St. Stephen's Church (Magdeburg)

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St. Stephanus in Magdeburg-Westerhüsen (tower)
Vault under the tower
Windows on the north side of the tower basement
Churchyard wall to the Elbe with the bulge

The Sankt-Stephanus-Kirche is a Protestant church in the Magdeburg district of Westerhüsen with a building and community history that goes back to the Romanesque period. After it was destroyed in the Second World War , only the church tower is essentially preserved today. However, it continues to serve as a summer church for the parish of Sankt Stephanus, which uses the parish hall located on the site in bad weather. The parish belongs to the parish Magdeburg-Südost of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany .

It is located in the old town center of the former village of Westerhüsen in the immediate vicinity of the Elbe , over which it rises on a hill on the left bank of the Elbe.

architecture

The west transverse tower that has been preserved has an octagonal baroque onion-shaped dome and round-arched sound openings. The height of the tower is 13.5 meters to the cornice and 28 meters to the star on the weather vane . The ground floor of the tower is occupied by a hall with a pointed barrel vault , which is believed to date from the 13th century.

Sandstone relief from the 15th century
Romanesque font

Inside the tower is a sandstone relief from the 15th century depicting a crucifixion scene. The sun and moon are depicted above Christ. In addition to the kneeling figure of the founder, there are several saints, including Saint Stephen. The relief was originally located on the outside of the ship facing the Elbe, even after renovations in 1713. The relief fastened in the central axis was greeted by passing boatmen and towers . In 1940 it was moved to the tower room, where it survived the destruction of the nave.

In the vault of the tower there is a damaged Romanesque font. This should come from the time after 1200 and shows very ancient ornaments. The outer surface is decorated with two rows of deeply worked, rectangular fields that top off with a round arch. The top and bottom rows are offset from one another. The outer diameter is 92 cm, the inner diameter 76 cm. The outer height is 60 cm, inside it measures 44 cm. Its original foot has not been preserved. The interior of the stone is a relatively large hemisphere that holds enough water to completely submerge a child when it is baptized. It is believed to have stood in the tower vault until 1713, after which it was used to collect rainwater in the corner between the tower and the vestibule. In 1912 he was discovered in this corner by Pastor Gerhard Wangemann and excavated at his instigation. The stone, split by roots, was put back together and initially placed on a brick plinth in the vestibule. There it was damaged in the destruction of the church.

There is also the 550 kg bronze Christ the King bell from 1523. According to its inscription clawes backmester by magde borch , it was cast by the Magdeburg bell caster Claus Backmester .

The area around the church is now partially designed as a garden. The church is one of the open churches , so the site is regularly accessible. Noteworthy is the massive eastern churchyard wall, which acts as a lining wall and shields the area of ​​the churchyard several meters above the Elbe from the lower lying and regularly flooded areas on the river. The churchyard wall shows a bulge that ran parallel to the originally existing apse. However, while the apse has not existed since the 16th century, the bulge has been preserved. On the remnants of the eastern wall of the vestibule, a cross commemorating Pastor August Matthisson , who worked at the church from 1875 to 1886 , is attached.

history

The church may have been founded as early as the end of the 8th century, but the exact time when the foundation stone was laid is unknown. It is speculated that the founding of the church goes back to Bishop Hildegrim , who is said to have founded around 30 churches in the region at that time, each of which he consecrated to Saint Stephen .

First a wooden church was built, which was then replaced by a stone structure at the beginning of the 13th century. The rectangular tower built from rubble stones to the west of the nave is still preserved today and dates from the 13th century. It was covered by a simple gable roof . The walls of the tower were about two meters lower than they are today. The rectangular nave was initially only as wide as the tower, although the interior was slightly wider than the space in the tower. The height of the ship was also relatively low and not much higher than the tower room. One could get from the attic of the nave through the still existing doorway above the tower vault into the church tower. The nave windows were designed as small round arches. The square choir adjoining the nave to the east was even narrower and smaller. A semicircular apse was attached to the choir .

Remodeling around 1500

Renovation work began around 1500. Due to an increased population, there was a need and also the economic strength to expand the church. The choir and apse were removed and the nave walls were extended to the east. The conclusion was made by a semicircular wall. Inside, a gothic altar shrine decorated with bright colors and gold was created . The shrine had a carved or painted image in the central part. The left and right wings were decorated with four or six figures arranged in two groups one above the other. A 43 cm high, carved figure of Saint Magdalene was found from this earlier altar shrine at the end of 1929 when the floorboards were taken up on the church floor. The figure was hung in front of the pulpit. There were two episcopal consecration crosses on the altar. There was also a sepulcrum , a square hole for relics . A sacristy was added during the renovation .

There were also two sandstone figures from around 1500. A mourning Maria and a man of sorrows with a donor figure were placed in niches on the outer wall of the vestibule. The two figures, however, already headless in the 20th century, may originally have been above the southern entrance door to the church.

View from the former nave to the tower

During the siege of Magdeburg in the Schmalkaldic War in 1550/51, the four bells in the church were removed and transported away. A short time later, the Westerhüsern managed to find the whereabouts of the Christ the King bell and bought the bell back.

Introduction of the Reformation

After the Reformation had already been introduced in nearby Magdeburg in 1524 , this did not take place in Westerhüsen until 1553. That year, the Westerhüser wrote to the University of Wittenberg and asked for a pastor to be sent to the new teaching, otherwise the church would be deserted . Johannes Kickenap, who was only 23 years old at the time, was the first Protestant pastor to come to St. Stephen's Church around 1553 . On the occasion of a visitation on April 18, 1564, he is described as "well-learned, able to teach and well-trained". At the same time, reference was made to a "serious case" concerning him that "happened to him years ago". However, the commission decided that he could continue to work in Westerhüsen. A Westerhüser pastor had 3.5 hooves and thus 105 acres of fields available for his own income. This remained so until the separation carried out in 1860 . Land was also allocated to the sexton. Kickenap cultivated one of the hooves himself, the other areas were leased. In addition, there were fees for church activities and a 15 shock hay, around six acres, extensive pasture known as Grasewiesche . Strangely enough, the Westerhüser pastor was also entitled to a tithe of meat from the not particularly nearby village of Zens . Possibly this right went back to a time when the Westerhüser Church was perhaps serving as a mission church for a larger area. The Zensians then had to pay six lambs, eight geese, 13 smokers and a grain tithe of four guilders. It was not until September 23, 1837, that the Zensians refused to pay this tax, which was worth around 200 thalers. After years of legal dispute, the Zensians won the case before the Royal Secret Upper Tribunal in Berlin on September 5, 1845.

Johannes Starcke became pastor of the church around 1572 . On October 18, 1587, the Buckau and Fermersleber churches were subordinated to him as subsidiary churches. In the case of Buckau, it was only a short episode, as the Buckau residents were given their own church and pastor again in 1592. Pastor Starcke is also described in a visitation as “well studied”, who “faithfully instructs his audience in the catechism”. On July 12, 1575, Joachim, the 2¼-year-old son of Pastor Starcke, died. A brick clay tombstone, which was still in place until the church was destroyed, reminded of this.

