St. Lutwinus (Mettlach)

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The Catholic parish and pilgrimage church of St. Lutwinus in Mettlach
St. Lutwinus (Mettlach), interior of the church, built in 1842, before demolition
View of the neo-Romanesque church from the southwest
View inside the neo-Romanesque church
Interior view of St. Elisabeth in Bonn with the Stations of the Cross based on the Mettlach example
View to the organ gallery
Old tower, entrance side
Back of the Lutwinuskirche

The St. Lutwinus Church is a Roman Catholic parish and pilgrimage church in Mettlach , Merzig-Wadern district , Saarland . The church bears the patronage of St. Liutwin and is his grave church. The neo-Romanesque sacred building is listed as an individual monument in the Saarland's list of monuments . The church is the destination of the Lutwinus pilgrimage, which took place for centuries and has been revitalized since the early 2000s.

history

Founding of a monastery

Presumably around the year 675, Lutwinus (also Liutwin / Leodewinus) , who came from the Franconian nobility, founded the Abbey of Saint Peter and Mary as a private monastery in Mettlach , which he entered around 696 after the death of his wife. The legend tells that Lutwinus rested on a rock high above the river on a hunting trip near the Saar loop and fell asleep. An eagle flew over and stayed in the air above the sleeping man, protecting him from the scorching sun. When Lutwinus heard of the miraculous event from his servants who had observed the miracle, he interpreted this as a divine hint. The so-called “eagle miracle” brought the spiritual turning point in his life and, according to the pious tradition, prompted him to found the monastery in what would later become Mettlach. The Lutwinus Chapel on a rock high above the Saar in the Weiten district of Mettlach is a reminder of the legendary event.

In the year 706, Lutwinus donated his monastery to the diocese of Trier , whereby the bishops of Trier were also abbots of the Mettlach monastery for the following period . The brother of Lutwinus' mother, the Trier bishop Basin , presumably transferred part of the administration of the diocese of Trier to Lutwinus around 695 and consecrated him as choir bishop . After Basin's death in 705, Lutwinus became his successor on the Trier bishopric. After the battle of Vincy (717), which made him the most powerful man in the Franconian Empire , the Franconian caretaker Karl Martell also transferred the diocese of Reims to Lutwinus as the successor to the deposed Bishop Rigobert of Reims . Lutwinus probably died immediately afterwards, because his son Milo von Trier is recorded in the Reims bishops' lists. According to legendary traditions, Lutwinus is also said to have been Bishop of Laon .

The original feast day of the saint is September 29th. However, this day is the feast of the Archangel Michael . In the 18th century, Liutwin's feast day was brought forward to September 28th. After the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), September 23 was finally set as a canonical day of remembrance, which also applies to Lutwinus' uncle, Basinus von Trier .

Monastery and pilgrimage

The Lutwinuskirche in pilgrimage decorations

Until 941, the bishops of Trier were also abbots of Mettlach Abbey . Since this personal union had often brought the monastery into financial difficulties, Bishop Ruotbert von Trier (931–956) from the Kornelimünster Abbey near Aachen finally appointed the monk Ruotwich as abbot (941–975) for Mettlach and from then on granted the free election of abbot. Until his time, according to an episcopal order, the mandatory pilgrimages of the residents in the closer and wider area to Mettlach on the dedication day of the Mettlach Dionysius Church (October 9) are attested. Later, the consecration day of the abbey church (May 12th, "Half-May Day"), finally the Sunday after Ascension Day ("Hellemädach", ie "lighter" or "louder" May day because of the associated pilgrimage and market activity) became a day of pilgrimage. After the first decline of the pilgrimage, Archbishop Albero von Montreuil (1131–1152) obliged 75 parishes named by name to go on pilgrimages to Mettlach, as in the time of his predecessor Ruotbert.

In 1468 the abbey joined the Bursfeld reform movement . Abbot Thilmann von Prüm (1479–1504) promoted the Mettlach pilgrimage in particular. During his term of office the foundation of the recently rediscovered pilgrimage figure, which has been in the current parish church since 2003, as well as the making of the arm reliquaries of St. Dionysius and St. Lutwinus, which are now kept in the high altar.

With the fall of the Mettlach monastery in the French Revolution , the mandatory pilgrimage of the Saarland villages collapsed. St. Lutwinus continued to draw pilgrims to Mettlach, although in 1830 Bishop Joseph von Hommer forbade pilgrimages due to alleged abuses. At the time of the Mettlach pastor Lenarz (1855–1863) there are reports of 4,000 to 5,000 pilgrims on the pilgrimage day. In 1924, the Mettlach pastor, Prelate Roman Koll, the great resuscitator of Mettlach's worship of Lutwinus, converted the sacrament procession on the fair day into a procession with the reliquary of the church patron. Since 2003, the Mettlach pilgrimage has been extended to include the Pentecost novena between Ascension Day and Pentecost , with the Lutwinus procession on the Sunday after Ascension Day as the highlight.

Previous buildings

Dionysius Church

Before the monastery was built, Lutwinus built the Dionysius Church in the 8th century. It was consecrated to St. Dionysius of Paris and probably stood where the portal of the Old Abbey now rises. The church, which was last mentioned in a document in 1664, functioned as the center of the Lutwinus pilgrimage until the turn of the first millennium. This church underwent a restoration of the roof structure in 1664, with a new altar being erected. On the occasion of the new construction of the Mettlach Abbey , the church was demolished in 1722.

Johanneskirche

In the 12th century a church with the patronage of St. John the Baptist was built outside the monastery area on the southern mountain slope ("G'hansoht") as the parish church "St. Johannes bei Mettlach ”. The Dionysius Church in Mettlach was rededicated as a chapel. Due to dilapidation, the Johanneskirche was demolished in 1769/1770.

Old Tower (Lutwinus Church I)

Abbot Lioffin (until 993) built the octagon that still exists today to the right of today's former abbey building as St. Mary's Church. It housed the burial place of St. Lutwinus and took over his patronage at the end of the 11th century. The so-called "Old Tower" with its Gothic porch served the community of Mettlach as a parish church from 1770 to 1794.

St. Peter's Abbey Church

The three-aisled Romanesque church from the 10th century, originally only consecrated to St. Peter , had to accommodate the parish of the demolished St. John's Church at the beginning of 1790 on instructions from Trier. The Dionysius altar of the old tower was assigned to her. After the abbey church was demolished by the owners of the newly founded Mettlach ceramics factory in 1819, the refectory of the former abbey was rededicated as the parish church service area. With the approval for the demolition of St. Peter's Church, however, the construction of a new parish church was contractually agreed.

Lutwinus Church II

Johann Franz Boch-Buschmann ( Jean-François Boch ) commissioned Karl August von Cohausen (1812–1894), who had entered his service as a builder in 1840, to build the promised church. According to his plans, the foundation stone for the construction of a high rectangular hall in the shape of the round arch style was laid on September 24, 1842 in the “Shepherd's Garden” on the lower slope of the Mettlacher Gorichkopf / Gangolfberg . The church was consecrated on May 13, 1847, Ascension Day , by the Trier Bishop Wilhelm Arnoldi . The Mettlacher Church was then a subsidiary of the Church of St. Gangolf. It was not until September 19, 1851 that Bishop Arnoldi Mettlach, after the place had been assigned to the parish of St. Gangolf in 1803 and had belonged to the parish of Saarhölzbach from 1818 to 1821 , again to an independent parish III. Class. In 1855 Mettlach received a pastor again for the first time. In the following year, construction of the rectory in Gewann Hirtengarten began. It was ready for occupancy on Christmas Eve 1858.

The nave of the Cohausen Church had four window axes and a small bell beam above the facade. A romanizing round arch frieze and the three-door entrance area already take up neo-Romanesque forms of early historicism .

