. Fifth 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′
37. Flood 08th'
38. Prestant 04 ′
39. Bombard 16 ′
40. Trumpets 08th'
41. Clairon 04 ′
  • Coupling: II / I, III / II, I / P
  • Other: Tremblant

The choir organ was built by the organ builder Verschueren. The instrument contains pipe material from an organ that was built by Hendrick Metzeler in 1695 for the Lutheran Church in Maastricht. The instrument has 6 registers on a manual (Cd 3 : Holpijp 8 ′, Fluit Travers 8 ′, Prestant 4 ′, Fluit 4 ′, Quint 2/3 ′, Octaaf 2 ′, Tremulant ), which are divided into bass and treble sides . The pedal (Cc 1 ) is attached.

The cabinet organ was probably built by the organ builder Pieter Künckel and is in the basilica's weekday chapel. In 2013 the instrument was restored by the organ builder Hans van Rossum. It has 8 manual registers (Cf 3 : Holpyp 8 ′, Praest [an] t 8 ′, Praest [an] t 4 ′, Fluyt 4 ′, Octaav 2 ′, Sup [er] Oct [aaf] 1 ′, Mixtuur III- IV, Cornet III).

Bells

Old Grameer bell in the monastery courtyard

The largest bell in the Servatius basilica is called "Grameer" (from French: "grand-mère", = grandmother). The bell was cast on June 21, 1515 by the bell founders Willem and Jaspar Moer. In 1980, the Eijsbouts bell foundry cast a copy of this bell, which was hung in the south tower in place of the historic "Grameer"; the old "Grameer" has since been exhibited in the courtyard of the cloister.

The "Grameer" has the strike tone g 0 . The remaining bells were cast by the Petit & Fritsen bell foundry in 1950 and by the Eijsbouts bell foundry in 1985. The church also has a transformation bell, cast by Petit en Fritsen in 1951, with the strike note d 2 .

No.
  		Surname
  		Casting year
  		Caster
  		Diameter
(mm) 		Weight
(kg, approx.) 		Chime
 
1 Grameer 1980 Eijsbouts 2200 6270 g 0
2 1950 Petit & Fritsen 1556 c 1
3 1950 Petit & Fritsen 1385 d 1
4th 1950 Petit & Fritsen 1232 e 1
5 1985 Eijsbouts 1175 f 1
6th 1985 Eijsbouts 1036 g 1
7th 1985 Eijsbouts 923 a 1

photos

  • 1937 with the central tower

  • Vrijthof side

  • North entrance with Servatius fountain

  • inner space

  • Priestly choir

  • Imperial Hall in the westwork

  • Double relief in the westwork

  • Capital in the westwork

  • Leaded glass window

  • Servatius shrine in the treasury

  • Detail of the basilica ceiling

literature

  • Fred BP Ahsmann: Order and Confusion. The Twelfth-Century Choir of the St. Servatius Church in Maastricht . Clavis Kunsthistorische Monografieën Deel XXIV. Clavis Stichting Middeleeuwse Kunst, Utrecht 2017.
  • Franz Bock , Vicar M. Willemsen: The medieval art and reliquary treasures of Maestricht, kept in the former collegiate churches of St. Servatius and Our Lady there , Thesaurar, Cologne and Neuss 1872.
  • Elizabeth den Hartog: Romanesque sculpture in Maastricht . Maastricht 2002.
  • Renate Kroos, The Shrine of St. Servatius in Maastricht and the four associated reliquaries in Brussels . Munich 1985.
  • Aart JJ Mekking: De Sint-Servaaskerk te Maastricht . Utrecht / Zutphen 1986.
  • Titus Panhuysen: 'New Finds. The Maastricht Servatiuskirche in the early Middle Ages', in: Kunstchronik. Monthly for art history, museums and monument preservation. Bulletin of the Association of German Art Historians , Volume 43, Issue 10. Munich / Nuremberg, October 1990 ( online text ).
  • Wilhelm Rave : Sint Servaas to Maastricht and the Westwerk question . In: Westfalen , Jg. 22 (1937) pp. 49-75.
  • Annemarie Stauffer: The medieval textiles of St. Servatius in Maastricht . Bern 1991.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Wim Alings: Kentekens in stad en land . Nefkens, Utrecht 1978, p. 32.
  2. ↑ Wim Alings: Kentekens in stad en land . Nefkens, Utrecht 1978, pp. 28-30.
  3. ^ Titus ASM Panhuysen: De Sint-Servaaskerk te Maastricht in de vroege middeleeuwen. Voorlopig einverslag van de opgravingen door de dienst Stadsontwikkeling Maastricht in the period 1981–1989 . In: Koninklijke Nederlandse Oudheidkundige Bond (ed.): Bulletin KNOB. Tweemaandelijks tijdschrift van de KNOB voor monumentenzorg, architectuurgeschiedenis, archeologie, cultuurbeleid, musea en archieven , vol. 1991, no. 90, pp. 15–24.
  4. ↑ See: Mekking, pages 195-202; Den Hartog, pages 14-16.
  5. ↑ Reliquary bust of St. Servatius in the picture index of art and architecture .
  6. ↑ Dr. Hans Christoph Ackermann: "This collection of relic materials belongs to the most important groups of medieval textiles." (Stauffer, p. 7)
  7. ↑ See Dutch Wikipedia article 'Einhardsboog' .
  8. ↑ Information about the organs (English)
  9. ↑ Sound video of the bells with further information on the individual bells

Web links

Commons : Servaasbasiliek  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 50 ° 50 ′ 55 "  N , 5 ° 41 ′ 14"  E