Brick clay tombstone for Eva Koval
Gravestone for Joachim Starck

Until the 1930s, this and another brick-clay tombstone from the 16th century were incorporated below the windows of the southern outer wall. They were made of fired brick clay. Very few stones of this type have survived. To protect them from the weather, they were restored and then moved to the interior below the church tower, but are no longer there today. The larger of the two panels was 26 cm wide, 25.5 cm high and 5 cm thick. The inscription was written in German Fraktur and read: Anno 1592 on / 9 May Aeva / Heinrich Koval / Elige Hausfrauwe / in God fell asleep: and thus commemorated the death of Eva Koval, married housewife Heinrich Kovals on May 9, 1592. The other stone was 8 inches wide and high and 6 inches thick. It bore the inscription in incorrect Latin : ANNO 1575, DIE 12 / JVLIJ MANE HORA 8 IN / CHRO JOACHIMUS FILIO- / LVS JOANIS STARCKIJ HIC / PASTORIS, OBDORMIJT. / 20 SEPTIMAN: PLEVRISI ET / PHTHISI MISERE DECVBES / NATUS. 2. ANN: ET QVADRAT. The inscription roughly means In the year 1575, on Tuesday, July 12, at 8 o'clock in the morning, Joachim, the son of the local pastor Johann Starck, fell asleep in Christ after 20 weeks of pleurisy and consumption. His age was 2 1/4 years. It seems possible that the two graves belonging to the stones were below the original location of the grave slabs on the south side of the church.

Later pastors were Johannes Reumann from Eisfeld , who died in 1622 and Georg Cramer from Königsee in Thuringia who both died in 1626 as Westerhüser pastor. Both belonged to the conventuals of the Berge monastery and may have worked there as teachers.

Thirty Years' War

In addition to the Westerhüser congregation, pastor Johann Sagittarius also took care of Salbke , as the pastor there had left the community after the Salbker could no longer support him due to the effects of the Thirty Years' War . During the term of office of the next pastor Joachim Pomarius , the siege and destruction of Magdeburg fell in 1631 . Westerhüsen was also badly devastated. Pomarius died of the plague at the age of 41 on November 10, 1636 in Schönebeck (Elbe) . Three of his children with him. The pastor's post was then vacant for the next eleven years. Only a few people still lived in Westerhüsen, the place was practically depopulated. It was not until 1647 that the 27-year-old Martin Friedrich Curio , who was born in Jüterbog , was again a pastor who initially also took care of the Salbker official business. However, the income situation was poor, so that Curio opened an inn in 1664 in the area of ​​the desert village of Pötritz . In 1669 he also leased the estate , which later became the Stöfflerchen or Weibezahl farm, for six years . Curio, of whom it is said in a visitation protocol, "he sometimes does unresolved deals", died after several weeks of illness on November 18, 1686. The church book he kept is said to have been destroyed in a fire after his death, with details on the fire is not recorded. The church records that have been passed down do not begin until 1687, one year after Curio's death. Schöppen and Mayor Westerhüsens announced the death in a letter to the cathedral chapter dated November 19, 1686 and asked for a replacement as soon as possible.

For the year 1650, a visit report reports that the sacristy was used by the schoolmaster because the schoolhouse in the area of ​​today's Elmer Strasse 3 was destroyed in the Thirty Years War. The report describes the condition of the church as "very dilapidated". The churchyard is almost unrecognizable as such, since cattle graze there. A condition that was also lamented in earlier and later times. The parish did not keep accounts because it had no income. The pastor announced that despite his more than three years of service, his earnings were unknown to him.

According to an accounting from the years 1685/86, a so-called student choir was installed. There was probably no organ at this point in time. However, a church clock was installed in the church tower. Heavy stones were used as clock weights, which hung on ropes led through holes in the tower vault in front of the small window in the tower room. Today the tower no longer has a tower clock .

In 1704 Achatz Erdmann Schröder became pastor in Westerhüsen after a trial sermon that inspired the community. However, his term of office was overshadowed by a resulting enmity with the cantor Christoph Heinhöft , who lived in the neighboring schoolhouse . After a violent argument between the two in the schoolhouse, the cantor broke into the parsonage and hit the pastor, his wife and their visiting brother, the organist Bollmann from Groß Ottersleben . With the help of the servants, the cantor was able to be forced out of the rectory. From a window in the school, however, the cantor threatened to shoot anyone who left the rectory. Although the cantor was punished, Pastor Schröder ended his term of office shortly afterwards and went to Schnarsleben . The Westerhüsener tried to prevent the move and caused the Schnarsleber not to pick up their new pastor. He then rented his own wagon and drove to Schnarsleben himself.

Redesign from 1713

In 1713 there was another fundamental renovation in the Baroque style . Other sources presumably incorrectly give the period around 1726 for the renovation. The nave was widened by three meters to the north and raised by about 1.60 meters. The round east end was removed and replaced by a straight end with beveled corners. In addition, the ship received new windows with a flat arch. Plain, plastered ribbons were drawn around the ship at the level of the window soles and window arches.

The newly created ceiling was provided with a simple stucco decoration that was reminiscent of the formal language of the Renaissance . A standing angel was attached to the ceiling with a raised hand, in which he held a branch of palm kitten . In front of and behind the angel were winged angel heads. In the corners of the choir side, angel heads were also placed above the hollow . It was noteworthy that the alignment of the ceiling design was not based on the long sides, but related to the tower room, which, however, was no longer centered to the ship due to the extension to the north.

The nave was also equipped with galleries . These were set up on the south, west and north sides and had patterned parapets. In the galleries sat the children, young men and women. The field guard was responsible for the supervision. To the south of the nave was the porch covered with a hipped roof, of which some larger wall remains have been preserved. From the vestibule one reached the galleries via a wide staircase. The church also had an organ from around 1765/66. Due to the elevation of the nave, access to the tower was no longer via the attic, but via a free-standing wooden staircase behind the organ.

The stalls consisted of rows of pews in the middle of the nave. There were open chairs on the north and south walls. Two corridors led to the altar along the middle seating. There were closed chairs in the choir, which was one step higher than the nave. The side seating connected directly to the pulpit altar. The seats in the nave were initially given to individual families, who initially also had to pay money for them. The closed chairs on the north side belonged to the Stöfflerschen Hof, the later Weibezahlschen Hof , today Alt Westerhüsen 153 . The chair of the cathedral monastery and the Schöppen chair were on the south side. The Schöppenstuhl was removed in 1905 when a new heating system was installed. The parish and patronage chair was barred and had a sliding window. With the installation of new seating in 1902, the arrangement of the benches was changed so that a wide central aisle to the chancel was created.

Unusually, both the chairs, the stairs and the galleries were not painted, but showed a brown wood tone. Several times there were requests or plans for color design, which were initially rejected from a financial point of view and in 1907 from a conservation point of view. In 1933 the wooden surfaces were treated with linseed oil varnish . The brown tone of the wood is said to have harmonized very nicely with the simple ivory-colored painting of the church walls and ceiling.