Lutwinuskirche III

Foundation stone of the neo-Romanesque Lutwinus church with the inscription "Lapis Primarius MDCCCIC" from 1899

Due to the population growth in the second half of the 19th century, the church in the shepherd's garden became too small towards the end of the century, so that in 1897 (after considering whether the church should be expanded or rebuilt) it was decided to build a new building in the parish garden behind the to realize the existing church. A church building association was founded to collect the funds required for the construction project . The Mainz architect and master builder Ludwig Becker had already been consulted about the considerations (expansion or new building) since autumn 1888 . Finally, in 1897, Becker was commissioned to build a new building with a five-bay nave based on plans from 1892. On April 12, 1899, due to the renewed strong population growth in the 1890s, it was decided to enlarge the building by one yoke. Despite the lack of a building permit from the Royal Prussian government in Trier, the foundation stone was laid on July 23, 1899. Construction work began at the beginning of 1900, with the construction work being in the hands of the stoneware factory Villeroy & Boch (Mettlach). The local construction management was taken over by architect Georg Bernhard Merckel ( Darmstadt ) and Dipl. Ing. Franz Konrad Zechmeister. The new church was built on the site of the former parish garden and partly on the site of the old Cohausen church. Therefore, the new building had to be divided into two construction periods. After the choir area of ​​the Cohausen Church had been torn down in 1899, the choir area of ​​the new church was built together with the four adjoining yokes of the nave. When this part of the new building was ready for worship, the Cohausen Church was completely demolished and the fifth nave yoke and the tower facade were built in 1901. The building material comes from the Mettlach sandstone quarries on the south side of the mountain slope. The sandstone has a strong red hue due to its iron oxide content. The wall surfaces were plastered with light-colored lime mortar. The construction costs of 321,993.61 marks were broken down as follows:

  • Shell: 221,463.17 marks
  • Equipment up to the inauguration: 90,932.32 marks
  • Road construction and earth moving: 9,598.12 marks

On May 15, 1905, the completed church was consecrated by the Trier bishop Michael Felix Korum .

architecture

The west facade of Limburg Cathedral as an architectural model for the tower front of the Mettlach Lutwinuskirche

Exterior

Herz-Jesu-Kirche (Koblenz) , Ludwig Becker's "parallel building" to the Lutwinuskirche in Mettlach

The nave of the neo-Romanesque pillar basilica has three aisles and six bays. The choir area with the apse is slightly drawn in and lower than the nave. The central nave has four flank towers. The larger facade towers (height 39 m) are set back by the size of the vestibule and the smaller choir flank towers rise halfway above the central nave and the side aisle. All towers are crowned by diamond helmets. The architect from the Münsterkirche in Roermond could have taken over the stepping back of the facade towers behind the vestibule and the positioning of the choir-flank towers . Lower side rooms are built on both sides of the choir in Mettlach. The left side room serves as the von Boch family's church service box. The opposite side room houses the sacristy.

The entire building is characterized by the strong contrast between white plastered surfaces and red sandstone elements. The tower floors with twin or triple windows are framed by pilaster strips and round arch friezes, the entrance is designed as a stepped column portal with various round bar shapes and crowning, above which a large round window opens with circular openings based on the model of Limburg Cathedral . A dazzling gallery rises above it. The forms of the Rhenish Romanesque style take up early Gothic forms and thus show the Rhenish transition style , as it was used in Limburg Cathedral.

Within Becker's oeuvre , an architectural similarity between the Lutwinus Church in Mettlach and the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Koblenz is most evident . The Koblenz Church, which was built almost at the same time as the Lutwinus Church in Mettlach, also has a protruding nave, two recessed facade towers and two choir-flank towers. Originally the Koblenz towers had tall helmets. After the destruction of the Second World War , the towers were covered with Rhenish rhombus helmets, so that the Becker churches in Koblenz and Mettlach look even more similar than in the pre-war state.

Becker used the motif of the facade towers receding behind the nave again in 1905 for the new facade of the St. Brigida Church in Legden . The motif of the choir-flank towers is used again by Becker in the neo-Romanesque Elisabeth Church in Bonn (1906–1910). As in Mettlach, stone-transparent elements and plastered surfaces alternate in Bonn. Becker also used both architectural means in his large neo-Romanesque St. Joseph's Church in Montigny near Metz (1903–1906).

As with Limburg Cathedral, the Mettlach towers have clover-leaf and pointed arch friezes. They are designed slightly differently for the same storey height and thus loosen up the facade symmetry in a picturesque way. For the same purpose, the architect had unplastered stones distributed throughout the facade surface. The text in the tympanum of the main portal reads: “St. Liutwinus Lotharingiae Dux Fundator Monasterii Mediolacensis Episcopus Treverensis “(German translation: Saint Lutwinus, Duke of Lorraine, founder of the Mettlach Monastery, Bishop of Trier). The arched field shows the church patron in episcopal regalia flanked by the old tower (left) and the previous church building (right). The lintel with the inscription "Anno Domini MDCCCCII" (German translation: "In the year of the Lord 1902") indicates the year of completion of the church.

Architectural elements from the late Staufer period , i.e. the first half of the 13th century, were used in Becker's neo-Romanesque churches in Mettlach, Koblenz, Bonn and Montigny . After the founding of the German Empire with the victory over the French Empire in 1871, the Staufer myth experienced a great boom. Emperor Wilhelm I was occasionally called Barbablanca ("white beard"), analogous to the nickname Barbarossa ("red beard") of the Hohenstaufen emperor Friedrich I. Wilhelm I as the perfecter of the policy of Friedrich I. Barbarossa - this idea was born in 1896 For example, staged in its purest form in the neo-Romanesque Kyffhäuser monument . According to legend, Barbarossa slept in the Kyffhäuserberg only to wake up one day and save the empire.

Under the special influence of Kaiser Wilhelm II , buildings were built everywhere in the German Empire based on the style models of the Rhenish Romanesque, which, in addition to their sacred or profane function, above all a monument character in the sense of emphasizing the connection between medieval and current size and importance of the empire should express. In a historicizing architectural language, Kaiser Wilhelm II tried to build on the heyday of the German emperors of the Middle Ages. Since 1889 in particular, the emperor has been intensively concerned with the Romanesque churches of the Rhineland in Gelnhausen , Limburg , Maria Laach , Andernach , Sinzig , Bonn , Schwarz-Rheindorf and the Romanesque churches of Cologne . A specially created collection of building photographs and architectural details were presented to the well-known architects of the German Empire, as the Emperor considered the Romanesque architectural style to be particularly capable of development.

The results of the imperial efforts were the construction of prestigious neo-Romanesque buildings such as the Berlin Gnadenkirche (1890–1895, Max Spitta ), the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church with a neo-Romanesque forum (1891–1895, Franz Schwechten ), the Church of the Redeemer in Bad Homburg in front of the height (1903–1908, Franz Schwechten), the Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem (1893–1898, Friedrich Adler ), the Dormition Basilica on Mount Zion (1900–1910, Heinrich Renard ), the Auguste Viktoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives (1907 –1910, Carl Gause / Robert Leibnitz ) or the Protestant Metzer Stadtkirche (1901–1904, Conrad Wahn ). The Imperial Palace in Posen (1905–1913, Franz Schwechten), the Metz main train station (1905–1908, Jürgen Kröger) and the government building in Koblenz (1902–1905, Paul Kieschke ) can be named among the secular neo-Romanesque buildings initiated by the emperor .

Ludwig Becker's adoption of late Staufer architectural forms can also be assigned a programmatic character.

Interior

Ground plan of the Lutwinus Church in Mettlach, Ludwig Becker

The interior is more determined by Gothic forms than the exterior. The first yoke is determined by the organ gallery. The aisles are unusually wide. The central nave bays have a transverse rectangular plan, the side aisle bays have a square plan. The view of the believers from the side aisles of the altar is severely blocked. Altars (Marien Altar and Sacred Heart Altar) in the two naves made it possible to take part in a so-called “ silent mass ” if there were several priests . The arcade arches on rectangular pillars are slightly pointed. All vaults are ribbed. The vault ribs of the side aisles are supported on the outer walls by consoles that protrude from wide pilaster strips on the shield arch walls.

The edge bulges of the separating arches are optically lengthened by means of set short corner pillars in the upper pillar area. The tall nave walls are structured by semicircular services. The girders and ribs of the vaults grow out of them. A cube frieze cornice stretches across the room below the semicircular closing upper cladding window of the central nave and at the height of the capitals of the services. The frieze forms the upper end of the large mosaic areas that depict the life of the church patron.

The triumphal arch, which leads to the square choir area, is lavishly accented with round services and bulges. A small triplet window rises above it. Intermediate yokes of the aisles, which form the substructure of the choir towers, serve as access to the Boch family box and the sacristy. The three fields of the parapet of the box are decorated with mosaics. They show the three wise men with their gifts of gold , frankincense and myrrh ( Mt 2,1-12  EU ) as representatives of the three ages.

The rib-vaulted apse adjoins the eight-part arched choir area.

