Seven Stations of the Cross
The late Gothic seven-station way of the cross in St. Marien zu Homberg (Efze) is likely to be the oldest surviving way of the cross with seven stations. In the Middle Ages, these crossroads were also called the Seven Footfalls , because the believers kneeled down at every picture and said the prayers .
introduction
The seven stations have been located in the north aisle in the St. Marien town church since 1965. For over a century they were set into the wall of the Simpelschanze in front of the Homberg town hall.
- I. The flagellation, Joh. 19, 1: Pilate took Jesus and had him flagellated.
- II. The crowning of thorns, Joh. 19, 2a: The Roman legionaries braided a crown of thorns and placed it on his head.
- III. The condemnation, Matth. 27, 11, 19, 24, 31: Jesus stood before the governor Pilate.
- IV. Veronika, Luk. 23, 27, 28: And a great multitude of people and women followed Jesus.
- V. Simon of Cyrene, Matth. 27, 32: As they went out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon.
- VI. Carrying the Cross, Luk. 23, 26, 27: As the Roman legionaries led Jesus on the way of the cross, they seized Simon of Cyrene and put the cross on him ...
- VII. Golgotha, Joh. 19, 17-19: The Roman legionaries led Jesus out to the place that is called the place of the skull, in Hebrew Golgotha.
The original location of the Stations of the Cross is unknown. Based on the design of the individual stations, one can assume some of the locations, but there is no scientific evidence.
Station I shows a medieval torture chamber . This points to the medieval town hall, which stood south of the church on today's market square. On the occasion of the renovation of the Homberg market square in 2007, foundation walls of buildings were discovered on the market square. Whether this is the former town hall cannot currently be conclusively assessed.
Station II shows a look into the town hall hall, it was probably on the stairs to the churchyard.
The end of Station III resembles a prayer clock as it is preserved on the pillars of the choir.
The fourth station imitates the arch of the central window of the east choir.
The fifth station shows the shield arches, the beginning of which can be seen in the north aisle.
The VI. The station is like the bell entrance on the west tower.
The VII. Station corresponds to the west portal.
The artist has adapted the representations to his time. The figures are dressed in 15th century robes, the objects of daily use point to the same time.
I.
Jesus hangs on the pillar of torture, stripped of his clothes, only wrapped in a loincloth; his hands are tied over his head with a rope that is pulled over a roller by a Roman legionnaire with both hands so that the body of Jesus is taut for flagellation. Three Roman legionaries wield the instruments of torture: the one in front on the left holds the whip in his left hand and strikes out to strike while looking at Jesus; the one behind it grasps the rod with both hands and strikes; the one in front on the right aims with the scorpion at the face of the tortured man.
The flagellation is moved to a medieval torture chamber. The design could give an indication of the location of this station; Torture chambers were part of the town hall complex. The medieval town hall stood on the market square, south of the Marienkirche.
II
Jesus sits on the stone bench, dressed in the red cloak; his hands are tied. Four Roman legionaries press the crown of thorns on his head with two crossed poles. The legionnaire has one pole in front on the left under his right arm, the other on the right behind under his left; the legionnaire has the other pole at the back left under his right arm, the other at the front right under the left.
III
Pilate sits on the judgment seat. His wife stands behind him, begging him to stay out of the matter. Next to Pilate stands a servant who pours water from a jug over the governor's hands into a bowl. Above this scene the Roman herald can be seen giving the order to set off for the crucifixion with a trumpet signal.
Three Roman legionaries tie the condemned man to the cross with ropes: one of them grabs the rope with his left hand under the crossbar; the other grasps the rope from the front; of the third, only the head can be seen above the transom.
The cross is given to Jesus with a cloak and a crown of thorns. With his left hand he reaches for the crossbeam that rests on his right shoulder. His gaze is directed forward, towards the Way of the Cross.
IV
The execution squad is in a hurry. The centurion - in the background - with command staff gives his herald the order to blow the signal to hurry. The legionnaire at the front left marches energetically on; with his left hand he grasps the rope that holds Jesus on the cross, and with his right hand he continues to pull Jesus, whom he looks sharply at. The other legionnaire grabs Jesus under the crossbar with his left hand to push him forward; his right arm is broken off. Signs on the stone suggest that the legionnaire was wielding a scorpion in this hand.
On the right side of the picture, behind the end of the crossbeam, a woman's head appears, suggesting that plaintive women are following. On the right, in the foreground, is Veronica; in her hands she holds the handkerchief on which Jesus' face was drawn.
V
Jesus had collapsed under the weight of the cross; Simon of Cyrene was forced to take the burden. The procession rearranged itself: the Roman herald gives the trumpet signal to set off. The legionnaire on the left pulls the rope that ties Jesus to the cross. Simon of Cyrene takes hold: he takes the crossbar. The friends of Jesus look at him gratefully: John, the favorite disciple, Maria Magdalena and Maria, the mother of Jesus. The medieval artists loved to portray themselves. This is probably what the master of this way of the cross did; the beret marks him. He watches what is happening and raises his hands in prayer. Jesus rests on the rock with his left hand.
VI
Jesus carries the heavy burden of the cross; he was charged with the Roman legionnaire, who sat astride the beam, held the condemned man with his left hand, and raised the scorpion in his right hand to urge him on. The other legionnaire stands at the head of the cross, pulls Jesus up with his right hand and looks disgruntled at the condemned man who is causing so much trouble. The Herald - the figure is destroyed - seems to be going on. Mary, Mary Magdalene and John mourn, weep and follow Jesus. But Simon of Cyrene helps to carry the cross. Jesus leans on the rock with his left hand and looks ahead, towards the goal.
VII
Under the cross lies a skull indicating the name of the place of execution: Golgotha. The cross shows the inscription INRJ. Above the head of the hanged man on the right hand side of Jesus is the figure of a child as a symbol of eternal life, above the head of the hanged man on the left the figure of a monster as a sign of eternal torment. Under the cross are four women: Mary, the mother of Jesus, his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene; the disciple John. The posture of the figures is deeply impressive, especially the supporting arm of the figure of John, who supports Mary's arm. At the bottom right are two legionaries: one holds the hyssop stem in his right hand, on which he had put the sponge with vinegar: the other holds the lance in his left hand with which he pierced Jesus' side (right).
A striking feature of some of the stations is the inclusion or use of the surrounding framework by the figures. These works of art have this in common with the gravestone of Heinrich von Löwenstein in Haina and the tomb of Abbess Anna von der Borch in Oberkaufungen and point to the same artist. The hostage in the depiction of the scourge in the scourging, the feet of individual soldiers, but especially in the fourth station, the correspondence becomes clear through the depiction of an archway beyond the ornamentation.
In the 19th century, the stations of the cross were built into the Simpelschanze in front of the town hall.
Excerpt from the first station "The Flagellation"
Excerpt from VI. Station "Carrying the Cross"
The arch in station picture IV merges into the frame of the station, a characteristic of the master.
literature
- Karl Baumann, Heinrich Steitz: The Way of the Cross with the three nails. Kassel 1982, ISBN 3-920310-34-9 .
- Albrecht Kippenberger: The station pictures of a former way of the cross in Homberg (Efze) and their master . In: Hessische Heimat, 6. Jhrg., 1956, H. 5, S. 16-19.
- Albrecht Kippenberger: Two late Gothic sculptors in Hesse. In: Hessenkunst 1929, pp. 35–44.
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 2 ′ 2.4 ″ N , 9 ° 24 ′ 19.4 ″ E