The pulpit of the pulpit altar , created by Severin Gottlieb Ziegenbalg in 1713 and occupying the entire east side, developed from acanth volutes , the lateral supports were designed as palm trees on which there were thistle-like, jagged, finely perforated acanth volutes. On the sound cover was a figure of the risen Christ , which is described as triumphant in the dance step. The altar, which dates back to Catholic times, was also renewed. The previously 1.22 meter wide altar plate was enlarged with a 56 cm wide sandstone plate inserted between consecration crosses and sepulcrum. Two doors with carved curtains and flower chains in front of the arches over which Saint Paul stood on the left and Saint Moritz on the right led to the sacristy behind the pulpit altar. The figure of Paul was portrayed as artistically very successful. Paul works as a man who “brooded, fought and suffered”. He leaned back thoughtfully and crossed his legs. On the left he leaned on a sword. In his right hand he held an open book. Due to woodworm infestation, the otherwise well-preserved figure lacked the sword around 1940. The flag on the Mauritius figure and the tendrils on the left and right of the acanthus had disappeared for the same reason.

In 1713 the baptismal font , which had been in use until then, was replaced by a carved wooden baptismal angel , which held the actual baptismal bowl in his hands. This figure hung freely in the room on a wire rope and could be pulled up to the ceiling. He was then lowered at baptisms. A repair of the baptismal angel is documented as early as 1724. It is still included in an inventory from 1819. In 1830, however, a wooden baptismal stand with black polish was listed in the inventory, which remained in use until the church was destroyed. Only in the period from 1914 to 1929 was a terracotta flower stand in the chancel in use, which was then given to the Westerhüsen primary school . Until the church was destroyed, a closed hole could still be seen in the ceiling, which used to be used to hang the baptismal angel.

During the renovation work, which cost 951 thalers and six groschen in total, and the purchase of the new pulpit altar, Daniel Christian Balecke was the pastor of the church. He who has been working here since 1709 died at the age of 35 on August 17, 1715. He was buried in the chancel. However, the grave slab made for him later disappeared.

Problems with filling the pastor's position arose after Pastor Lüders had been transferred to Aken (Elbe) on November 4, 1721 . The theology student Friedrich Nesemer was planned as the new pastor . However, he did not receive a certificate from the theological faculty of the University of Halle due to a “unrestrained student life”. The dispute dragged on until Daniel Luca became the new pastor in 1723.

After the nave was raised, the tower was raised by two meters in 1729. New sound openings were also added. Inside the tower you can still see the old sound hatches that were locked. Since then, the rectangular tower has been crowned by an octagonal baroque slate-roofed onion dome . It is believed that the steeple previously had a common tiled roof. The work was carried out by the master carpenter Johann Ostwald and the slater Heynemann , each from Magdeburg and the master stonemason Jakob Lettgau from Seehausen. Heynemann put the tower button on the tower on September 22nd, 1729 . The tasks Lettgaus the delivery of the counted Gesimssteine . In addition, he also supplied a sundial for an amount of one thaler and 16 groschen . This was dated 1729 and has not survived.

In 1730 Johann Christoph Wiggard became pastor. He was succeeded on December 6, 1740 by Joachim Christian Freytag. Freytag, who studied in Halle, held the office until his death on April 12, 1778. Due to the death of his first two wives, Freytag was married three times. The marriages were childless.

The Westerhüsener Kirche in the 19th and 20th centuries

Grave slab in the western outer wall of the tower for Johann Christian Wenzlau
Another grave slab, on the right the first one for Wenzlaus' wife

From May 9, 1779, Ehrenfried Michael Wenzlau was pastor in Westerhüsen. The son of the pastor of the Magdeburg Johanniskirche Johann Christian Wenzlau , born on February 13, 1754, is likely to be the longest serving pastor of the Westerhüser pastors. On his 50th anniversary in service, he was awarded the General Medal of Honor, First Class, by the Prussian King and is said to have been popular due to his philanthropic, decent and conscientious conduct of office. During his tenure in the 18th century, mulberry trees planted in the churchyard were removed again. He died unexpectedly on his 80th birthday, after he had carried out his official duties on the same day and was buried on the west side of the church tower under the grave slabs attached to the church tower wall. One of the two grave slabs commemorates him, the other slab of his wife, who had already died.

As early as the 1720s there seem to have been leaks on the roof, but these were not repaired or only poorly repaired. The penetrating moisture led to severe damage to the ceiling joists. From 1807, several rotten beams were replaced. In 1858 the ceilings in the nave and vestibule were supported by beams. The stalls and the organ were also damaged. The stalls were repaired several times and finally completely renewed in 1902 for 1,568.25 marks. The new organ purchased in 1766 had to be repaired in 1841/42 and finally replaced in 1866. This new organ was in need of repair again as early as 1882.

The wetness problems and damage could ultimately only be resolved in the 1920s / 1930s. In order to improve the ventilation, a window in the tower room was rebuilt in 1925 so that it could be opened for ventilation. In 1930 all damaged ceiling beams were replaced and a new ten-meter-long beam was added in the middle of the church.

When French troops occupied Westerhüsen on October 22, 1806 , French dragoons demanded the surrender of forage and food in the parish . On October 24th, twelve soldiers broke into the rectory. They tore open the doors and occupied them with swords drawn. The pastor is said to have suffered great damage. The soldiers then came repeatedly. On November 1st a colonel was billeted at the pastor's house . On November 8th, two colonels, three servants, a bandmaster, a sergeant, a secretary and ten horses were quartered in the parish. Prussian officers prisoner of war were quartered on November 11th. The billeting continued in the following time. At times 16 to 17 senior officers and servants were quartered and had to be fed.

During the time of the French occupation, Westerhüsen belonged to the newly formed Kingdom of Westphalia . The population and also the parish of Westerhüsens were set on extremely burdensome taxes and duties. As of April 1, 1808, the Stephanus community had to pay 550 thalers in war taxes; total income in the 1806/1807 financial year was 708 thalers. A mortgage of 500 thalers in Friedrichsdorf was taken out by the banker Hermann Ballerstedt from Magdeburg for one year at 6% interest. However, since the war tax was replaced about four months later by a formally voluntary, cheaper government bond, the mortgage could be repaid more quickly. The increasing expenditure was offset by decreasing income, so that the financial situation was difficult. The Elbe wall, which was damaged by the ice on the Elbe, was therefore not renewed, only slightly repaired.

The changed political situation also brought about significant changes in administrative terms. The cathedral chapter was abolished, the church and school were under royal administration. The pastor, too, was now under the jurisdiction of the justice of the peace and the mayor, who was the police authority. The traditional church registers were replaced by the more elaborate civil status files.