Dimensions

  • Tower height of the portal side: 39.00 m
  • Height of the choir towers: 25.50 m
  • Vault height in the main nave: 15.20 m
  • Vault height in the side aisles: 6.50 m
  • Width of the central nave: 8.60 m
  • Width of the aisles: 4.90 m
  • Width of the church: 20.00 m
  • Intercolumn : 4.40 m
  • Width of the choir area: 8.00 m
  • Width of the choir arch: 7.20 m
  • Inner height of the choir arch: 11.40 m
  • Length of the interior from the entrance portal to the apse rounding: 48.20 m
  • External length of the church: 50.00 m
  • Length of the aisles (without the tower porch): 26.00 m
  • Depth of the gallery hall: 6.00 m
  • Depth of the porch: 2.60 m
  • Area of ​​the lay room: 575 m² (the area corresponded to the 3125 inhabitants of Mettlach and Keuchingen at the time of construction)

Furnishing

  • Apse vault with angels who carry people's hearts to God

  • Choir wall mosaic with the Last Supper

  • Right communion bench made of different colored marble and mosaic fields

  • Carved statue of Saint Joseph with carpentry tools

  • Mosaic floor under the gallery with the signs of the zodiac, day and night as well as the personified time with the hourglass

  • Triumphal cross

  • Floor mosaic "King David"

  • Celebration altar

Celebration altar

After the Second Vatican Council , the choir area was redesigned. The current altar was erected at the end of 1985. A sandstone plinth made by a local stonemason was erected from light gray Eifel sandstone, which is adorned with blind arcades over a bulge in the floor. The cafeteria on top is a recessed marble slab with relief, which, in its rounded shape with a round arch frieze, is related to the early Christian agapeti or altar people. It was found at the beginning of the 19th century in front of the ruins of the old tower. Perhaps she had served as a canteen there. Numerous examples of this type, which belongs to the so-called sigma-shaped table, have been found in Syria (Daphni-Harbiye near Antioch on the Orontes ), Transjordan ( Siyagha ), North Africa ( Hippo Regius , Numidia ), but also in Greece ( Corinth ), Italy ( Aquileia ) and France ( Vienne ) received.

The only example in Germany and at the same time the northernmost example of this type of altar has been preserved in Mettlach. Compared to the examples mentioned, the Mettlach canteen has ten semicircular recessed hollows and an incision that makes up about a third of the straight side. The starting point for the shape of the cafeteria was the table of Christ's Last Supper , which, according to the shape of the table, may have been sigma-shaped at the time of Jesus. The Mettlach cafeteria, like closely related examples in the Mediterranean region, fits into the 10th century, but it is also conceivable that it was built earlier. It is very likely that the original location of the old tower and the abbey church, which existed around 700, was assumed. The cafeteria was probably used until the middle of the 11th century. At that time the shape of the altar changed and the recessed table altars were exchanged. The marble slab was then probably used as a floor slab, which is indicated by its heavy wear on the surface. The altar plate is on loan from the von Boch family.

Triumphal cross

The triumphal cross on the choir arch is based on the crosses of the Romanesque era . Accordingly, Christ crucified is depicted as ruler and judge as well as the victor over death. Instead of a crown of thorns, he wears a golden royal crown, stands facing the viewer and his feet are positioned parallel to each other, not on top of each other, on a suppedaneum ( four-nail type ). The loincloth is gold-plated. The original flanking paintings with angels have been lost.

High altar

The high altar was designed as a retable in the form of a shrine with a gable-shaped suspension throne above the tabernacle. The antependium , stylistically and iconographically designed in the style of early Christian mosaics, shows the Stipes as a symbol of the glorified Christ, the Agnus Dei on the Paradise Mountain, marked by a cross nimbus and a red flag of victory . The mosaic design for the antependium was made by Gottwald. Sources of inspiration for the motif are likely to have been lamb mosaics such as in the apse mosaic by Santi Cosma e Damiano in Rome, in Sant'Apollinare in Classe in Ravenna or in the Felix basilica in Cimitile . From the side wound of the lamb of the Mettlach high altar, the streams of paradise, Gen 2.10–14  EU, pour out :

“A river springs up in Eden that waters the garden; there it divides and becomes four main rivers. One is called Pishon; it is he who flows around the whole land of Hawaii , where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; there is also bdellium resin ( guggul ) and carnelian stones ( onyx ). The second stream is called Gihon ; it is he who flows around the whole land of Kush . The third river is called the Tigris ; it is he who flows east of Aššur . The fourth stream is the Eufrat . "

By emphasizing the side wound, the lamb has also become a symbol of the self-sacrificing Redeemer. The lambs grazing on the streams of Paradise indicate the Eucharistic meal, which will be celebrated until the Parousia . This interpretation unfolds on the floor mosaic of the stair landing in front of the altar. In addition to grapevines, which point to the Eucharist , the four streams of Paradise pour out of a vessel again into all the world and lead a ship with a waving cross flag, which symbolizes the Church, to all people. At the same time, the antependium marks the end of the cycle of creation in the nave with the depiction of the seventh day, which God has declared to be holy, and on which the Christians encounter the risen Christ in the Eucharist. The reredos is decorated with applied, hammer-gold-plated filigree jewelry on copper. The altar cross in the form of a four-nails cross, based on high Romanesque models, shows Christ as King with a loincloth that reaches to the knees and is knotted in the middle and on the sides. The legs stand on a suppedaneum . The base of the cross is supported by three angels. With its registered three-pass , the exposition niche is reminiscent of the example of the Cologne Epiphany shrine . The retable accommodates eight saints under four arches. From left: Barbara von Nicomedien with chalice and host as a sign of the Eucharistic consumption, Maria Magdalena , Andreas (multiplication of bread, ( Joh 6,8-9  EU )), Judas Thaddäus (helper in great hopelessness), Joseph (patron of the dying), Bishop Konrad von Konstanz (chalice with poison spider), the high priest Melchizedek with bread and wine and Abraham (angel extinguishes the fire of the Isaac sacrifice). The tabernacle door shows the manna in the desert, bread and fish from the wonderful multiplication of bread and the Eucharistic lamb. The candlesticks are designed according to the late medieval model. There are dragons at their feet , the drip catchers are supported by lizards .

On the back of the high altar, the house-shaped reliquary shrine of St. Lutwinus has been pushed back into the niche that was intended for his sarcophagus from the beginning. The shrine was made in the neo-Romanesque style under Pastor Johann Lamberty in 1902, as the old shrine was no longer felt to be suitable. The neo-Romanesque shrine is made of gold-plated wood. The narrow side shows the figure of St. Lutwinus. The side arcades are glazed and allow the relics to be seen. The roof was decorated in the style of Nuremberg reliquary shrines from the 14th century with an imperial eagle in relief in a diamond pattern. Above it is the old inscription of the Lutwinus tomb in the Old Tower, handed down to the Bollandists :

"Hic pater insignis Luitwinus fons pietatis cuius in hac tumba requiescunt pignora sacra. Quondam divitiis cum polleret copiosis est factus monachus. Multis post forma futurus. Viribus hic totis frangens incendia carnis. Archimandritae post haec pignus subeunte urbis treverericae gregis et sortitus ovile pastor agens vitam plenis virtutibus ipsa. Tandem cum palma felix migravit ad astra omnibus effectum tribuens poscentibus ipsum. Unde preces illi profundite mente fideli pestis ut assidue procul absit sospite cive. "

The Latin inscription reads in German translation:

“Here is the place of the famous father Lutwinus, a source of piety. His holy bones rest in this tomb. Formerly he was respected by enormous wealth. He became a monk and, an example for many, broken the lusts of the flesh with all his might. After that he took over the office of headmaster and even got the sheepfold of the flock of the city of Trier, while as chief shepherd he led a life of virtue. At last, decked out with the palm, he went blissfully to the stars. He gives an answer to all who ask him. Therefore, pour out your requests with a believing soul that the plague will always stay away and that the citizens will be safe. "

In the right niche of the high altar there is an arm reliquary with a silver statuette of St. Lutwinus under a keel-arched canopy typical of the late Gothic, on the left an arm reliquary with the name of St. Dionysius. Both arm reliquaries date from the beginning of the 16th century. They are adorned with fish- bladder ornaments on the base and contain relics of St. Dionysius and many other saints. During a church robbery on the night of January 20 to 21, 1923, the silver parts were stolen by thieves. As a result, the community had a copied silver frame made and reassembled, as with the Lutwinus bowl, which was also partially destroyed at the time. The numerous holy relics of the arm reliquaries probably come from the Mettlach storage library .

Since the Lutwinus shrine behind the high altar was not easily visible to large numbers of visitors, it was decided in the early 1920s to re-erect it. A window in the sacristy on the right side of the choir was converted into the new Lutwinus tomb. The niche facing the sacristy was closed by a cupboard. The work was done by the Mettler sculpture workshop in Morbach. The inner wing paintings of St. Lutwinus (left) and St. Dionysius of Paris (right) were created by the Munich painter Franz Michael Ronge (1853–1925), who also made paintings for several churches in the Saar region. When closed you can see the legendary eagle on the outer double doors on the left, which is said to have moved St. Lutwinus to found the Mettlach monastery, on the right the martyrdom sword of St. Dionysius of Paris and his palm branch, the text “The bodies of the saints were buried in peace and you Name lives from gender to gender ”refers to the book of Jesus Sirach ( Sir 44: 13-14  EU ). The ornamental carvings on the outside of the doors were made in Art Deco style by the Mettler sculptor's workshop in 1924. The relocation of the bones of St. Lutwinus took place in October 1924. The inauguration took place on Lutwinus day in 1924 by the Trier bishop Franz Rudolf Bornewasser . Since 2002 the shrine has been back in the old high altar niche and the choir wall niche is used for the exhibition of the Mettlach storage library.

