St. Kilian (Massenbachhausen)
St. Kilian in Massenbachhausen in the Heilbronn district in northern Baden-Württemberg is a Catholic parish church . The building was built in 1905/06 according to plans by Ulrich Pohlhammer . The equipment of the church dates mainly from the time of its establishment, but it has a rococo - altar from 1741 and a painting by Sebastian Luz from 1872 and older art treasures from the previous buildings on.
history
Early history
Since the Massenbachhausen church books were destroyed in a French invasion during the Palatinate War of Succession in 1693, there are no reliable records of the early history of the church. However, it is certain that the current location of the church at the former southern end of the village and earlier in the middle of the cemetery was the location of the first church in Massenbachhausen. In old chronicles it is said that around 1600 there was only a small church facing east and the tower of which was raised to a height of 16.5 meters in 1609. In 1615 a new rectory was built.
Massenbachhausen was reformed under the lords of Neipperg in 1528 and had its own parish in 1529. When Messrs. Echter von Mespelbrunn acquired the place in 1585, they achieved its re-Catholicization, which they also consolidated with the settlement of Catholic new settlers after the Thirty Years' War .
The wars of the 17th century severely affected the church and the rectory. After the Thirty Years' War extensive reconstruction work was necessary. The rectory and its outbuildings were completely burned down again in 1693 in the Palatinate War of Succession, and the church records were also destroyed. A new parsonage was then built again. The church was equipped with new altars in 1710 and 1741, but the building itself was too small for the community in 1754 and was also in a ruinous condition.
New church from 1754
With great financial support from Count Wilhelm Reinhard von Neipperg , his wife Imperial Countess Maria Franziska Theresia von Neipperg and the pastor Schmitz, a new building was built in 1754 using the choir tower of the old church, the nave of which was 17.50 meters long and 9.50 meters wide . Like the medieval church, the new building faced east and was dedicated to St. Kilian . The church had a rectangular structure with high arched windows and was partly spanned by ribbed cross vaults and partly by a flat wooden ceiling. The church existed until 1905, but then became too small for the congregation, which had grown to over 1000 people, and was demolished in favor of today's church structure.
The parsonage, which was rebuilt after 1693, was neglected during the construction of the new church and afterwards, so that the Neckarsulm deanery had to persuade the parish in 1839 to build a new building for the dilapidated building, threatening the abolition of the parish.
New church from 1905
Today's Kilian's Church was built in 1905/06 as a five-bay , three-aisled basilica based on plans by Ulrich Pohlhammer . The new building was oriented to the north. No parts of the previous buildings were preserved. Even the massive old church tower had to be demolished because it did not have a sufficient foundation. The old church was demolished on February 5, 1905, and the foundation stone for the new building was laid on May 7, 1905. The new church was consecrated on September 3, 1906. Something of the architectural decoration of the church, namely the two relief medallions with Peter and Paul on the portal, was created by the sculptor Firminus Wickenhäuser from Massenbachhausen .
The nave of the church has an area of 32.50 × 18.36 meters and a height of 12.20 meters. The choir has an area of 6.72 × 9.60 meters. The tower of the church has a height of 44.66 meters.
Immediately after the church was built, the church's equipment was purchased. In 1906 there was already a high altar, rosary altar, family altar, pulpit, communion bench and confessional. In the following year, statues were added to the furnishings, and in 1908 an organ. In 1913 an additional Pietà altar was erected. After its renovation, the Rococo altar from 1741 was returned to the church in 1915. This altar shows Mary surrounded by the fourteen helpers in need, crowned by a heart. A special feature of the rococo altar is the statue of Johann Nepomuk on the right-hand side , who is not one of the helpers in need, but was erected there in honor of the founder's son, Leopold Johann Nepomuk von Neipperg, who died in 1792.
The church received new bells on various occasions, but bells had to be delivered in both world wars. The oldest bell that has survived today is a smaller bell from 1869, which is tuned to the B pitch. The remaining three bells of the peal were newly procured in 1961 and 1962 (Herz-Jesu-Bell) or cast from unsuccessful post-war bells (Marien and Kilians bell).
The Kilian's Church received heating in 1957. The building was completely renovated outside in 1966 and inside in 1967. In 1992 the retaining wall facing the site was also renovated, followed by another church renovation.
Main nave of Kilian's Church
Neo-Gothic altar from 1905/06
literature
- Gabi and Rolf Muth (arrangement): Massenbachhausen. Home register of the community of Massenbachhausen. Massenbachhausen community, Massenbachhausen 1999
- Heinz Rall: Historic churches in Zabergäu and the surrounding area . Forum-Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-8091-1088-4 , pp. 58/59.
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 10 ′ 35.1 ″ N , 9 ° 2 ′ 51.6 ″ E