In 1813 French troops intended to convert the church into a fortified military log house. However, the authorities succeeded in dissuading the church from this serious intervention. Instead, Heinrich Gottfried Uebe's house in today's Merseburger Strasse 3 was rebuilt and then destroyed a short time later. The officers of the crews assigned to the log cabin were quartered in the parish. After the French withdrew, a Russian regiment first moved into Westerhüsen. Major von Noblizky , the Chirurgus Hartung regiment as well as servants and ten horses were quartered in the parish. In December 1813 Prussian battalion commanders and adjutants took up quarters in the rectory.

On January 18, 1814 Pastor Wenzlau paid homage to the King of Prussia by signing his name after the end of French rule. The Prussian eagle intended to be attached to the inn was first ceremoniously erected on the altar on May 22, 1814. On the occasion of the peace festival on January 18, 1816, a peace flag purchased by the daughters of the community and busts of King Friedrich Wilhelm III. and Prince Blücher of Wahlstadt . A red silk taffeta cloak was donated by the pastor's wife to surround the altar. On it was an embroidered inscription as well as the dates of the day of the liberation of Westerhüsens and the peace festival. However, none of these items were later preserved.

After an accident involving the pastor from Buckau and Fermersleben, the Westerhüser pastor was also active in the Buckau and Fermersleben churches in 1828/29, alongside other colleagues .

The churchyard was used as Westerhüsen's cemetery until 1835. As a result of the burials that have taken place over the centuries, the floor level of the churchyard had risen imperceptibly. From the churchyard you therefore had to descend into the church, but from the surrounding streets you climbed two steps to the churchyard. It was not until Elmer and Eisenacher Strasse were paved that their terrain level rose. As early as 1830, the Westerhüsen cemetery was opened on what would later become Zackmünder Strasse , which later had to be relocated to Holsteiner Strasse due to the railway construction. Most of the old tombstones had already disappeared by the 1870s. Only to the northwest of the church there were a few tombstones in the form of lying crosses. At that time the churchyard was planted with plum trees used by the pastor. In the 1930s, these old tombstones were no longer there either, and the churchyard now had the character of an ornamental and sometimes also a vegetable garden. Old gravestones, apart from the two embedded in the west wall of the tower, have not been preserved on the site today. In the St. Gertraud Lapidarium in the Saint Gertraud Church in Salbker there are two fragments of the tombstone for Matthias Alharte (1662–1684), which was originally in the cemetery of the Stephanus Church .

In 1837, repairs to the roofs of the church tower and nave became necessary. The work was carried out by the Magdeburg master bricklayer Schaefer in autumn and completed after six weeks on December 11, 1837. At around 4 p.m. the dark yellow painted weather vane was put back on the top of the tower. One of two journeymen standing at the height of the tower knob held a rhyming saying that may have been written by Pastor Schulze. The exact wording, in which the protection of the tower from the enemy's hand , but also the preservation of the whole church is requested, has been handed down. During the roof work, a so-called sun tile was placed, which is mentioned separately in reports 100 years later.

Again and again, wealthier residents of Westerhüsens turned something to the church. On the occasion of the confirmation of his eldest daughter Marie , Hofrat Knorr donated sheets, blankets and curtains. Black sheets with orange-yellow fringes adorned the altar, lectern, and pulpit. Dark red curtains clad the two entrances around the altar and the window of the preacher's chair. In 1935, 100 years later, Pastor Hosenthien reported that the curtains were still there, but instead of dark red they had now adapted in color to the wooden furnishings.

Father Schulz had private worries on April 10, 1855. His 15-year-old son Anton ran away with his school friend Bernhard Gloël, the son of the Osterweddingen pastor. The two attended the monastery high school . It has been suggested that the two students wanted to travel to England .

In 1857 it was decided to buy two new church bells. In total, the church had three bells at that time, although the bell room was designed for four bells. In addition to the Christ the King bell, there was a small bell weighing 100 kg and a medium bell weighing 400 kg and measuring 90 cm in diameter. The latter, however, were cracked and thus unusable. The Halberstadt bell caster and syringe maker Wilhelm Engelke was commissioned to make two bronze bells for a harmonious ringing. The delivery took place on October 3, 1857. He charged 582 thalers 28 Sgr and 12 pfennigs, of which the melting value of the unusable bell was 385 thalers 3 Sgr. and 10 pfennigs was sold. The larger of the newly made bells had a weight of 310 kg and a diameter of 80 cm. It had four crown brackets that were adorned with angel heads and connected to the circular end plate of the smooth hood. The upper edge of the bell was adorned with a wide grape frieze, which was bordered at the top and bottom by small ornamental edges. There were simple ribs on the lower edge and on the flap. The bell bore a five-line inscription in German letters.

Bring it to the Lord, you peoples
Bring honor and power to the Lord
for all tongues should confess
That Jesus Christ is under Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.

These lines were later used again in a similar form on a bell purchased in 1922. On the other side of the bell was written in alternating German and Latin letters:

Cast by W. Engelke zu Halberstadt in 1857

The other bell was 67 cm in diameter and weighed 175 kg. The design corresponded to the larger bell, with the frieze worked as a palmette frieze. The inscription read:

The Lord is the Spirit
But where the Spirit of the Lord is
There is freedom

There was also a cast inscription on this bell.

In the work of the botanist Paul Ascherson , published in 1864, the Westerhüser churchyard wall is also mentioned, as he and his colleague Otto Engel had found white sedum plant on the wall .

Until 1867, the parish used a church seal that showed Saint Stephen kneeling with outspread arms when he was stoned. Later a normal stamp was used.

In the German war of 1866 and the Franco-German War of 1870-71 killed members of Wester Hüser community. Two memorial plaques installed in the church commemorated the four deceased. The following were recorded:

  • Andreas Friedrich Heinrich Maaß (* 1838 in Salbke; lives at Zackmünder Straße 4 ; † 1866 in the field hospital in Brno with cholera ; fusilier in the 1st Magdeburg Infantry Regiment number 26)
  • Heinrich Wilhelm Paetz (* 1838 in Westerhüsen; resident of Sohlener Straße 1 ; † 1866 near Königgrätz , shot in the head)
  • Ernst Otto Heinrich Friedrich Uebe (* 1843 in Westerhüsen; lives in Alt Westerhüsen 148 ; † 1866 near Königgrätz)
  • Karl Scholle , written on the Schulle blackboard , (* 1842 in Groß Ottersleben ; resident at Schleswiger Strasse 20 ; † 1870 in the Mitry field hospital near Paris )
View of the Stephanuskirche from Sohlener Strasse, around 1900

Pastor Matthisson took over the parish in 1875. He had to hand over 1710 marks a year from his earnings to his predecessor Pastor Schultze. Matthisson, who is still remembered by a cross on the eastern wall of the former porch, died in 1886 of peritonitis. In 1885 the entire church including the tower was plastered. 574.41 marks had to be paid for this work.