  • Exhibition niche of the Mettlacher Staurothek (open state)

  • Exhibition niche of the Mettlacher Staurothek (closed state)

  • Floor mosaic "The wise and foolish virgins"

  • Figure of Mary "Sedes sapientiae"

Sacred Heart Altar

The altar is in the right aisle. The figure of Christ the King with the flaming heart of divine love sits on a magnificent throne structure with a canopy. With his left hand Jesus points to his heart, while his right hand seems to invite the viewer to come. The side arcades of the reredos contain alabaster reliefs of male saints who were particularly concerned with God's love. From left to right these are: Ignatius von Loyola (promoter of the veneration of the heart of Jesus), John the Evangelist (“God is love”, 1 Jn 4 : 15-21  EU ), Francis of Assisi ( stigmatization ) and Augustine of Hippo (Writing about the love of God). In the mosaic above, two angels dressed in white wave incense barrels in honor of Jesus Christ. The Predella inscription comes from the Gospel of Matthew ( Mt 11.28  EU ) and reads: “Come to me, all of you who are troublesome and burdened; I want to refresh you. ”The flanking arches contain the inscription:“ Look at this heart, which people (left arch) loved so much that it spared nothing (right arch). ”The inscription refers to a vision in that Jesus is said to have spoken these words to Margareta Maria Alacoque .

The mosaic floor designed by August Martin shows the parable of the wise and foolish virgins Mt 25.1-13  EU . Seven virgins each (instead of the biblical five) are shown with burning and extinguished oil lamps. The parable emphasizes the urgency of choosing what is good in life. The Latin inscription on the floor mosaic reads: “voluntarie sacrificabo tibi” (German translation: “I will gladly offer you sacrifices”) and comes from the Book of Psalms ( Ps 54.8  EU )

Mary Altar

On the altar in the left aisle there is a small seated figure of the Mother of God with the baby Jesus as Sedes sapientiae . Originally, the figure was set up in a tabernacle-like case, which has now been lost, which means that the figure in the altar structure looks a bit too small. The baby Jesus presents the Book of Life in his left hand while he blesses with his right hand. Mary holds a grapevine in her left hand. This refers to the Bible passage on the praise of wisdom in the book of Jesus Sirach Sir 24 : 17-23  EU :

“Like a vine, I made grace sprout, my flowers are the fruit of glory and riches. I am the mother of beautiful love and fear, knowledge and holy hope; but I am given forever with all my children according to his word. Come to me, you who desire me, and you will fill yourselves with my fruits! Because the memory of me is sweeter than honey and my inheritance better than a honeycomb. Those who eat me will not starve, those who drink me will not be thirsty. Those who obey me will not be ashamed, and those who strive for me will not sin. All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law that Moses entrusted us, inheritance for the churches of Jacob. "

There is a mosaic behind the sculpture. 24 eight-pointed stars shine on a blue background. A ribbon with eight vine leaves is attached above two stylized turrets as symbols of Mary ( Ivory Tower , Hld 7.5  EU and Tower of David , Hld 4.4  EU ). Above this, the Old Testament forerunners of Mary, Judith and Esther , can be seen as half-figures in round medallions . In a similar way to how Judith and Esther averted misfortune from their Jewish people through their heroic efforts, Mary contributes to victory over evil in the world through her motherhood - so the theological message of the person constellation.

The arched fields show the two archangels Gabriel and Michael under neo-Romanesque canopies with the inscriptions “Angelus fortis, Sanctus Gabriel” (German translation: The strong angel; Saint Gabriel) and “Quis ut deus; Sanctus Michael “(German translation: Who is like God; Saint Michael). The predella inscription comes from the Old Testament book of Proverbs Proverbs 8:35  EU and reads: "Whoever finds me finds life and draws salvation from the Lord."

The floor mosaic designed by August Franz Martin shows a unicorn hunt. In mythology, the unicorn is a mythical creature in a mixture of horse or goat shape with a straight horn on the middle of the forehead . The unicorn is considered the noblest of all mythical animals and is traditionally a symbol of the good. According to medieval natural history books, the unicorn can only be appeased by a virgin, so the hunters lured it into a trap by a virgin. Symbolically, the unicorn stands for Christ, Mary is the one in whose lap the unicorn rests, which stands for the incarnation of God in the Virgin Mary. The hunt represents the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the Eucharist. The floor mosaic thus points to the Maundy Thursday tabernacle on the altar table. The space under the altar mess is used as a holy grave on the Kartagen .

pulpit

pulpit

The square pulpit with pillars made of different colored marble stands on a bundle pillar, the bases of which are designed as mythological animals. It shows the fight of a lion with a basilisk . The struggle symbolizes the struggle of good with evil. On the front of the pulpit, Jesus Christ is depicted in relief as the ruler in a mandorla, which is carried by angels. The relief field towards the nave is divided into four areas in a cross shape. Each of the four areas includes a winged creature of the apocalyptic Tetramorphs that in God's vision of the Prophet Ezekiel described as worshipers before the throne of God ( Ezek 1.4 to 28  EU ) also, and the author of the New Testament apocalypse were taken ( Rev 4,6-8  EU ). In a clockwise direction, these are on the gilded copper plate of the Mettlacher Staurothek: a winged lion , an eagle , a winged bull and a winged person. All four beings each carry a book. According to the testimony of the Bible, they proclaim the holiness of God. The four heavenly beings are associated with the four evangelists John , Luke , Mark and Matthew in Christian theology . The human-faced being stands for the incarnation of Jesus, the bull-faced being for his sacrificial death, the lion-faced being for the resurrection and the eagle-faced being for Jesus' return to the Father.

The pulpit has three verses from the Bible:

  • Front: “Heaven and earth will pass away; but my words will not pass away. "( Mt 24,35  EU )
  • Page: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creatures." ( Mk 16.15  EU )
  • Staircase: “Whoever listens to you hears me; and whoever despises you despises me. "( Lk 10.16  EU )

Baptismal font and Easter candlestick

The baptismal font still comes from the Cohausen Church. The design of the octagonal basin made of light marble is based on late antique-early Christian ornaments. In the 2000s, an Easter candlestick was made from ceramic to match.

Late Gothic Lutwinus statue

An important piece of equipment in the Lutwinus Church is the St. Lutwinus pilgrimage figure from the late 15th century donated by Archbishop Johann II of Baden (1456–1503). The stonemason Nikolaus Myert ( Utrecht ) is considered to be the possible originator of the figure, which was created from Baumberger sand-lime brick . In 2003 it was rediscovered and through the company Mrziglod-Leiss ( Tholey ) a restoration subjected. The figure, which until then had been regarded as a neo-Gothic plaster figure, was overmolded with plaster and colored in the 19th century. During the restoration in 2003, the color scheme of the 19th century was removed and the stonight was restored with the rich relief imitating brocade. Lutwinus is depicted as a bishop with a crook in his left hand and a model of a church on his right. At its feet are the coats of arms of the dioceses of Reims (cross on lily field) and Laon (cross with four lilies). The coat of arms on the clasp of the choir mantle is the coat of arms of the founder of the statue, Bishop Johann II of Baden.

Mettlacher storage library

The cross reliquary in the form of a triptych dates from 1228 and resembles an ark with closed wings. An unknown Peter von Merzig is said to have brought the particles from the cross relic of St. Helena to Mettlach in 1212 . The Byzantine-influenced work comes from the time of the Mettlach abbot Johannes (1220–1228) engraved on the back and was probably made in a goldsmith's workshop among the students of Nikolaus von Verdun in Trier.

Way of the Cross

The individual stations of the cross in the St. Lutwinus Church in Mettlach are made of terracotta and integrated into the pillars of the nave. Architect Ludwig Becker used this architectural motif again when building St. Elisabeth's Church in Bonn between 1906–1910. Becker had already used similarly designed stations of the cross when furnishing the Bad Homburg Marienkirche (1892–1895). The majolica tablets of the Way of the Cross by St. Lutwinus were made in the Mettlach ceramic company Villeroy & Boch. The white glazed reliefs against a blue glazed background are based on ceramic objects from the 15th and early 16th centuries by the early Renaissance artist Luca della Robbia or his nephew Andrea della Robbia .

Image of grace of everlasting help

A copy of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is in the basement of the left tower. It is a gift from Octavie von Boch (1823–1899), who brought the picture from a pilgrimage to Rome . The magnificent frame with adoring angel figures was made by the Mettler sculptor's workshop in Morbach.

War Memorial Chapel

After the First World War , the Mettlach parish commissioned a scene from the Morbach Mettler workshop to be deposed from the cross. Between angel figures with palm branches and laurel wreaths are the names of the Mettlach soldiers killed and missing in the war.

