St. Candidus Church (Kentheim)
The Protestant St. Candidus Church in Kentheim, a district of Bad Teinach-Zavelstein in the Calw district , is of early Romanesque origin and one of the oldest churches in southern Germany . Its namesake is the martyr Candidus . It is one of four churches in the Zavelstein parish.
History of origin
A forerunner of the St. Candidus Church in Kentheim was probably built as a hermitage at the beginning of the 9th century at the instigation of the Reichenau monastery . In 1075 Kentheim, Sommenhardt and other hamlets were handed over to Hirsau Monastery, only 6 km down the valley . “ Since in the 12th century in Kentheim sisters to St. Candidus have been proven, it can be assumed that the Hirsau nuns were moved to Kentheim. [...] At the beginning of the 13th century the nunnery was closed; soon afterwards St. Candidus was converted into the parish church of Kentheim and the parish church for 14 newly created villages on the surrounding Black Forest heights of the Nagold and Teinach valleys. In 1450 this parish seat was transferred to the little town of Zavelstein. "The fact that the cemetery served numerous surrounding parishes well into the 16th century speaks for the importance of the parish." In the course of the Reformation around 1540, the Kentheim church lost its importance; it is used extensively as a church of the dead . For some years now, church services, weddings and concerts have been taking place regularly.
Exterior of the church
The St. Candidus Church and a small cemetery are located near the Nagold , surrounded by a lawn and a stone wall. Like many of the churches of the late 10th century, the Kentheimer was originally a single-nave hall church with a wooden beam ceiling. The use as a parish church (after 1450) led to an extension in the west and thus to an interior space of about 22 meters in length and 4.50 meters in width. "It was also possible to establish that - apparently on the occasion of the extension of the nave - the level of the floor was raised by 1.20 m, probably due to the risk of flooding." In the current appearance of the church, the changes due to extensions and restorations are clearly visible. Early Romanesque and Gothic elements can be seen on the outer walls , even if only indicated by lines in the plaster.
West side
On the partially plastered west side there is a gothic shaped main entrance and two windows one above the other, all made of sandstone.
South side
Next to and above the square entrance gate are window openings from different construction phases. Some of them are walled up or only indicated in the plaster.
The six rectangular tombstones attached to the left and right of the church gate on the south wall are particularly striking. Only one stone slab has an inscription: "In the year of the Lord 1447 Margreta Meyr von Holzgerlingen died on the day of holy Emerentiana , may her soul rest in peace." (The inscription is translated into German.)
Five other gravestones show plowshare symbols, symbols of the status of farmers. There are also cross symbols on three gravestones, one of which is covered by a tree-like structure. There are no similar gravestones anywhere in the surrounding settlement area. One can assume that they are the remains of burials in the Kentheimer Kirchhof. However, a reliable dating is hardly possible.
There are two more tombstones inside the church.
East Side
While the nave and choir together formed the original rectangular building, the tower in the east with its massive quarry stone masonry, corner blocks and half-timbered floor is particularly striking. The tower was placed over a barrel vault when the church was lengthened and has only got its present form since the restoration in 1956 and the removal of the old boarding. To do this, the old gable roof was removed and replaced by a steep tent roof.
North side
On the north side, a partially walled-up gate with two upright sandstone pillars and a triangular lintel, the lower part of which is in the ground. In addition, remains of the former exterior painting and contour lines of bricked-up Romanesque windows are visible in the plaster. The sacristy was probably built in the 14th century. This is indicated by the Gothic entrance gate in the choir. At their western and eastern corners below the eaves are heads of envy .
View from the west
View from the east
View from the northwest
View from the north-west in 1926, still with the old tower design (gable roof) and old railroad lattice bridge
North side, Neidkopf at the sacristy
Nave
Like the exterior, the interior of St. Candidus Church has been expanded and changed several times over the centuries.
Mural
The al-secco wall paintings in the nave were created in the middle of the 14th century, and the choir was painted in the early 15th century. They had been whitewashed since the Reformation, and in 1840 they were exposed and restored for the first time. The three-row cycle of pictures on the north wall is particularly impressive. “In Kentheim there were 24 to 27 scenes from the life of Jesus. As far as these can still be recognized, one can determine the following: Upper row: 'Annunciation'. Middle row 'Christ in Gethsemane', 'betrayal by Judas', 'Christ before Pilate', 'the crowning of thorns', 'flagellation', 'carrying the cross', 'two women (no further details to be seen)'. Bottom row: 'Head of Christ and a second person', 'Christ on the cross', 'The Descent from the Cross', 'The Entombment', 'The Resurrection'. ” Only a remnant of the painting on the south side is visible.