Weather vane on the church tower, 2011

On July 19, 1895, between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., the church tower was struck by lightning and the steeple was damaged. The weather vane fell. The slate cover was damaged and the joists below on the south side split. Further damage occurred in the vestibule and other places. However, a fire did not break out. The repair was still carried out in July 1895, whereby a document dated July 28, 1895 was deposited in the tower button, in which the event was described. In addition, the members of the parish council and the parish council were listed. The repair work was carried out by the Westerhüser master carpenter Karl Fischer . The costs were partly borne by the Aachener und Münchener fire insurance company . The tower button has a diameter of 70 cm and was attached to a 20 to 25 cm thick oak shaft 50 cm above the top of the tower. Inside the sphere began an iron shaft about the size of an arm, which protrudes about 2 meters above the sphere, carries the weather vane and a star above it. The weather vane itself shows Saint Stephen, the patron saint of the church, in a square field. He kneels bare, his head towers over the flag field and is surrounded by a halo with a cross above it. The eyes are the only part of the head that is pierced. The depiction of saints is followed by a triangular field which contains ornaments and the year 1895. Between the triangle and the figure, next to Stephen's left arm, a piece of sheet metal was worked, the meaning of which is not entirely clear. Possibly the piece represents a stone according to the biblical stoning scene. This weather vane, made in 1895, is likely to have been based very closely on the character of the original vane from 1729 and taken up old elements, its design clearly shows a baroque style. However, due to the damage caused by lightning and a fall, the filling of the flag had to be replaced. The tower's weather vane still has the same appearance and the year 1895. The flag has a length of 1.14 meters and a height of 0.42 meters with a weight of about 24 kg. The height from the base to the star is 0.92 meters.

In 1896 a lightning rod was installed by the Magdeburg company Albert Becker for 83.37 marks .

View of the Stephanuskirche from the bank of the Elbe, around 1900

In 1904 the church received gas lighting and a gas stove below the organ. Another gas stove was built in the chancel in 1905.

With the beginning of the First World War , Pastor Wangemann noticed a significant increase in participation in church services and community life. The parish was very committed. War prayers were organized, and women's aid organized knitting evenings. On March 1, 1917, the two bronze bells cast in 1857 were confiscated for armament purposes. Apparently they weren't really unhappy about this in Westerhüsen. Pastor Wangemann had informed the provincial curator in a registration form that the drawing in of the two bells would be a boon, since the ringing was unworthy and insufficient for the large part of the town. Between the city of Magdeburg and the parish a dispute over the ownership of the two bells was conducted. In June 1917 the parish was finally able to prevail and received 2,223 marks for the confiscation. For 37 withdrawn organ pipes, which yielded 78 kg of tin , there was a further 526.40 marks. The Christ the King bell and the small bell remained in the church. Pastor Wangemann was drafted into the pastoral care of the Magdeburg hospital on October 15, 1917 . From February 1, 1918 he was used as a field chaplain . Pastor Zander from Derenburg took over the representation until June 30, 1918 , then Pastor Martin Trinius from Salbke .

Weimar Republic and National Socialism

Steel bell from 1922 south of the tower

On July 8, 1922, it was decided to order a sound steel bell from Schilling and Lattermann Apolda . The bell, tuned to the keynote G 9 , was delivered on August 29, 1922. The price was 55,100 marks, but there was strong inflation . After lengthy disputes and increasing inflation, 62,272.50 marks were ultimately paid. This new bell had a diameter of 1.30 m, a height of 1 m and a weight of 903 kg. The bell coat is smooth and unadorned. Instead of the crown bracket, it only has steel bolts for attachment to the bell cage. The building contractor Karl Klepp , master carpenter Max Ebeling and master carpenter August Kahl hung the bell in the church tower. The consecration of the bell took place on October 1, 1922 with the Thanksgiving service. The bell standing unused today (as of 2011) on the south side of the church tower bears on one side the inscription of the larger bell from 1857 with the addition:

read as an inscription on the old bell until 1917

Bad line separation and incorrect spelling were criticized in the community.

On the other side you can read:

The war took two bronze bells
I'm a substitute, victory is still missing
Your faith must be strong as steel
Then God will make you great on earth
In the year of dire need, 1922

The bell had an aluminum-colored protective coating, which, however, was peeling off and showing rust spots as early as the 1930s.

In 1923 Albert Hosenthien became pastor at the Stephanuskirche. From 1926 onwards, confirmation anniversaries were celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. In order to make the journey easier for outsiders, the festive service did not begin until 2 p.m. The subsequent celebration in the hall with a coffee table lasted until 6.30 p.m. Anniversaries of the 25th, 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries were invited.

Community hall

During Hosenthien's tenure in 1927, the parish hall to the west of the church was expanded. In 1930, Pastor Hosenthien dedicated a series of sermons to the Christian Science community , which had an influence on some members of the community that was criticized by Hosenthien. In 1932 the pastor turned against the "organized godlessness of the free thinkers and Bolsheviks " in sermons and lectures .

Hosenthien earned merit through various local history publications and the publication of the Evangelical Community Gazette Magdeburg-Westerhüsen. During the Nazi era, however, he worked as an employee or supporter of the anti - Semitic institute to research and eliminate the Jewish influence on German church life and was a member of the German Christians who were close to the National Socialist regime . His political attitude was reflected in the community work. So he developed a general church prayer, which was often used during church services. In addition to the usual requests, the line of text “Protect and bless the leader and his co-workers and give them strength and wisdom to create order, freedom and new prosperity” was prayed there. The 10th anniversary of Albert Leo Schlageter's death was also commemorated in 1933. Hosenthien also held a memorial service for the National Socialist Horst Wessel . 1934 marked the first anniversary of Adolf Hitler's chancellorship . On this day Pastor Hosenthien had written a celebratory song for Adolf Hitler , which was sung after the melody Praise the Lords, the mighty King of Honor . There was a letter of thanks from Hitler and the Reich Bishop . On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the mobilization in World War I and the death of Paul von Hindenburg , an evening service was held on August 2, 1934. Other occasions for politically oriented church services were, for example, the no longer free Reichstag elections in November 1933 , which Hosenthien called "election Sunday for Germany's honor" , the murder of Ernst Röhm in 1934, which was welcomed by Hosenthien as a "suppression of the Röhm revolt" and the Saar vote on January 13, 1935. It also happened that words from Hitler's appeal to the German people of February 1, 1933 were read out for a celebration of Hitler's chancellorship on January 30th.

In 1935 Hosenthien published the book Divine Service and People's Service , in which, among other things, he gave suggestions for the organization of divine services. He also described some of the services he carried out in detail in his Westerhüser congregation. Hosenthien also used elements such as German poetry in worship. The opening liturgy was partly replaced or supplemented by readings from scriptures, Christian stories and church performances. In his work he also suggested giving the individual Sundays of the church year German names of “heroes and saints of Protestantism”. This also included Home Sunday , which he had put on the first Sunday in September. The reason for this was the 1100th anniversary of Westerhüsens on September 2, 1923. It is possible that the other Sundays, including those such as the Solstice Sunday, the Bach Sunday, the Fatherland Sunday and the Gustav Adolf Sunday, were included in the Stephen church in one form or another is taken into account. Independently of this, a church service celebrated throughout the Reich was celebrated on Reich Education Sunday .

