St. John the Baptist (Mondorf)
St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic parish church dedicated to St. John the Baptist in Mondorf , a district of the Saarland district town of Merzig . In the list of monuments of the Saarland the church building is a single monument listed.
history
According to an old folk tradition, a pagan cult site served as the building site for the oldest church in Mondorf, the exact date of its construction is not known. The Abbey of St. Matthias near Trier has been responsible for appointing and paying the pastors in Mondorf since 1227 . The parish church was entertained by various bodies. The abbey as the manor took care of the ship , the choir was maintained by the pastor and the parishioners were responsible for the tower . In the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the church suffered some damage. A thorough renovation took place around 1700 , but by 1772 the church was in such poor condition for neglect of maintenance that it was punishable by an interdict . H. There was a threat of cessation of religious services if the structural defects were not remedied within six months. After the turmoil of the French Revolution (1789–1799) the church, which was already very poor, was robbed of all assets. In the first decades of the 19th century it became apparent that the church could no longer contain the growing number of believers. For this reason, planning began around 1840 for the construction of a new church at the same location.
On July 25, 1843, the foundation stone was laid for the new church building. The Kerber brothers from Ballern took on the execution of the construction work. The stones required for the construction were broken on the "Kabitsch". Due to the fragile subsoil, an artificial foundation had to be created from tree trunks at the point where the tower was to be built . The consecration of the completed church was made on October 25, 1845 by the then Trier Bishop Wilhelm Arnoldi . The construction costs amounted to 9,000 thalers .
In 1929 extensive restoration and reconstruction work was carried out in the church, the plans of which were made by the architects Ludwig Becker and Anton Falkowski ( Mainz ). So the damaged flat ceiling made of plaster was replaced by a rabitz barrel . Outside, the roof was renewed and the area around the church was redesigned, including a Marian grotto and a war victims memorial.
During the Second World War (1939-1945) the church was badly damaged by bombs. While the choir burned out and the roof suffered severe damage, the nave and tower remained standing. The demolition of the tower, which was ordered by the military , did not succeed. Only parts of the flight of steps were destroyed. Most of the damage was repaired in the post-war years.
Architecture and equipment
The previous building of today's church was probably built in the Baroque style and had a choir tower . Today's church building was based on the model of the St. Hubert church in Waldweisdorf as a sober hall church in the so-called "barn style". It is divided from west to east into the tower with a pointed helmet , the single-nave nave with four window axes and the five-sided polygonal choir.
As the church was badly damaged in World War II, not much of the pre-war furnishings has survived. The paintings in the choir, the high altar and the colorful stained glass windows with depictions of the life of Jesus Christ and St. Mary were completely lost due to the effects of the war. The organ from 1900 has been preserved.
Further items of equipment are a Pietà on the left and a crucifix on the right of the chancel, as well as various figures of saints that are placed on consoles in the church.
One of the baroque altars of the previous church is now in the St. Marien chapel in Silwingen .
Bells
The first bell of the church had to be given for war purposes during the First World War . From the second chime, which was purchased in 1923, two bells had to be given for war purposes during World War II . Today's third bell was cast in 1954 by the Otto bell foundry ( Saarlouis ) and transported to Mondorf on March 27, 1954. The consecration took place the following day, and on the afternoon of March 29, 1954, the bells rang for the first time. The names of the bells are as follows:
| No. | Surname | volume | Weight (kg) | inscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John the Baptist | fis' | 850 | "Among those born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist" "I am the voice of one who calls in the desert - Prepare the way of the Lord" |
| 2 | Mother of God | g sharp ' | 600 | "Ave, ave, Maria" "Spread out your coat, patroness you, in the storm!" |
| 3 | St. Barbara | H' | 350 | “Saint Barbara, you noble bride, body and soul, entrusted her to you. Patroness of the miners! Saint Barbara, your help is always close to us. Saint Barbara, keep a loyal watch over our Mondorf Shaft " |
literature
- Marschall, Kristine: Sacred buildings of classicism and historicism in Saarland . Institute for Regional Studies in Saarland, Saarbrücken 2002, ISBN 978-3-923877-40-9 , p. 666 .
- Hermann Schmitz: Mòndroff fre.ier - Mondorf today . Ed .: Vereingemeinschaft Mondorf, Mondorf Local Councilor. Merziger Dr., Mondorf 2009, ISBN 978-3-938415-44-3 , p. 382 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ List of monuments of the Saarland, partial list of monuments in the district of Merzig-Wadern ( Memento of the original dated May 2, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF), accessed on May 21, 2014
- ↑ a b c d e f g Johannes the Baptist Mondorf on: www.pfarrei-hilhaben.de, accessed on May 21, 2014
- ↑ Information on the parish church of St. John the Baptist at: www.kunstlexikonsaar.de, accessed on May 21, 2014
- ↑ Joseph Ollinger: Sing and make music for the organ In: Saarbrücker Zeitung , May 4, 2013. Retrieved on May 21, 2014
Coordinates: 49 ° 25 ′ 2.9 " N , 6 ° 35 ′ 49.5" E