St. Stephen's Church (Schortens)

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North side of St. Stephen's Church

The St. Stephen's Church is an Evangelical Lutheran church in the town of Schortens in the Friesland district . The church building, built on an artificial terp from 1153 to 1168 , is the oldest stone church on the East Frisian peninsula that can be reliably dated .

history

South side: tuff on the granite base

In 1153 the Oestringer Frisians, who were wealthy through cattle fattening and trade, vowed before a battle against a Saxon army to build a church "in the honor of Sunte Steffan tho Schortense" in the event of a victory. This first, reliably datable stone church on the East Frisian peninsula had no previous wooden building. The construction was probably completed around 1163, as the Oestringers had already sold parts of the interior in 1168 and were fined. The St. Stephen's Church was built from granite ashlars - used here for the first time - and tuff , which the traders brought with them from the Eifel when they had sold their goods by ship in Cologne. It was consecrated to St. Stephen , the first Christian martyr , who owned relics from the Rastede monastery .

In 1361 the chief Keno I tom Brok had the north wall undermined in the course of a feud, which then collapsed. In addition, the thatched roof with the wooden roof truss was set on fire. One chronicle says: “Anno 1361 was burned Schortenser Kerke van Juncker Keno uth Brockmerland and sinenn volcke.” Tom Brook only lit it, not burned it, because the south side has largely been preserved in its old form made of granite and tuff. After the collapse in the 14th century, the north wall was renovated in an inconsistent manner with tuff, granite, sandstone and brick, the arched portal was bricked up and the destroyed apse was rebuilt.

The original west tower attached to the nave was given a 30 meter high spire in 1529.

In the course of the Reformation , the parish changed to the Evangelical-Lutheran creed in 1538.

A new organ from “M. Jost Siborck “is proven for the year 1640. The church tower was badly damaged by a lightning strike in 1661 and, despite repairs, collapsed completely in 1678. When the bell tower collapsed, the old western wall and the organ were largely destroyed. The collapsed west wall was redesigned two meters further east in 1680, so the nave was reduced in size in the process. In the years 1709 to 1728, a new church tower was built largely from bricks on the old granite foundation, which was now free-standing due to the offset church wall.

architecture

Choir of St. Stephen's Church

The tufa church is an apse hall with an undivided nave and choir apse. It stands on a 4.5 meter high and 2 meters wide granite foundation that built on the sandy soil grown and progress with sand, clay and heather sods to a high mound has been thrown. The two-meter-rising base made of granite blocks takes up the lower third of the masonry. The church is 36 m long, 14 m wide and 10 m high and is closed off by a flat gable roof (1831).

The arched portals have retained their original Romanesque shape. In 1361 the north wall received four instead of the original five windows with round arches and the northern women's entrance was walled up. On the other hand, the south wall made of granite and tuff is well preserved. In the upper area it is divided into five fields of different widths by four pilaster strips in the Lombard style , but remains undivided in the middle and lower area. Originally, it was closed at the top with a Lombard cross-arched frieze , as indicated by the remains of the consoles that have been preserved . The second and fourth of the small high-seated Romanesque windows are original in the upper part, in the lower part they have been enlarged by half. The first was widened somewhat in the course of the reconstruction of the west wall and the third and fifth were enlarged downwards in the Gothic style and provided with pointed arches in a brick edging. Instead of the original three, the choir apse has five high pointed arched windows since the renovation in 1361 and is divided by four sandstone crosses.

The free-standing, squat bell tower in the west is of the "closed type". The three-storey tower with small round arched sound arcades was destroyed again by a lightning strike in 1817. In 1831 it received its current tent roof , which reaches 18 m, and a lightning rod.

Furnishing

Rood screen with a view into the choir room
Detail of the pulpit

The one-room hall has a flat ceiling and is closed off by a painted wooden beam ceiling (1740). The apse is also flat. Arches in the outer wall suggest that arching was planned. However, it is uncertain whether it was carried out.