In the 1930s there were about 4200 people in the community.

The slate roofing of the church tower had been defective since 1931. Due to a lack of financial resources, a repair was initially not carried out. Slabs of slate fell down on February 10, 1935, so that the area around the church had to be closed. The repair was then decided on February 22nd. The roofer Hermann Dziebel completely re- roofed the tower. It was decided to use tower slate for the 136 m² roof area to be covered on onion and tip , the individual pieces of which are smaller and thus better represent the curved lines of the tower and also offer less attack surfaces against the wind than the larger slabs previously used. Instead of the originally used wrought iron nails, copper nails were now used. The stonemason company Rogalski , which also carried out repair work on Magdeburg Cathedral , repaired the sandstone cornice, using Silesian sandstone , which was also used for the cathedral. The Klepp company restored the old cornice plaster. It was also decided to build in small galvanized tower windows instead of the shutters provided on the east side of the onion and tip, as these were more rain-resistant.

During the work, it was found that someone had hit the tower button with about 20 rifle shots. Master plumber Paul König repaired the button on site. During the repair, a 19 cm long copper case was recovered, which contained documents from the time of previous repairs. A document from 1729 was no longer legible. Another document was dated July 28, 1895 and was still easy to decipher despite being badly damaged. A new document with information about the time around 1935 was created and placed in the tower button. Master plumber König also left a case with a report on the situation in his profession. The document from 1895 was also placed back in the tower button as a copy. The roofers dismantled the weather vane without scaffolding. She and the 17-pointed star above it were also hit by bullets. It was mended by the plumber king. Instead of zinc sheet, König used more durable copper sheet, the wooden shaft was also coated in this way. The star was renewed as a seven-pointed star. Painter Weihtag provided the weather vane with durable aluminum paint .

During the Second World War, the Christ the King bell was removed on December 31, 1941 in order to use the material for armaments purposes. The community tried to ensure that the bell is classified as an important cultural asset, which they succeeded. The bell stayed in, but it came to the Magdeburg Cultural History Museum . In contrast to the First World War, however, there was no revival in community life. Support actions were no longer the task of the parish, but were delegated to NS organizations. Pastor Hosenthien, however, particularly complained about the growing indifference in the population towards church and Christianity. Afterwards, youth work was hardly possible, and the children's church service was no longer attended.

He retired on February 18, 1942, but he remained active as a Westerhüser pastor until 1944. He was succeeded on February 20, 1944 by Erich Balke, during whose term of office the church was destroyed.

Destruction and a new beginning

Bronze bell in the free-standing belfry (1955)
Rest of the western wall of the vestibule

During the Second World War, the church was hit by a bomb on February 14, 1945 during an air raid. The nave was largely destroyed. The baroque furnishings inside the church, described as rural, were destroyed. The tower also suffered major cracks and damage.

The Christ the King bell came back in 1946. First it was set up in a free-standing belfry next to the church ruins and operated by hand. It was later returned to the tower. Balke organized the conversion of the previous parish hall west of the church into a St. Stephen's Chapel. Pulpit and sanctuary were created. The inauguration took place on November 18, 1951. For Thanksgiving of 1953 new benches were bought. The use of the parish hall for church services was intended as a temporary measure until the church was rebuilt, but this has not yet taken place, apart from the repair of the church tower.

In 1964, the remaining west tower was structurally secured. Further renovations took place in 2003/2004. Today the area of ​​the church is used as a garden church and thus continues to serve a religious purpose. Otherwise the services take place in the old parish hall. Together with the Martin-Gallus-Gemeinde Fermersleben , the Sankt-Gertraud-Gemeinde Salbke and the Sankt-Gertrauden-Gemeinde Buckau , a community association was founded in May 1995, the administration of which was set up in Buckau. Pastor Wolter , who had been active in Salbke until then, was appointed pastor for all four parishes . In 1996, considerations from the four parishes began to form a parish, which then took place on January 1, 1999. The membership of the four congregations was 1,047 in 2003, 1,274 in 2008 and 1,254 in 2010. This corresponds to a share in the population of the four districts of around 8.3%.

On the banks of the Elbe below the church, an Elbe service began about once a year. Children and adults are also baptized. In 2014 Gesine Rabenstein became the first female pastor in the parish to take up the position of the pastor.

Rectory

Rectory

Likewise under monument stands to the west of the tower situated Established in 1887, the rectory. It was built to replace the previous rectory, possibly built in 1622, that had survived the Thirty Years' War. According to other sources, in the great fire of 1687, the parish, which was then rebuilt, burned down next to the schoolhouse. Bones are said to have been found during the construction of the rectory in 1886, as the new rectory extends a little further to the east and thus into the area of ​​the churchyard that was originally used as a cemetery. The new brick building was extended in 1911 and now partially has two storeys and a gable roof . The rectory, which is kept simple in its facade design, has segmental arches over doors and windows and archivolts as the only ornamentation . Facing the former church is one with a gable -provided central projection .

Originally, the rectory also had a parish barn and a pigeon pillar painted red . Repair work of the latter is recorded for the year 1835. However, neither has been preserved.

On April 22, 1887 there was a fire in the parish barn. The extinguishing work was hindered by the fact that the site of the parsonage, which was currently under construction, made the fire site difficult to reach. In addition, the fire spread to Andreas Lichtenfeld's neighboring thatched stable . A tightrope walker who happened to be in Westerhüsen and was giving a performance climbed onto the roof of the stable while still in his shirt and put out the fires with wet sacks thrown at him. The cause of the fire was arson . An arsonist was also convicted. The perpetrator had already shouted "fire" before the fire was noticeable. He was sentenced to ten years in prison.

On the east side of the churchyard are the stone grave crosses for Andreas Lichtenfeld (1823–1893) and Dorothee Lichtenfeld, nee. Uebe (1827-1894).

Furnishing

Various ecclesiastical objects belonged to the Westerhüser Church. Mention should be made of two silver gilded Holy Communion chalices. One in Gothic form was from 1685. In the handle there was a knob and six square tenons with the name JEHSUS . The other chalice was dated March 30, 1760 and was dedicated, according to which it was a gift from Daniel Wulstein , who lived in Westerhüsen . The base of the vessel was decorated with wavy lines running downwards. Presumably at the same time the church came into possession of an equally silver-gilt paten , a plate for wafers , on the edge of which a four-leaf rosette surrounded by a circle could be seen. A wafer box and a baptismal jug were each made of pewter . Your engraving after the church dedicated on December 25, 1841 by Maria Gottvertrau and Valida Knorr . The altar candlesticks , also made of tin, date from before 1713. In 1872 the church received a flag to commemorate the Franco-Prussian War, a white batiste ceiling and a nickel silver wine jug for the Last Supper. In 1889 two larger silver candlesticks were purchased for the larger altar.

A brass christening bowl dates from 1702 . On the bottom there was a representation of the baptism of Jesus by John. The octagonal edge was decorated with a picture of a fruit container. The bowl was donated by Sophia Catherina Stöffler , the second wife of Kruger Hans Michael Stöffler and daughter of the Halberstadt pastor, Primarius Wilhelm Rosenmeier .

