St. Leonhard (Fürstenfeldbruck)

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General view from the northeast

The Catholic side church St. Leonhard is a late Gothic sacral building in the center of the district town of Fürstenfeldbruck in Upper Bavaria . The small church has preserved its medieval shell in a cohesion that is rare for Upper Bavaria and today also serves as a war memorial.

history

Angled view of the church
Vault in the nave
Looking back to the north

The Cistercians particularly promoted the veneration of St. Leonhard . The pilgrimage in nearby Inchenhofen , which was subordinate to the Fürstenfeld monastery, even developed into one of the most important in Europe. The "church chapel" (vernacular) in Bruck was consecrated in 1440, but in 1452 the furnishings were not yet complete. The Convention was apparently in financial difficulties at the time.

In the middle of the 17th century, the late Gothic decorative paintings in the nave and choir were renewed in early Baroque forms.

The inhabitants of the market vowed an annual votive office in 1743 on the occasion of a cattle epidemic. St. Leonhard has been the patron saint of animals, especially horses, since the 16th century. The Leonhardifahrt has been taken regularly since 1966, from 1921 onwards it only took place at irregular intervals. However, this ride goes back to older traditions. The two portals in the south and north made it possible to ride through the church to receive the blessing, but later it is said that riders around the church were ridden. A similar custom is the "Willibaldsritt" in nearby Jesenwang . Why is the pilgrimage church there dedicated to St. Bishop of Eichstätt was consecrated, remains speculation.

In the course of secularization , St. Leonhard was almost torn down. However, the market was able to acquire the church in 1803 and keep it as a side church. The tower was given a baroque onion dome, and the windows were also changed to make them rounded. These changes were reversed in 1854/55. The tower got its neo-Gothic pointed helmet, the windows again pointed arch shape. The high altar with the depiction of the titular saint and the two side altars, dedicated to St. Joseph and the "Immaculate Conception" are consecrated.

Most of this neo-Gothic interior was cleared away in 1957/58. The church became a war memorial.

The general renovation in 1992/93 brought the altars back into the sacred space. Since then, the names of the fallen have been affixed to acrylic panels , behind which examples of the older painting have been exposed.

description

St. Leonhard stands on the southern bank of the Amper in a prominent urban position directly behind the river crossing that gives it its name. The main street of the former “Bruck” market adjoins the north bank and is closed off by the transverse construction of the new town hall.

The unusual floor plan is designed in a cross shape. The choir closes on three sides , the transept-like nave is added to the west. Then follows the high, square tower with its neo-Gothic modified helmet. The exterior is plastered in white. The structure consists of rectangular plastered fields and stepped friezes under the gables, the tower is decorated with simple tracery friezes.

The net vaults of the chapel room rest on two simple round columns. The ribs merge directly into the pillars, keystones are missing. The choir is spanned by a cross vault, in contrast to the nave there are two round keystones. The ribs are supported by foliage and head consoles.

The original floral painting on the walls and vaulted surfaces was whitewashed (some parts exposed) in the middle of the 17th century. It was replaced by the preserved and partially supplemented decoration consisting of 68 figurative representations (cycle of apostles, angels with instruments of passion, etc.).

On the occasion of the restoration in 1992/93, the neo-Gothic furnishings were returned to the church, which had been removed except for the altar panel in 1957/58. The two side altars and the high altar are supplemented by a way of the cross (19th century) from the Diocesan Museum in Freising ( permanent loan ).

The post-Gothic " Erbärmde-Christ " (Christ as Man of Sorrows) did not enter the church until 1897. The late Gothic hanging cross on the choir arch is probably a remnant of the original furnishings.

Gothic, early baroque and historicism complement each other in a perfectly harmonious way. A restoration of the original late Gothic state would certainly have been possible with the general renovation, but this would have meant the loss of the important 17th century painting.

photos

  • Seen from the amper

  • View into the choir vault

  • The "Erbärmde-Christ" in the nave

  • Altar and ceiling

literature

Web links

Commons : St. Leonhard (Fürstenfeldbruck)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 48 ° 10 '35 "  N , 11 ° 15' 21.6"  E