The three-arched brick rood screen , built in the 15th century, dates from the pre-Reformation period . The two outer arcades were used to set up side altars, so the church had at least four altars, the main and three side altars. In 1666 the main altar was renovated in the Protestant spirit. The frame of the reliefs was painted over in white, the background in black. The altars under the rood screen have been removed. A side altar stood unnoticed in front of the northern protrusion of the apse until 1864. When it was demolished, the consecration certificate from 1513 was found. In 1869, half of the back walls of the side arcades were removed and in 1953 they were completely removed, allowing a view of the altar area from the nave. In 1730 the househusband (landowner) and Kleihauer Gerd Gerdes donated a wooden rood screen parapet in his will, which was painted with the pictures of the 16 scriptural prophets . Representations of Jesus, Isaiah and David adorn the private pew, which E. Alrich's heirs had erected on the north side of the rood screen in 1705.

While the medieval altars had to be made from one piece, the cafeteria in Schortens is made of brick and is closed at the top by a clay plate in which the consecration crosses have been preserved.

The baroque pulpit with walkway and staircase dates from 1642 and was donated by the farmer Wichterich Gerelß and his wife Tiamd. A hexagonal sound cover with a crowning carving is attached above the pulpit. In front of the fields of the pulpit, the biblical figures of the four great prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel are attached between columns.

The organ loft in the west from the late 17th century has 16 paintings. Christ is depicted in the center as Salvator and flanked by the twelve apostles . On the far right are the evangelists Mark and Luke, in third place from the right Matthias replacing Judas Iscariot , on the far left Paul is added. The names of the local farming families who donated the painting are immortalized in medallions under the pictures. The two chandeliers date from 1794 and 1795 and were made by Elisabeth Graalmann, b. Hajen donated. In 1985, Hans Wilhelm Grahlmann donated the chandelier above the organ gallery and the wall lights.

The wooden font from 1917 was carved in Art Nouveau by Rudolf Michaelsen based on a design by Bernhard Winter (both from Oldenburg). A medallion is affixed to each of the five display surfaces, two of which have inscriptions, the other three depict Martin Luther, John the Baptist and Jesus with a child. You will be surrounded by motifs from the landscape and rural culture as well as from the local flora and fauna.

Passion altar

Carved altar (before 1510)

The most valuable piece of furniture is the 564 cm wide and 210 cm high late Gothic winged altar . The late Gothic passion retable was carved from oak by an unknown master in Bremen at the latest in 1510 . A dendrochronological study showed that the trees were felled between 1499 and 1509 in the area of ​​the Lower Saxony coast. The large central field shows the crucifixion scene, which is flanked by six altar saints ( Barbara , John , Peter , Paul , James the Elder and Stephen). A large crowd occupies the lower half of the picture. At the edge of the central field and on the side wings there are a total of 24 scenes from the Gospels on three levels . They are each attached under a double keel arch , which is decorated with tracery . The story of Christ's passion is represented. The nine fields on the left show representations from the entry into Jerusalem through capture and flagellation to undressing before the crucifixion. In the nine fields of the right-hand panel, the bow is drawn from the resurrection through Ascension and Pentecost to the Last Judgment . 24 copper engravings by Israhel van Meckenem the Younger (after Nöldeke before 1479) served as a template . The crowning carving comes largely from the Gothic style, but was redesigned in 1666. The rising lions flank a tablet ( Mt 5,16  LUT ) and the coat of arms of the sovereign Count Anton Günther von Oldenburg . In the course of the renovation of the altar in 1953, this essay was initially stored in the church tower and then housed in the Jever Castle Museum until 2000 . In accordance with the baroque taste of the time, the rear wall was given a blue-black version in 1666 and the reliefs and Gothic decorations a white version . The painting and division of the predella into seven fields also goes back to the Baroque. Typical of the Lutheran tradition is the depiction of the Lord's Supper and the words of institution . An extensive restoration took place from November 2000 to Easter 2001, during which some missing parts of the figure were added. After the figures of the retable had been stripped off in 1898 and 1933, the original color version could no longer be completely reconstructed. Instead, the version from 1666 was used as the starting point for the renovation. Originally the individual figures were designed with colorful contrasts and the back wall of the altar in poliment gilding .