Also of note was a Nuremberg altar Bible, also from 1702, with 250 copperplate engravings. For the first time in 1833 a crucifix made of cast alabaster was included in the inventory of the church . From the year 1694/95 there was a god box which was fitted with iron fittings in 1696/97 and to which a large key in early Gothic forms belonged. Finally, the church seal designed in 1805 by the Magdeburg drawing teacher Klusemann should be mentioned. It showed Stephen kneeling, stoned, looking up to Christ exalted. It was replaced in use by a more modern stamp in 1867.

Loan from 1697

The parish also includes 40 historical feudal letters from the period between 1576 and 1824.

organ

Around 1766 the church received an organ . The acquisition of the organ went back to a cantor Barth , who made his intended employment by the community dependent on the existence of an organ. The organ builder of the cathedral chapter Joh. Dav. Tintzsch divided an organ from the Ammensleben monastery from around 1580 . While the nine-part main work was brought to Schnarsleben , Westerhüsen received the Rückpositiv comprising six registers , which was originally placed in front of the main organ and worked into the parapet of the choir in Groß Ammensleben . This small organ had the votes: Gedackt 8 ', Prinzival 4', octave 2 ', fifth, 1 1 / 3 ', mixture in triplicate and Krummhorn 4 '. The cost was 100 thalers, of which the parish wore 60 thalers and the other 40 thalers were donated by Christoph Wullstein and August Strumpf. Cantor Barth completed an audition after the installation and then declined to work at the Westerhüser Church. After the repairs in 1841/42, the organ finally had to be replaced.

In 1866 the new organ was built by the organ builder Adolf Reubke from Hausneindorf . This work had the following disposition :

I main work C – f 3
1. Drone 16 ′
2. Principal 8th'
3. Hollow flute 8th'
4th Gamba 8th'
5. octave 4 ′
6th Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
7th octave 2 ′
8th. Mixture III
II Manual C – f 3
9. Dumped 8th'
10. Aeoline 8th'
11. flute 4 ′
Pedal C – d 1
12. Sub bass 16 ′
13. Open bass 8th'

The grinding chests were made of beech wood. In the 1930s the organ was functional, but there was a need for renovation. In addition to signs of wear and tear and the start of worms, mechanical parts had also become brittle.

Pastor

The following terms of office have been handed down from the pastors working at the Westerhüsen Church:

  • from around 1553, Johannes Kickenap (* around 1530)
  • from around 1572, Johannes Starcke (* around 1542)
  • until 1622, Johannes Reumann († 1622)
  • until 1626, Georg Cramer († 1626)
  • Johann Sagittarius
  • until 1636, Joachim Pomarius (* around 1595, † November 10, 1636 in Schönebeck), eleven years after him
  • 1647 to 1686, Martin Friedrich Curio (* around 1620, † November 18, 1686)
  • 1687 to 1691, Adam Stengel (* 1643 in Baruth , † September 16, 1691 in Westerhüsen), previously cantor in Langenweddingen
  • 1692-1703, John Hilliger († October 3, 1721), then in the United Ottersleben active
  • 1704-1707, Achatz Erdmann Schröder († 30 July 1728), then in Schnarsleben active
  • 1709 to 1715, Daniel Christian Balecke (* around 1680, † August 15, 1715)
  • 1716-1721, Julius Francis Lueders († 12 November 1754), then in Aken (Elbe) active
  • 1723 to 1730, Daniel Luca († 15 January 1752), then in Langenweddingen active
  • 1730-1740, Johann Christoph Wiggard (* 1695, † 11 September 1761 in Dahlenwarsleben), then in Dahlenwarsleben active
  • 1740 to 1778, Joachim Christian Freytag (* around 1705, † April 12, 1778)
  • 1779 to 1834, Ehrenfried Michael Wenzlau (born February 13, 1754 in Magdeburg, † February 13, 1834 in Westerhüsen)
  • 1834-1846, Christian Jacob Dietrich Schulze (born October 10, 1775 in Salzwedel third, † March 1846), was previously in Lagendorf and Groningen active
  • 1846 to 1875, Karl Valentin Schultze (* around 1796, † around 1888), previously preacher at the Pretzsch girls' orphanage
Cross for Pastor Matthisson on the east side of the vestibule
  • 1875 to 1886, Karl Heinrich August Matthisson (* January 4, 1822, † October 4, 1886), previously pastor in Baben
  • 1887 to 1908, Adolf Hermes
  • 1908 to 1923, Gerhard Wangemann
  • 1923 to 1944, Albert Hosenthien (born December 6, 1882 in Drackenstedt , † June 17, 1972 in Braunschweig )
  • 1944 to 1958, Erich Balke (born January 9, 1898, † December 3, 1977), grave at the Westerhüsen cemetery
  • 1958 to?, Superintendent Sleeves
  • ? bis?, Pastor Goldbecker
  • 1989 to 2002, Thomas Wolter
  • 2003 to 2014, Matthias Simon , then pastor at the Sankt-Marien-Kirche in Haldensleben
  • since 2014, Gesine Rabenstein

literature

  • Folkhard Cremer in Dehio, Handbook of German Art Monuments , Saxony-Anhalt I, Magdeburg District , Deutscher Kunstverlag Munich Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-422-03069-7 , p. 627.
  • Heinz Gerling : Monuments of the city of Magdeburg . Helmuth-Block-Verlag, Magdeburg 1991, ISBN 3-910173-04-4 , p. 75.
  • Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen in the Magdeburg-SO district , manuscript in the Magdeburg City Archives, call number 80 / 1035n, p. 10 ff.
  • Otto Hoppe, Westerhüser brick clay tombstones from the 16th century in Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, November 1935, Magdeburg City Archives, call number 80 / 8166n, part 2.
  • Kathrin Jäger, Magdeburg - Architecture and Urban Development , Verlag Janos Stekovics, Halle (Saale) 2001, ISBN 3-929330-33-4 , p. 298.
  • Hans-Joachim Krenzke, Churches and Monasteries in Magdeburg , Magdeburg 2000, p. 141 f.
  • W. Strube, The Westerhüser church organ in Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, between 1924 and 1942, Magdeburg City Archive, signature 80 / 8166n, part 2.
  • All sorts of things from eleven centuries in Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, probably 1942, Magdeburg City Archives, signature 80 / 8166n, part 2.
  • Monument Directory Saxony-Anhalt, Volume 14, State Capital Magdeburg , State Office for Monument Preservation and Archeology Saxony-Anhalt, Michael Imhof Verlag Petersber 2009, ISBN 978-3-86568-531-5 , pp. 185 f.