Choir room
It was not until the church was lengthened that the chancel was separated by a wall with a Gothic arched opening. "The murals in the choir are artistically less significant, but through the religious ideas on which they are based they give us a direct view of the Christian worldview of the people of the late Middle Ages."
Ceiling painting
"Christ as the judge of the world, enthroned on two rainbows, two swords [...] come out of his mouth, the stigmata appear on his hands.
Mural
On the east side above the window are: “Cain and Abel offer their gifts to God. […] ” On the west wall above the choir arch: “ Mary and the Annunciation Angel. [...] " On all walls and on the window reveals: " Miracles and the sacrificial death of saints [...] or martyrs depicted as individual figures: Georg, Candidus, Margareta, Barbara, Katharina (?) "
(All information and quotations on the wall and ceiling paintings are taken from the brochure by Karl Greiner, Siegfried Greiner)
Other equipment
The altar in the choir comes from the time the church was expanded. Several priests were employed in the parish at that time in Kentheim and each one had to read his mass every day. The two side altars in front of the choir arch were also used for this purpose. The font under the south window dates back to the early Romanesque period.
Opposite the entrance to the sacristy, another gravestone slab is attached: "In the year of the Lord 1501, Mr. Michel Klenck, pastor in Zafelstein, died, whose soul may rest in peace." (The inscription is translated into German.)
Nave north wall
Nave north wall
Vaulted ceiling in the choir room
Wall painting in the choir room
Romanesque font in the choir room
Gravestone in the choir room
Repairs
After the murals were exposed in 1840, they were restored for the first time in 1890. After cracks and crevices had formed in the outer wall, excavations were carried out under the foundation of the church in 1956. Different heights of the masonry in the east and west were determined and that the masonry consisted of two rather thin shells and a filling without proper bandage or a binding agent. The collapse of parts of the wall was to be feared because of the moisture in the earth and the ingress of rainwater. The restorer introduced a binding agent made from lime, cement, sand and water into the masonry through spray channels. Then the wall paintings were repaired. The painting was not supplemented. During the excavations, it was also found that the nave walls were plastered to a depth of 1.20 meters and partially treated with color.
After several floods, the church had to be restored again in 1990 and 1999.
literature
- Karl Greiner, Siegfried Greiner: St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. 5th edition. Weberdruck, Pforzheim 1987.
- Otto Teschauer: Observations on the building history of the St. Candidus Church in Kentheim, City of Bad Teinach-Zavelstein, Calw district. In: Archaeological excavations in Baden-Württemberg. 1991, pp. 246-250.
- Art historical hiking guide Württemberg and Hohenzollern: Kentheim. Belser Verlag, Stuttgart / Zurich 1984, p. 387.
Web links
- Website of the Zavelstein churches
- Oscar Heck: The St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. (PDF; 7.3 MB). In: News sheet of the preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg - organ of the state offices for the preservation of monuments. 1958, Volume 1, No. 3.
Individual evidence
- ^ Website of the Evangelical Church Community of Zavelstein
- ^ A b c Oscar Heck: The St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. In: News sheet of the preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg - organ of the state offices for the preservation of monuments. Volume 1, No. 3, 1958, p. 69.
- ^ Karl Greiner , Siegfried Greiner: St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. 5th edition. Weberdruck, Pforzheim 1987, p. 22.
- ^ Oscar Heck: The St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. In: News sheet of the preservation of monuments in Baden-Württemberg - organ of the state offices for the preservation of monuments. Volume 1, No. 3, 1958, p. 71.
- ^ Karl Greiner, Siegfried Greiner: St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. Weberdruck Pforzheim, 5th edition, 1987, p. 9.
- ^ Karl Greiner, Siegfried Greiner: St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. 5th edition. Weberdruck, Pforzheim 1987, p. 17.
- ^ Karl Greiner, Siegfried Greiner: St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. 5th edition. Weberdruck, Pforzheim 1987, pp. 24 to 26
- ^ Karl Greiner, Siegfried Greiner: St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. 5th edition. Weberdruck, Pforzheim 1987, p. 23.
- ^ Karl Greiner, Siegfried Greiner: St. Candidus Church in Kentheim. 5th edition. Weberdruck, Pforzheim 1987, pp. 29 and 30
- ↑ Otto Teschauer: Observations on the building history of the St. Candidus Church in Kentheim, town of Bad Teinach-Zavelstein, Calw district. In: Archaeological excavations in Baden-Württemberg. 1991, pp. 246 to 248
Coordinates: 48 ° 41 ′ 42.7 " N , 8 ° 43 ′ 50.2" E