Beatitudes cycle

Designed by the painter August Franz Martin (* 1837 in large Umstadt / Hessen , † March 22, 1901 in Kiedrich / Rheingau ) were in the years 1902 to 1905 in the pillars - pilasters of the aisles mosaic images to other representations of the 8 Beatitudes and associated saints, as well as the wall mosaics of the two side altars and the mosaics of the flooring. The pictures of the Beatitudes, which refer to Mt 5,1-12  EU , were donated by various members of the von Boch family. They show, starting with the mosaic in the right aisle, clockwise:

  • Saint Anna ("Blessed are the poor in spirit")
  • Saint Edward ("Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land")
  • Saint Monika ("Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted")
  • St. Theresa ("Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice")
  • Saint Elizabeth ("Blessed are the merciful")
  • Saint Mary ("Blessed are those who have a pure heart")
  • Saint Zacharias ("Blessed are the peaceful")
  • St. Lawrence ("Blessed are those who suffer persecution for the sake of justice")

At the height of the Beatitudes mosaics, the text of the Our Father runs through the entire area of ​​the aisles .

window

The stained glass windows of the church were also made by August Franz Martin and created in the same period as the mosaics . Towards the end of the Second World War , they were so badly damaged, partly by shrapnel and partly by the effects of air pressure, that they had to be replaced without exception. The choir windows and the opposite rosette were provided with alabaster panes from Volterra , a material that was completely unusual north of the Alps until then.

Glass mosaics in the altar area

The glass mosaics in the apse , in the vault and on the side walls of the choir were created between 1923 and 1925 according to designs by the Mainz artist Kraus, using plenty of Venetian material. The mosaics are based on the strict style of the Beuron art school .

Side mosaics

The pictures show the Old Testament Manna miracle ( 2 Mos 16  EU ) on the left and the Last Supper as its Christian interpretation of the New Testament fulfillment on the right . Moses and Jesus correspond here within the framework of Christian prefiguration theology . In a round medallion the depiction of God the Father appears with a tiara , who lets manna rain from heaven, while Moses - with raised hands and two rays of light on his head - looks up at God praying. Under a band of inscriptions with the text “You gave us bread from heaven” from Tantum ergo , three men on the left and three women on the right collect the manna grains in bowls. All figures have covered their heads with veils in awe of the miracle. The mosque is flanked by two windows.

Eucharistic symbols can be seen on the tablecloth of the Lord's Supper:

  • Bread basket and fish: reference to the miraculous multiplication of bread
  • Pelican: As a symbol of Jesus Christ , pelicans are part of Christian iconography . According to the Physiologus , an early Christian animal compendium, the pelican opens its own breast with its beak, lets its blood drip onto its dead young and brings them back to life. This was allegorically placed in the context of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, making the pelican a common motif in Christian iconography .
  • Christ monogram ΧΡ with Α and Ω: The earliest Christian symbol consists of the first two letters of the word Χριστός Christos . So it is the abbreviation of the title Christ (Anointed) , in Hebrew Maschiach , Messiah . The similarity of the Greek letters Χ (Chi) and Ρ (Rho) with the Latin letters X and P prompted the interpretation of the symbol as a short form of the Latin Pax (peace) or Pax Christi . It expressed that Christ gives peace and that Christians should strive for peace. Alpha and Omega , the first and the last letter of the classical Greek alphabet , are a symbol for the beginning and the end, thus for the comprehensive, for God and especially for Christ as the first and last.
  • Lamb of God : The symbol for Jesus Christ , which has been widespread in Christianity since ancient times, refers to the lamb as a sacrificial animal in the Old Testament , especially to the Passover lambs, whose blood on the night of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt ( Exodus ) at God's command was painted on the door post as a protective symbol in front of the Angel of Death ( Ex 12  EU ). The paschal lamb with the victory flag and the chalice into which his blood pours is a symbol of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ .
  • Paradise cross with four doves: The doves as symbols of peace enjoy the peace of Christ under the cross as the new paradise tree.

The institution report of the Eucharist can be read within the nimbus of Jesus' cross and as a circular script that surrounds the upper body of Jesus ( Mt 26.26–28  EU , Mk 14.22–26  EU , Lk 22.19–20  EU , 1 Cor 11 , 23–26  EU ): “Take and eat; this is my body. Drink from it all; this is my blood. Do this in. "In the spirit of a medieval remembrance of me important perspective is Jesus Christ represented in priestly robes substantially greater than the apostles.

Choir vault mosaic

The gold-ground choir vault mosaic shows vine tendrils and bunches of grapes. The motif refers to the New Testament figurative speech of the vine in the Gospel of John ( Joh 15,5  EU ): “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever stays in me and I in him brings rich fruit, because without me you can do nothing. "

Apse vault mosaic

The Orante angels depicted in the vaulted areas of the apse lift up flaming golden hearts. The Latin script "Sursum Corda" (Eng. "Raise your hearts") refers to the prefation .

Apse walls

The wall panels of the apse, the mosaics of which were designed by Alfred Gottwald in 1954, show in the center the cross above the streams of Paradise to which fish swim. The representation refers to the New Testament passages ( Mk 1,17  EU , Mt 4,19  EU , Lk 5,10  EU ) in which Jesus calls the disciples to become fishermen of men. To the left of the cross are the four evangelists Mark , Matthew , Luke and John . To the right of the cross you can see the representations of the four great prophets Ezekiel , Daniel , Isaiah and Jeremiah :

  • According to the testimony of the Bible, Isaiah saw God in the holy of holies surrounded by six-winged seraphim , who proclaim his holiness ( Isa 6: 1-3  EU ). He prophesies the promise of the virginal birth of the Messiah ( Isa 7,14  EU ) as descendants of David and announces the atonement of the Messiah ( Isa 52,13-15  EU to Isa 53,1-12  EU ).
  • Jeremiah stands out particularly through his teaching of the new covenant of peace and justice and announces the Messiah from the house of David ( Jer 23 : 1-8  EU ). In the passion of the life of Jeremiah and his submission to the service of God, the fate of Jesus Christ is heralded for Christian theologians in the sense of the prefiguration theology .
  • Ezekiel's vision of God with the Tetramorph (four-figure) ( Hes 1.4 to 28  EU ) was the author of the New Testament apocalypse taken. Christian theologians interpret Ezekiel's announcement of the Messiah as “Good Shepherd” as referring to Jesus ( Ezek 34 : 1-31  EU ).
  • Daniel announced that the Messiah's kingdom would encompass all peoples and be without end. It is a kingdom of the saints ( Dan 7.13-18  EU , Dan 3.33  EU , Dan 4.31  EU ).

Lutwinus cycle

Between 1930 and 1937, the two painters Bernhard Gauer ( Düsseldorf ) and Alfred Gottwald ( Bonn ) each created five mosaic pictures depicting the life of the patron saint to decorate the walls of the nave. Each of the mosaics is approximately 15 m². The execution was carried out in clay pen mosaic by the Mettlach mosaic factory. The sequence of images starts from the choir arch in the right aisle and ends there in the left aisle. The mosaics show the following scenes in chronological order:

  • After hunting, Lutwinus sleeps on a rock above the Saar Valley. When he wakes up, he sees an eagle flying overhead, protecting him from the scorching rays of the sun while he was sleeping. Lutwinus interprets this as a divine hint to found a monastery at this location (design by Bernhard Gauer, executed in 1930).
  • Lutwinus discusses the construction of the Mettlach monastery with builders and a monk. The Dionysius Church has already been completed while bricklayers and stonemasons are still doing further work (design by Bernhard Gauer, executed in 1934).
  • Lutwinus kneels down to ask for admission to the Mettlach monastery he founded. He has already placed the insignia of his worldly power, crown and sword, at the feet of the abbot (design by Alfred Gottwald, executed in 1937).
  • Lutwinus heads the Mettlach Monastery according to Benedictine principles (Ora et labora) and has food distributed to those in need. In the spandrels of the mosaic, a monk copies books (left) while another monk paints images of saints (right). The writing monk bears the facial features of the then Mettlach pastor, Prelate Koll. The painting monk, on the other hand, bears the facial features of Alfred Gottwald (design by Alfred Gottwald, executed in 1937).
  • Bishop Lutwinus gives the Sacrament of Confirmation in Reims . So that he can offer the sacrament in Laon on the same day , the hand of God stops the course of the sun. Monks and lay people fall on their knees in prayer in the face of this miracle (design by Alfred Gottwald, executed in 1937).
  • Lutwinus helps the poor and sick with food and clothing (design by Alfred Gottwald, executed in 1936).
  • Lutwinus dies surrounded by mourning priests and monks in Reims (design by Alfred Gottwald, executed in 1936).
  • The intended transfer of the body from Lutwinus to Trier fails because the hand of God drives the ship with the Lutwinus ark upriver over the Moselle and Saar to Mettlach (design Bernhard Gauer, executed 1935).
  • The ark arrives in Mettlach. The bells of the monastery begin to ring themselves by a miracle, monks transfer the mortal remains of the monastery founder to his grave church (design by Bernhard Gauer, executed in 1934).
  • Lutwinus in episcopal regalia, with nimbus and mandorla, blesses the people of the Saar. People of different sex, age and status are shown. A model of the neo-Romanesque Lutwinus Church stands at the saint's feet. In the spandrels you can see the “Old Tower” on the left and a small building that cannot be identified precisely on the right. It could represent the old Lutwinus chapel on the Saarfelsen (design by Bernhard Gauer, executed in 1931).
  • Mosaics for the Lutwinus Vitae

  • The miracle of the eagle moves Lutwinus to found the monastery

  • The Mettlach monastery founded by Lutwinus

  • Entry of Lutwinus into the monastery

  • Monastery life under Abbot Lutwinus

  • Lutwinus operates in Reims / Sonnenwunder

  • Luitwin helps the poor and the sick

  • Death of St. Lutwinus in Reims

  • The transfer of the Lutwinus shrine

  • Luitwin is buried in Mettlach

  • Adoration of St. Lutwinus through the Saar people

The antependium of the altar and the mosaic carpet in front of it from 1939, as well as five mosaic pictures in the wall plinth of the apse from 1954 and 1955, which were carried out by the small mosaic department of Villeroy & Boch, also came from Alfred Gottwald . Also worth mentioning is the parchment certificate for the laying of the foundation stone in 1899 by painter Peter Winkel, which was walled in on the left side of the apse.