Web links

Commons : Sankt-Stephanus-Kirche (Magdeburg)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Our church tower II in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community bulletin, Volume 12, No. 7, July 1935
  2. ^ Heinrich Hosse, The baptismal font in the church in Westerhüsen , Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, Volume 10, No. 3, March 1933
  3. ↑ Großhennig, Ortschronik Westerhüsen , page 12
  4. ↑ Hans-Joachim Krenzke, Churches and Monasteries in Magdeburg, p. 141.
  5. ^ Heinz Gerling, Monuments of the City of Magdeburg, p. 75.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h i All kinds of things from eleven centuries in Westerhüser Gemeindeblätter, probably 1942
  7. ↑ Otto Hoppe, Westerhüser brick clay tombstones from the 16th century in Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, November 1935
  8. ↑ Annemarie Friedrich, From the school system of the Magdeburg region in three centuries, part 2, The alumni and conventuals of the Berge monastery near Magdeburg in family research today , messages from the working group Genealogie Magdeburg, issue 7, Magdeburg 1993, pages 29, 35
  9. ^ Directory of the preachers in Salbke , Church book Salbke
  10. ↑ Friedrich Curio, Martin Friedrich Curio (~ 1615 / 20–1686), clergyman and innkeeper to Westerhüsen in family research today, issue 19, communications from the Working Group Genealogie Magdeburg 2005, page 37 f.
  11. ↑ Magdeburg Monument Register, page 186
  12. ^ Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen, page 28
  13. ↑ Our church tower in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community newspaper, 12th year, No. 6, June 1935
  14. ↑ Our church tower in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community newspaper, 12th year, No. 6, June 1935
  15. ^ Ingo Schulz, Bauern in der Magdeburger Börde , series of publications by the Stoye Foundation, Volume 63, ISBN 978-3-937230-27-6 , page 571
  16. ↑ The Westerhüser Friedhöfe in the municipal newspaper Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 11th year, No. 10, October 1934
  17. ^ Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen in the Magdeburg-SO district , manuscript in the Magdeburg City Archives, call number 80 / 1035n, Part II, page 46
  18. ↑ Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen in the city district of Magdeburg-SO , manuscript in the Magdeburg city archive, signature 80 / 1035n, Part II, page 54 f.
  19. ^ CA Schmidt, Chronicle of the City of Buckau , 1887, page 94
  20. ↑ The Westerhüser Friedhöfe in the municipal newspaper Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 11th year, No. 10, October 1934
  21. ^ Annette Dorgerloh , Friedhelm Ribbert: Lapidarium St. Gertraud. Magdeburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-00-035134-1 , page 40
  22. ↑ Our church tower II in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community bulletin, Volume 12, No. 7, July 1935
  23. ↑ All sorts of local history in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community newspaper, around 1936
  24. ^ Westerhüsen 100 years ago in Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, September 1935, number 9, Magdeburg City Archives, signature 80 / 8166n, part 2
  25. ↑ Erhardt's Allgemeine Polizei-Anzeiger , 1855, page 461 f.
  26. ↑ The St. Stephanusblocken in the municipal newspaper Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 10th year, No. 9, September 1933
  27. ^ Paul Ascherson, Flora of the Province of Brandenburg, the Altmark and the Duchy of Magdeburg, Third Department, Special Flora of Magdeburg, Verlag von August von Hirschwald Berlin 1864, page 44
  28. ↑ All sorts of local history in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community newspaper, around 1936
  29. ↑ Military weekly newspaper: independent magazine for the German armed forces , 1866, page 542
  30. ^ Editor Pastor Hosenthien, From the local history of Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, Westerhüsens Krieger 1864, 1866, 1870/71 , August 1942
  31. ↑ Our church tower in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community newspaper, 12th year, No. 6, June 1935
  32. ↑ Our church tower II in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community bulletin, Volume 12, No. 7, July 1935
  33. ^ Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik Westerhüsen, page 15
  34. ^ Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik Westerhüsen, page 16
  35. ↑ Westerhüsen in World War I in From the local history of Magdeburg-Westerhüsen , August 1942
  36. ^ OH, Die St. Stephanusblocken in Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 10th year, No. 9, September 1933
  37. ^ OH, Die St. Stephanusblocken in Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 10th year, No. 9, September 1933
  38. ^ Albert Hosenthien, Divine Service and People's Service , Leopold Klotz Verlag Gotha 1935, page 98; In 1927, 14 of the 72 people celebrating 25 years had already died, 24 were still living in Westerhüsen, and 11 people celebrating this year's anniversary. An 84-year-old celebrated the 70th anniversary. A total of 36 anniversaries took part in the celebration.
  39. ↑ The Westerhüser Friedhöfe in the municipal newspaper Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 11th year, No. 10, October 1934
  40. ^ Albert Hosenthien, Gottesdienst und Volksdienst , Leopold Klotz Verlag Gotha 1935, page 170
  41. ^ Albert Hosenthien, Divine Service and People's Service , Leopold Klotz Verlag Gotha 1935, page 182
  42. ^ Albert Hosenthien, Divine Service and People's Service , Leopold Klotz Verlag Gotha 1935, page 91
  43. ↑ Albert Hosenthien, Gottesdienst und Volksdienst , Leopold Klotz Verlag Gotha 1935, page 128
  44. ^ Albert Hosenthien, Gottesdienst und Volksdienst , Leopold Klotz Verlag Gotha 1935, page 130
  45. ↑ Albert Hosenthien, Divine Service and People's Service , Leopold Klotz Verlag Gotha 1935, page 105
  46. ^ Albert Hosenthien, Gottesdienst und Volksdienst , Leopold Klotz Verlag Gotha 1935, page 113
  47. ↑ Our church tower II in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community bulletin, Volume 12, No. 7, July 1935
  48. ↑ Our church tower in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community newspaper, 12th year, No. 6, June 1935
  49. ↑ Our church tower II in the Magdeburg-Westerhüsen community bulletin, Volume 12, No. 7, July 1935
  50. ↑ Our parish in the current World War in From the home history of Magdeburg-Westerhüsen , August 1942
  51. ^ Heinz Gerling, Monuments of the City of Magdeburg, page 75 and Dehio, p. 627.
  52. ↑ In some cases the wrong information can be found in 1944, for example with Kathrin Jäger in Magdeburg - Architektur und Städtebau , p. 298.
  53. ↑ community letter evangelical church game magdeburg-südost 2/2011, page 17
  54. ↑ All kinds of things from eleven centuries , Westerhüser Gemeindeblätter, probably 1942
  55. ↑ Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen , page 35 f.
  56. ↑ The Westerhüser Friedhöfe in the municipal newspaper Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 11th year, No. 10, October 1934
  57. ^ Official Journal of the Government of Magdeburg , 1872, page 124
  58. ^ Strube, Westerhüser church organ, Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 1924 to 1942
  59. ^ Pastors' book of the ecclesiastical province of Saxony, Volume 8, Biograms Schr-To, Evangelische Verlagsanstalt Leipzig, 2008, ISBN 978-3-374-02140-6 , page 242
  60. ^ Official Journal of the Government of Merseburg , 1846, page 234
  61. ^ Official Journal of the Government of Merseburg , 1875, page 52

Coordinates: 52 ° 3 ′ 55.7 "  N , 11 ° 40 ′ 43.6"  E