St. Johannes Evangelist (Gernsdorf)

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Church in Gernsdorf - view from the northwest

The Roman Catholic Church of St. Johannes Evangelist is a characteristic church building in Gernsdorf , a district of the municipality of Wilnsdorf in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district ( North Rhine-Westphalia ). The Catholic Parish Vicarie St. Johannes Evangelist Gernsdorf belongs to the Pastoral Association of Southern Siegerland . The pastoral association belongs to the dean's office in Siegen in the southernmost part of the Archdiocese of Paderborn . Of the approx. 1,440 inhabitants of Gernsdorf, around 740 are Roman Catholic Christians.

history

Prehistory of the St. Johannes chapel community up to 1946

St. Johannes Chapel Gernsdorf (built 1856)

The place Gernsdorf was first mentioned in a document in 1300. 152 years later (1452) the church account from Irmgarteichen lists income from Gernsdorf. In 1504 the Gernsdorf community pays taxes to the Marien Altar of St. Martin Church in Siegen and in 1561 the much older, dilapidated Gernsdorf chapel is mentioned after a visit (examination) by the Irmgarteich pastor. Quote: "[...] the chapels in Gernsdorf and Rudersdorf fell into disrepair completely [...]". A few years later, in 1577, according to the Irmgarteich pastor's account book, the Gernsdorfer Kapelle owned 11 guilders main money and a field on the Hasenberg worth 6 guilders. In the following year, the Irmgarteich pastor complains that the Gernsdorfer did not meet their duty to operate the chapel. Since the old chapel from the 15th century was destroyed in a major fire in the village, the Gernsdorfer built a new chapel in 1814, which was given up in 1856 in favor of the new building of the chapel on Hasenberg. It was not sufficient for the growing population.

History of the parish (parish vicarie) from 1946 until today

Copy of the founding deed with fair copy 1949 .jpg

In 1946 Pastor Paul Geihe, from Silesia, became pastor in Gernsdorf. It is also he who gave the impetus for church building after the Second World War. The groundbreaking ceremony by Pastor Geihe took place on April 28, 1948, the foundation stone was laid on April 18, 1949. After 3 years of construction, and a total of 36,268 construction hours (including 10,000 hours of night work in the spotlight), almost exclusively in voluntary work by the villagers, the church was opened June 10, 1951 by the then Archbishop of Paderborn, later Cardinal Dr. Lorenz Jaeger and handed over to the community for use. Fifteen years later (1966) the first renovation and purchase of a new church organ took place. In 1975 the church was redesigned according to the specifications of the Second Vatican Council . The sacristy was also added and a new heating system installed. The new altar was consecrated in 1982 by the Paderborn Auxiliary Bishop Leo Drewes. In 1987 the new St. Johannes kindergarten was built in Gernsdorf and six years later (1993) the interior painting of the church was renewed. In 1995 the parish hall of St. Johannes was built. A comprehensive exterior renovation of the church (exterior painting / roof renovation) took place in 2009. Since 2013, the planning for a comprehensive interior renovation of the church, which was completed on July 23, 2017, has been ongoing.

Architecture and equipment

The Church of St. Johannes Ev. in Wilnsdorf-Gernsdorf was built shortly after the end of the Second World War, largely by the population itself, according to a design by the architect Theodor Pluschka and is considered the first post-war church in Siegerland. The spacious hall church has 18 pointed arched windows and a corresponding round window in the tower. The main portal, which looks like sandstone, is located in the tower, the pyramid-shaped slate helmet of which is crowned by a cross and a gilded weathercock. The exterior paint is white, the window frames are set off in red.

Chancel interior view 2017

Brick pillars divide the white interior into five bays . On the pillars there are red versions, as accentuation, instead of capitals. A barrel vault with painted light blue marbling arches over the wall pillars . The choir , which will be used as a baptistery after the renovation in 2017 , is separated from the nave by a round arch with an open, neo-Gothic arch. The church offers a total of approx. 220 seats in the nave and on the organ gallery.

On the back wall of the choir, a monumental stucco painting from the time it was built shows the crucifixion of Christ. This crucifixion scene is put into a new context by a non-representational background painting by the artist Marie-Luise Dähne and now symbolizes the Easter thought of redemption. The tabernacle stele , the altar , the ambo and the new baptismal font were made of brushed Rosso marble after the high altar was removed during the Second Vatican Council. The front of the tabernacle is decorated with the scene of the wonderful multiplication of bread , Jesus Christ with fish (brass inlay) and five loaves (rock crystal).

Additional equipment includes neo-Gothic figures of St. John the Evangelist and St. Helena , which were part of the former high altar, the old Gernsdorf Johannes chapel. These figures are located on the left and right side of the chancel.

Two baroque statues of St. John the Evangelist and the Mother of God Mary from the early 18th century (Mainz work) flank the main entrance in the rear part of the church and are positioned in close proximity to the prayer room , which provides daily access to the church and even when the church is closed thus ensuring personal devotion. The four windows of the choir are by the artist E. Gaiser from 1949 and show elements of the Trinity (the eye of God, the dove as a symbol for the Holy Spirit, the cross for Christ and the symbols alpha and omega ).

The organ from 1966 is on the gallery opposite the chancel.

The three bells of the church date from 1957 and have the names:

All three bells ring together on all Sundays and public holidays or before the Holy Masses.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://st-laurentius-rudersdorf.de/kirche-gernsdorf/ Website of the parish

literature

  • Heinrich Otten: Church building in the Archdiocese of Paderborn 1930–1975. Bonifatius Verlag, Paderborn 2009, ISBN 978-3-89710-403-7 .
  • Sebastian Schmidt: Faith - Rule - Discipline. Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh, Paderborn 2005, ISBN 3-506-71782-0 , p. 172.
  • Johann Hermann Steubing: Churches and Reformation history in the Nassau-Oranische Landen 1804. Verlag der neue Schehrten-Buchhandlung, Hadamar, p. 286.

Web links

Coordinates: 50 ° 50 ′ 44 "  N , 8 ° 10 ′ 22.5"  E