  • Late Gothic sculpture of St. Lutwinus from the end of the 15th century with a modern light holder in the form of the legendary eagle from the founding legend of the monastery

  • Maple drinking bowl of St. Lutwinus (7th century)

  • Gothic arm reliquary of St. Dionysius of Paris and several other saints (end of the 15th century)

  • Late Gothic arm reliquary of St. Lutwinus (late 15th century)

  • Marien Altar in the left aisle

  • Sacred Heart Altar in the right aisle

  • High altar in the apse

floor

The floor of the Lutwinus Church, designed by August Franz Martin, consists of ornamental panels and mosaic fields. In the entrance area of ​​the central nave there is a circular representation of the Sphaira , the vault of the sky. In the outer wreath, separated by crosses, are the Latin names of the months from February to December in reverse order. January is missing. In the next inner circle are the zodiac signs in medallions . In a clockwise direction, these are starting from the twelve position: Pisces , Capricorn , Sagittarius , Scorpio , Libra , Virgo , Leo , Cancer , Gemini , Taurus and Aries .

In the next inner circle, starting from the position of twelve, the following celestial signs are shown: The zodiac sign Aquarius , the moon with eight stars as a symbol of the night and the sun as a symbol of the day. In the center of the Sphaira circle is the head of the Allegory of Time. The figure walks on lush acanthus leaves and the upside-down Latin inscription "Tuum Domine salutare concupivi" (German translation: "I long, O Lord, for your salvation."; Ps 119,174  EU ). While the right hand of the allegory holds an hourglass , her left is covered by a veil. The fact why the artist shows the order of time in reverse and the strange arrangement of the spheres is a mystery.

The cycle of the six days of creation , as described in the creation account of the priestly scriptures ( Genesis 1,1–2,3 (4a)), follows the mosaic of the spherical circle in the corridor of the central nave . The inscriptions read: “Let there be light” and “Terra”, “Let there be the firmament”, “The third day”, “Let there be lights”, “There should be fish in the water and birds in the air”, “Finally God created man ”. The seventh day is symbolized by the mosaic of the high altar pendulum.

The entrance to the side aisles is determined by the representation of the kings Solomon (as an elderly man with a scepter ; left tower entrance) and David (as a young man with a harp; right tower entrance). King Solomon, who built the Temple in Jerusalem , and King David, who brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, are each surrounded by a band of deer and lions. The inscription frame of Solomon reads: “He will build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” The text comes from the 2nd book Samuel ( 2 Sam 7,13  EU ) and refers to the prophecy of the prophet Nathan that God might keep the Dynasty of David forever. The inscription that surrounds the representation of King David comes from the Book of Psalms ( Ps 122 : 1-2  EU ) and reads: “We want to go into the house of the Lord. Our feet were in your courtyards, Jerusalem. "

Vasa sacra and vestments

Lutwinus shell

At the end of the 15th century or the beginning of the 16th century, the wooden Lutwinus bowl was given a silver setting on eagle-claw feet, which presumably refer to the legendary eagle wonder of St. Lutwinus. The marginal inscription names Lutwinus as Bishop of Trier and founder of the Mettlach Monastery. According to tradition, it is the drinking vessel of the founder of the Mettlach monastery, Lutwinus. As a medieval profane vessel , the maple root wood bowl is one of the rare everyday objects of this era that have been saved into modern times. The plate from the second half of the 11th century on the middle of the bottom bears the Latin inscription “In hoc vasculo beat (us) Luidwin (us) archiep (iscopus) bibere solebat (German translation: The blessed Archbishop Luidwinus used this vessel to drink)". During a church robbery on the night of January 20 to 21, 1923, the silver mounts were stolen by thieves. The community then had a copied silver frame made and re-assembled.

ciborium

On April 9, 1898, the cousins Martha (1880–1961) and Margaretha von Boch (1880–1965) donated a ciborium in neo-Gothic forms to commemorate their first communion with depictions of the twelve apostles on the outside of the dome using the Niello technique . The bead-adorned lid is adorned as a silver figurine between the pinnacles of the namesake of the children and their mothers: Martha von Bethanien with a kettle, Margareta Maria Alacoque , the Mother of God Maria and Elisabeth of Thuringia .

monstrance

In 1928 a neo-Romanesque monstrance with a suggested house-shaped shrine and elaborate ivory work was made for the church by goldsmith Josef Ferdinand Lürenbaum in Trier. The monstrance is richly set with precious stones and pearls. In the ivory medallion of the shrine base, a depiction of God the Father can be seen in relief. Son of God is represented by the inserted host. In the shrine gable, the dove of the Holy Spirit can also be seen in an ivory medallion. The holding ring of the host is held in place by an ivory putto . Adoring ivory angels flank the shrine. The letters Alpha and Omega hang in metal rings on their handlebars.

Paraments

Among the paraments, a chasuble is worth mentioning, on the back of which an embroidered dorsal cross (from Latin dorsum , "back") with a Y-shaped ascending crossbar in the form of a forked cross from the second half of the 19th century can be seen. It shows the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in a mandorla in the center of the cross in needle painting in a rose vine. In the circular "islands" of the rose geranium you can see a chalice, the Mettlach rectory, the old Cohausen church, the old tower and the dove of the Holy Spirit from bottom to top. The representation of Mary is flanked by embroidery with the Mettlach Joseph Chapel and a neo-Gothic altar.

Way of the Cross Mettlach-St. Gangolf

From the Lutwinuskirche in Mettlach there is a way of the cross to the former Capuchin monastery St. Gangolf . The clay pen mosaics, which are embedded in the niches of the stone stations of the cross, were designed by Bernhard Gauer from Düsseldorf and manufactured in the Mettlach mosaic factory.

organ

The first organ in the church was built in 1904 by the organ building company H. Koulen & Sohn ( Oppenau ). Part of the pipe material from this instrument has been preserved to this day. In 1957 a new organ was built by the Lorraine organ builder Haerpfer & Erman ( Boulay ) using the previous pipes . The cone shop instrument is set up on a gallery and currently has 60 stops , divided into 3 manuals and a pedal . The playing and stop action is electric. In terms of sound, the instrument represents a mixture of French Romanticism and an aesthetic based on the ideals of baroque organ building.

In 2007, extensive renovation measures carried out by the Thuringian organ building workshop Bernhard Kutter ( Friedrichroda ) were largely completed. The aim was to keep the organ in its shape in essential areas. The gaming table was provided with a setting system, but without making any visual changes.

As a register unique in Saarland, the register "Tuba magna" was built into the instrument by the English organ builder Compton. In 2017 the organ was supplemented by a 44-note tubular bell chimes (Tintinabulum dionysiaca) from the Kutter organ building workshop. In the summer of 2018, the tower chamber on the first floor of the southern bell tower was opened to the organ in a construction period of several weeks, a steel console was inserted and a new housing was built on it. Here the organ was enlarged by 6 stops by adding two rows of pipes. The register "Vox humana" was also installed in the swellwork opposite.

Thus the instrument is after the organs of the Christkönig Church in Saarbrücken-St. Arnual (71 registers) and the St. Johann Basilica in Saarbrücken-St. Johann (62 registers) the third largest organ in Saarland.