organ

Joachim Kayser organ from 1686

Joachim Kayser created today's organ in 1686 , for which he reused the bellows and undamaged pipework from the previous instrument by Jost Sieburg (1640). Due to the great similarity with the organ of the Westerhuser church , it stands to reason that Kayser recreated the Sieburg prospectus. Originally this work had seven stops on one manual. Gerhard Janssen Schmid added a register on a vacant sliding drawer in 1799 . In 1886 Johann Martin Schmid added an independent pedal and replaced some registers, in 1923 he added a register on a cone chest . In 1937 Alfred Führer added a pneumatically controlled second manual . The same company restored the instrument in 1975 and rebuilt the upper work. The prospectus , decorated with rich veils, is five-axis with a raised polygonal central tower and two pointed towers on the side. In between there are two-story flat fields. The Kayser case and four registers have been preserved. The organ has the following disposition :

I main work C – f 3
Principal 8th' K
Dumped 8th' K
octave 4 ′ K
Reed flute 4 ′ F.
Nasat 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′ F.
octave 2 ′ K
Mixture IV 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′ F.
Trumpet B / D 8th' F.
II Oberwerk C – f 3
Reed flute 8th' F.
Principal 4 ′ F.
recorder 4 ′ F.
Forest flute 2 ′ F.
Fifth 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′ F.
Scharff III 2 ⁄ 3 ′ F.
Tremulant F.
Pedal C – d 1
Sub bass 16 ′ S.
Principal 8th' F.
octave 4 ′ F.
Night horn 2 ′ F.
trombone 16 ′ F.
K = Kayser (1686), using older material from Sieburg (1640)
S = Schmid III (1886)
F = leader (1937/1975)

See also

literature

  • Ev.-luth. Parish of Schortens (Ed.): 800 years of Schortens Church. Publisher CL Mettcker & Sons, Jever 1953.
  • Hans Saebens, Christel Matthias Schröder : The churches of Jeverland. Verlag CL Mettcker & Sons, Jever 1956, pp. 11, 16 ff.
  • Günter Müller: The old churches and bell towers of the Oldenburger Land. Kayser-Verlag, Oldenburg 1983, p. 136 ff.
  • Werner Brune (Ed.): Wilhelmshavener Heimatlexikon. 3 volumes. Brune Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft, Wilhelmshaven 1986.
  • Robert Noah, Martin Stromann: God's houses in Friesland and Wilhelmshaven. Verlag Soltau-Kurier-Norden, Norden 1991, ISBN 978-3-922365-95-2 , p. 76 ff.
  • Wilhelm Gilly: Medieval churches and chapels in the Oldenburger Land. Building history and inventory. Isensee Verlag , Oldenburg 1992, ISBN 3-89442-126-6 , p. 130 f.
  • Wolfgang Koppen: The oath and the luck of the war led to the building of the church. In: Jeversches Wochenblatt of July 20, 1996.
  • Ingeborg Nöldeke: The Schortenser Altar. The late Gothic passion retable in the St. Stephen's Church in Schortens. Its history and the copperplate models by Israhel van Meckenem . Isensee, Oldenburg 1998, ISBN 3-89598-568-6 .
  • Ingeborg Nöldeke: 1153-2003. 850 years of St. Stephen's Church in Schortens. "And vowed to build a church in honor of St. Stephan zu Schortens". Hermann Lüers, Jever 2002, ISBN 3-9806885-6-9 .
  • Ingeborg Nöldeke: See, everything has become new. The Schortenser Altar has been restored. Verlag Hermann Lüers, Jever 2003, ISBN 3-9809226-0-X .
  • Heimatverein Schortens (Ed.): 75 years Heimatverein Schortens - Heimatbuch and Festschrift. 1st edition, Heiber Druck & Verlag, Schortens 2004, ISBN 3-936691-22-3 .
  • Ingeborg Nöldeke, Almut Salomon, Antje Sander: Schortens. Local history from the Middle Ages to modern times. NORA Verlagsgemeinschaft Dyck & Westerheide OHG, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-86557-097-6 .
  • Herbert R. Marwede: Pre-Reformation altars in East Friesland. Dissertation, Hamburg 2007 ( online [PDF; 1.2 MB]).
  • Justin Kroesen, Regnerus Steensma: Churches in East Friesland and their medieval furnishings . Michael Imhof, Petersberg 2011, ISBN 978-3-86568-159-1 (translation from Dutch).
  • Julia Dittmann: Every stone tells its own story . In: Jeversches Wochenblatt . July 11, 2020, p. 10 .