I Hauptwerk C – g 3
55. Engl. Principal 16 '
56. Engl. Principal 8th'
57. Engl. Principal 4 '
58. viola 16 '
59. viola 8th'
60. viola 4 '
1. Bourdon 16 ′
2. Principal 8th'
3. Covered 8th'
4th Gemshorn 8th'
5. Octave 4 ′
6th recorder 4 ′
7th Fifth 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
8th. Super octave 2 ′
9. third 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
10. Mixture IV-VI
11. Trumpet 8th'
II parapet positive C – g 3
12. Coupling flute 8th'
13. Quintatön 8th'
14th Italian principal 4 ′
15th Reed flute 4 ′
16. Open flute 2 ′
17th Fifth 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
18th Night horn 1'
19th Cymbel III
20th Krummhorn 8th'
21st Head shelf 4 ′
Tremulant

Auxiliary
51. Seraphone 8th'
52. Tuba magna 8th'
53. Tubular chimes
nightingale
III Swell C – g 3
22nd diapason 8th'
23. Wooden flute 8th'
24. Salicional 8th'
25th Beat 8th'
26th Pointed cover 8th'
27. Principal 4 ′
28. Night horn 4 ′
29 Nasat 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
30th Flageolet 2 ′
31. third 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
32. Sharp III-IV
33. bassoon 16 ′
34. oboe 8th'
35. Trumpet 8th'
36. Clairon 4 ′
54. Vox humana 8th'
Tremulant
Pedal C – f 1
37. Great bass 32 '
38. Principal bass 16 ′
39. Sub bass 16 ′
40. Covered bass 16 ′
41. Quintbass 10 2 ⁄ 3  ′
42. Octavbass 8th'
43. Flute bass 8th'
44. Choral bass 4 ′
45. Peasant flute 4 ′
46. Field flute 2 ′
47. Backset VI
48. trombone 16 ′
49. Trumpet 8th'
50. Clarine 4 ′
  • Pairing :
    • Normal coupling: II / I, III / I, III / II, I / P, II / P, III / P
    • Sub-octave coupling: II / I, II / II, III / I, III / III
    • Super octave coupling: II / II, III / I, III / II, III / III, III / P
    • Auxiliary: Aux / I, Aux / II
  • Playing aids : 4000 typesetting combinations, 2 free combinations, 2 free pedal combinations, tutti, crescendo roller, mixtures off, tongues off

Bells

Two bells of Lutwinus Church that were cast in 2006

The consecration of the first four bells (c, es, f, g) of the neo-Romanesque church by Ludwig Becker, which had been made by the Mabilon bell foundry in Saarburg , took place on August 4, 1901 by the then Mettlach pastor Lamberty. On the same day the last service was celebrated in the Karl August von Cohausen Church. The bells were named: “St. Maria "(donated by Mrs. Kommerzienrat Boch)," Holy Family "(donated by the Mettlachs couple)," St. Lutwinus ”(donated by the virgins and young men of the community) and“ Karl Borromäus ”, which commemorated the recently deceased builder of the new church, Pastor Karl Kuhn. All four bells had to be delivered for armaments production during the First World War .

It was not until September 3, 1922 that three new bells could be purchased. The largest bell (tone "es", weight: 1325 kg) was named "Jesus, Deus Pacis" (Eng. Jesus, God of Peace). The further inscription read: “Benedicto XV. et Michaele Felice episcopo Trevirensi modo defunctis, Romano Koll parocho Mediolacensi, fautore Luitwino de Boch, nos fecit Guillelmus Hausen-Mabilon in Saarburg "(Eng." In the time when Pope Benedict XV and Michael Felix , Bishop of Trier, had just died , Roman Koll was pastor in Mettlach, Luitwin von Boch favored the work, Wilhelm Hausen-Mabilon poured us in Saarburg ”).

The second bell (tone “f”, weight: 925 kg) was called “Maria, Regina Pacis” (Eng. Maria, Queen of Peace). The further inscription read: “Per virginem matrem concedat nobis Dominus salutem et pacem” (Eng. “May the Lord grant us salvation and peace through the Virgin and Mother”).

The third bell (tone “g”, weight: 675 kg) was named after the church patron “Sanctus Lutwinus”. The further inscription reads: “Soror i b u s be ll o de v orat i s ann u nt i et u r v ob i s v o c e nostra aenea patron i e x q ui s i t i et p ii s u pp lici o se m per pa x ”( Eng .“ Since our sisters have been devoured by the war, may peace be proclaimed to you forever by our brazen voice on the intercession of the chosen and pious patron ”). The inscription is designed as a chronogram , which means that the Latin letters, interpreted as Roman numbers, add up to the year the bell was cast, 1922.

The fourth bell (tone "c", weight: 2500 kg) could only be poured due to a lack of financial means thanks to a donation from the gardener Johann Baptist Hoffmann, who had given the community his house in 1929. The new bell was christened on October 4, 1931 in honor of the donor, named after John the Baptist . The further inscription read: " J ohannes est no m en - fa ci te ergo fr uc t u s di gnos poen i tent i ae - u t c erte h ic pa x "; (Eng. "Johannes is her name - so bring worthy fruits of repentance so that there may be real peace"). Here, too, the inscription is designed as a chronogram and gives the year 1931.

All of these new bells, with the exception of the Lutwinus bell, were victims of the bell recruitment of the Second World War .

The disposition of the currently 9 bells is: c '- es' - f '- g' - as '- b' - c "- es" - f ". Bell I hangs alone in the left tower and was built in 1955 by the Bell foundry Otto cast in Saarlouis The bell II was cast together with bell III by Firmin Causard in Colmar in 1950. They were the first to become the only surviving bell IV, which was cast in 1922 by the bell foundry Otto in Bremen-Hemelingen Bells V and VI were cast by the Brockscheid -based bell foundry company Glocken- und Kunstguss Hermann Schmitt in 2006. Bells VII, VIII and IX were cast in 1965 by the Mabilon bell foundry in Saarburg.

Rectory

St. Lutwinus (Mettlach), rectory

The current rectory is located below the parish church at Freiherr-vom-Stein-Strasse 44. It was started in 1856 and was ready for occupancy on Christmas Eve of 1858. It is a listed monument as an individual monument . The gable-independent, two-storey plastered building with a protruding gable roof has three axes on the gable side. The entrance door is located in the middle axis on the ground floor. The first floor has a balcony that can be entered through two French doors that are connected to each other by a common, straight and profiled roof. A belt and a sill cornice form a ceramic field with floral painting. In the gable area there is a twin window with a round arch, which is coupled by a digestion system. A modern statue of the Immaculate Conception stands in the front yard .

Pastor

The following pastors have officiated in Mettlach since the parish was reestablished in 1851:

  • Johann Schneider: 1851 to 1854
  • Christoph Schauffler: 1855 to 1855
  • Heinrich Aloys Lenarz: 1855 to 1863
  • Johann Schieben: 1863 to 1863
  • Franz Xaver Hellenthal: 1863 to 1890
  • Karl Kuhl: 1890 to 1900
  • Johann Lamberty: 1901 to 1902
  • Johann Peter Schaefer: 1902 to 1921
  • Johann Bollig: 1921 to 1921
  • Roman Koll: 1921 to 1960
  • Herbert Biesel: 1960 to 1960
  • Leo Schorr: 1960 to 1960
  • Heinrich Kimmlingen: 1960 to 1976
  • Nikolaus-Dieter Scherer: 1976 to 2001
  • Hans-Thomas Schmitt: 2001 ad multos annos

Parish of St. Josef

In 1965, a new church was built on the edge of the newly built Keuching Lutwinus settlement high above the Saar, which was consecrated to St. Joseph, because the faithful there wanted to avoid the long walk to the Lutwinus church. As early as 1961 to 1962, a Protestant church was built on the Keuchingen bridgehead according to plans by the Saarbrücken architects Mönke-Wandel. However, plans to build a Catholic church in Keuchingen go back to 1891. Finally, in the style of could brutalism according to the plans of the Saarbrücken architect Werner Krauser and Bernhard Kiwitter (Catholic house of worship built on 4 May 1967 Ascension ) by the Trier Bishop Carl Schmitt be ordained. The consecration of bells had already taken place on September 25, 1965. The bells made in the Mabilon bell foundry in Saarburg with the tones “des”, “es” and “f” were matched to the ringing of the mother parish of St. Lutwinus. Due to construction defects in the concrete, the church was profaned on August 30, 2004 and demolished in 2005. The Josefskirche in Mettlach-Keuchingen should not be confused with the neo-Gothic Mettlach Josefskapelle .