Web links

Commons : St. Stephen's Church  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Info flyer of the ev.-luth Parish of Schortens, Schortens 2012.
  2. ↑ The St. Aegidien Church (Stedesdorf) , which dates back to the first half of the 12th century, may be even older , cf. Kroesen, Steensma: Churches in East Frisia. 2011, p. 13, maybe also the St. Marien Church (Nesse) . A document says that Archbishop Adalbert von Bremen gave the Premonstratensian Monastery of St. Georg in Stade "quatuor marce de curia nostra Stedesdorpe" in 1137 . It is controversial whether it is the Stedesdorf in East Friesland or Steddorp in the Rotenburg (Wümme) district . See: Siegfried Schunke: A contested document. In: Ev.-luth. Parish of Stedesdorf (Ed.): 1137–1987. The St. Aegidienkirche in Stedesdorf. Stedesdorf 1987, p. 31.
  3. ^ Friedrich Wilhelm Riemann: History of the Jeverland. Volume 1. Wittmund 1896. p. 161.
  4. ↑ Nöldeke: Schortens. Local history from the Middle Ages to modern times. 2006, p. 23.
  5. ^ Eilert Springer, Fr. W. Riemann: Die Chronica Jeverensis, schreven tho Varel Anno 1592. Jever 1896. P. 34
  6. ↑ a b c d e historical. At: ev-kirche-schortens.de. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  7. ↑ Fritz sign: Organ Atlas of historical and modern organs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg . Noetzel, Wilhelmshaven 2008, ISBN 3-7959-0894-9 , pp. 207 .
  8. ^ Ostfriesische Landschaft (Ed.): Kulturkarte Ostfriesland . Ostfriesische Landschaftliche Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft, Aurich 2006, ISBN 3-932206-61-4 , p. 47 .
  9. ^ Hermann Haiduck: The architecture of the medieval churches in the East Frisian coastal area . Verlag Ostfriesische Landschaft, Aurich 1986, ISBN 3-925365-07-9 , p. 19 .
  10. ↑ Ringing of St. Stephen's Church in Schortens, accessed on September 8, 2018.
  11. ↑ Kroesen, Steensma: Churches in East Friesland. 2011, pp. 48, 52.
  12. ↑ Nöldeke: Schortens. Local history from the Middle Ages to modern times. 2006, p. 70.
  13. ↑ Nöldeke: Schortens. Local history from the Middle Ages to modern times. 2006, pp. 67-70.
  14. ↑ Kroesen, Steensma: Churches in East Friesland. 2011, p. 42.
  15. ↑ Nöldeke: Schortens. Local history from the Middle Ages to modern times. 2006, p. 100.
  16. ↑ Nöldeke: Schortens. Local history from the Middle Ages to modern times. 2006, p. 105.
  17. ↑ Nöldeke: Schortens. Local history from the Middle Ages to modern times. 2006, p. 106 f.
  18. ^ Marwede: Pre-Reformation altars in East Friesland. 2006, p. 224 ( online [PDF; 1.2 MB]).
  19. ↑ Nöldeke: See, everything has become new. 2003, p. 17.
  20. ↑ Nöldeke: The Schortenser Altar. 1998.
  21. ↑ Nöldeke: See, everything has become new. 2003, p. 13.
  22. ↑ See Nöldeke for the individual reliefs: See, everything has become new. 2003, p. 23 ff.
  23. ^ Marwede: Pre-Reformation altars in East Friesland. 2006, p. 258 ( online [PDF; 1.2 MB]).
  24. ↑ Nöldeke: Schortens. Local history from the Middle Ages to modern times. 2006, p. 96.
  25. ↑ Schortens, Stephanuskirche. Organ by Joachim Kayser (1686). Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  26. ↑ Schortens (near Jever), Evangelical St. Stephen's Church. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  27. ↑ Fritz sign: Organ Atlas of historical and modern organs of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg. Florian Noetzel Verlag, Wilhelmshaven 2008, ISBN 3795908949 , pp. 207 ff., 384 f. (Fig. 296-301).

Coordinates: 53 ° 31 ′ 40 "  N , 7 ° 56 ′ 48.6"  E