literature

  • Ludwig Becker: The new parish church in Mettlach, in: Journal for Christian Art, 18th year, Düsseldorf 1905, pp. 199–204.
  • H. Brunner, H. Caspary, A. v. Reitzenstein, F. Stich: Rhineland-Palatinate / Saarland, art monuments and museums, Reclams Art Guide Germany, Vol. 6, 8th edition, Stuttgart 1990, p. 296.
  • Georg Dehio: Handbook of the German art monuments - Rhineland-Palatinate / Saarland. 2nd edition, Munich / Berlin 1984, p. 678.
  • Handbook of the Diocese of Trier, 20th edition, Trier 1952, p. 575f.
  • 80 years parish church and parish life of St. Liutwinus, Mettlach 1901–1981, Mettlach-Weiten 1981.
  • Clemens Jöckle : Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004.
  • Reinhold Junge: 175 years of first name choice in the former Mettlach parish of St. Johannes, Association for Local Studies in the Merzig district, Ninth Yearbook, Merzig 1972.
  • Reinhold Junge: The Mettlach Parish, in: Mettlach Municipal Administration (Ed.): 1300 Years of Mettlach (Tenth Annual of the Association for Local Studies in the Merzig District), Mettlach / Merzig 1975, pp. 179–207.
  • Reinhold Junge: Mettlach houses of worship and their patronage, Association for Local Lore in the Merzig District, Zehntes Jahrbuch, Merzig 1975.
  • Reinhold Junge and Fritz Kiefer: The St. Liutwinus Church of Mettlach, its mosaics and sacred treasures, Saarbrücken 1986.
  • Roman Koll: Mettlach in its sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948.
  • Benno König: Kapellen im Saarland, Volks- und Kulturgut, Illingen / Saarwellingen 2010, pp. 119–122.
  • Philipp de Lorenzi: Contributions to the history of all parishes in the Diocese of Trier, Trier 1887, pp. 383–386.
  • Kristine Marschall: Sacred buildings of classicism and historicism in Saarland (publications by the Institute for Regional Studies in Saarland, vol. 40), Saarbrücken 2002, pp. 279–280, 515 and p. 622.
  • Franz Ronig: The Church of the 19th Century in the Diocese of Trier, in: Art of the 19th Century in the Rhineland, Volume 1, Düsseldorf 1980, pp. 226, 256.
  • Friedrich Schneider: The drinking bowl of St. Lutwinus zu Mettlach, Mainz 1905.
  • L. Sudbrack et al. A. Jakob (Ed.): The Catholic Saarland, home and church. Saarbrücken 1954–1956, II / III, 1954, pp. 73 f.
  • Willi Weyres and Albrecht Mann: Handbook on Rhenish Architecture of the 19th Century (1800–1880), Cologne 1968, p. 193.

Web links

Commons : St. Lutwinus (Mettlach)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ List of monuments of the Saarland, partial list of monuments in the Merzig-Wadern district (PDF; 320 kB), accessed on December 25, 2012
  2. ↑ Saint Lutwinus pray for us! ( Memento from February 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach (art guide Schnell and Steiner, No. 2558), Regensburg 2004, p. 2.
  4. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach (art guide Schnell and Steiner, No. 2558), Regensburg 2004, pp. 2-4.
  5. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach (art guide Schnell and Steiner, No. 2558), Regensburg 2004, p. 4.
  6. ↑ a b c d e f Information on the parish church of St. Lutwinus at: www.kunstlexikonsaar.de, accessed on December 25, 2012
  7. ^ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach (art guide Schnell and Steiner, No. 2558), Regensburg 2004, p. 6.
  8. ^ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach (art guide Schnell and Steiner, No. 2558), Regensburg 2004, p. 6.
  9. ^ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach (art guide Schnell and Steiner, No. 2558), Regensburg 2004, p. 6.
  10. ↑ Reinhold Junge: Die Pfarrei Mettlach, in: Gemeindeverwaltung Mettlach (ed.): 1300 years of Mettlach (tenth year book of the Association for Local History in the Merzig District), Mettlach / Merzig 1975, pp. 179–208, here pp. 187–188.
  11. ↑ a b c d e f Parish Church "St. Lutwinus Mettlach" ( Memento from February 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ^ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach (art guide Schnell and Steiner, No. 2558), Regensburg 2004, p. 6.
  13. ↑ Ludwig Becker: Die neue Pfarrkirche zu Mettlach, in: Zeitschrift für christliche Kunst, 18th year, Düsseldorf 1905, pp. 199–204, here Sp. 199–200.
  14. ^ Udo Liessem: Die Herz-Jesu-Kirche in Koblenz (Große Baudenkmäler, Issue 317), 3rd, modified edition, Munich and Berlin 1998.
  15. ^ Rudolfine Freiin von Oer: The parish church of St. Brigida in Legden (Westfälische Kunststätten, issue 102), Münster 2005.
  16. ^ Wilhelm Passavanti (Ed.): Bonner Kirchen und Kapellen, Bonn 1989, pp. 63–67.
  17. ^ Niels Wilcken: Architecture in the border area. Public construction in Alsace-Lorraine (1871-1918) (= publications by the Institute for Regional Studies in Saarland, vol. 38), Institute for Regional Studies in Saarland, Saarbrücken 2000, pp. 273-275.
  18. ↑ Kristine Marschall: Sacral Buildings of Classicism and Historicism in the Saarland, (publications by the Institute for Regional Studies in Saarland, Vol. 40), Saarbrücken 2002, pp. 279–280, 515 and p. 622.
  19. ↑ Paul Seidel (Ed.): Der Kaiser und die Kunst, Berlin 1907, p. 78.
  20. ^ Udo Liessem: Die Herz-Jesu-Kirche in Koblenz (Große Baudenkmäler, Issue 317), 3rd, modified edition, Munich, Berlin 1998, pp. 6-8.
  21. ↑ Kristine Marschall: Sacral Buildings of Classicism and Historicism in the Saarland, (publications by the Institute for Regional Studies in Saarland, Vol. 40), Saarbrücken 2002, pp. 279–280, 515 and p. 622.
  22. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, p. 14.
  23. ↑ Reinhold Junge and Fritz Kiefer: The St. Liutwinus Church of Mettlach, your mosaics and sacred treasures, Saarbrücken 1986, p. 30.
  24. ↑ Torsten Droste: Romanesque Art in France, DuMont Art Travel Guide, Cologne 1992 (2), p. 32f
  25. ↑ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and modern times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, 30.
  26. ^ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, pp. 19-20.
  27. ↑ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, pp. 25-26.
  28. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, pp. 14-19.
  29. ^ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, pp. 19-20.
  30. ^ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and modern times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, p. 15.
  31. ^ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, pp. 21-22.
  32. ^ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, pp. 21-22.
  33. ↑ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and modern times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, 29–30.
  34. ↑ Géza Jászai: Evangelist or God's symbols ?, On the iconology of the Maiestas Domini representation of the Carolingian Vivian Bible, in: Das Münster, Zeitschrift für Christian Kunst und Kunstwissenschaft, 1, 2019, 72nd year, Regensburg 2019, p 25-29.
  35. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, p. 20.
  36. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, p. 20.
  37. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, p. 22.
  38. ^ Die Zeit der Staufer, history - art - culture, catalog of the exhibition in the Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart 1977, volume I (catalog), ed. by Reiner Hausherr, 6th revised edition, Stuttgart 1977, pp. 431-432.
  39. ^ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, pp. 31–34.
  40. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, p. 20.
  41. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, p. 22.
  42. ↑ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, p. 29.
  43. ↑ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, p. 29.
  44. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, p. 22.
  45. ↑ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, p. 30.
  46. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach (Art Guide Schnell and Steiner, No. 2558), Regensburg 2004, pp. 30–31.
  47. ^ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, pp. 31–32.
  48. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic parish and pilgrimage church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach (art guide Schnell and Steiner, no. 2558), Regensburg 2004, pp. 23-26.
  49. ↑ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, pp. 25-26.
  50. ↑ Friedrich Schneider: The drinking bowl of St. Lutwinus zu Mettlach, Mainz 1905.
  51. ^ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, pp. 19, 34.
  52. ↑ Clemens Jöckle: Catholic Parish and Pilgrimage Church of St. Lutwinus Mettlach, Regensburg 2004, pp. 34, 38.
  53. ↑ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, p. 31.
  54. ^ Roman Koll: The heavy cross - the way of the cross from Mettlach to St. Gangolf, Mettlach 1930.
  55. ^ Organ of the parish and pilgrimage church St. Lutwinus Mettlach On: de.organindex.org, accessed on December 25, 2012
  56. ↑ Haerpfer-Erman organ on the website of Dennis Jens Ernst, accessed on March 6, 2019.
  57. ^ Roman Koll: Mettlach in his sanctuaries from old and new times, 2nd expanded edition of the 1923 edition, Mettlach 1948, pp. 33–34.
  58. ↑ Reinhold Junge: Die Pfarrei Mettlach, in: Gemeindeverwaltung Mettlach (ed.): 1300 years of Mettlach (tenth year book of the Association for Local History in the Merzig District), Mettlach / Merzig 1975, pp. 179–208, here pp. 187–188.
  59. ↑ Reinhold Junge: Die Pfarrei Mettlach, in: Gemeindeverwaltung Mettlach (ed.): 1300 years of Mettlach (tenth year book of the Association for Local History in the Merzig District), Mettlach / Merzig 1975, pp. 179–208, here pp. 199–200.
  60. ↑ Reinhold Junge: Die Pfarrei Mettlach, in: Gemeindeverwaltung Mettlach (ed.): 1300 years of Mettlach (tenth year book of the Association for Local History in the Merzig district), Mettlach / Merzig 1975, pp. 179–208, here pp. 202–208.
  61. ^ Decree on the profanation of the parish church St. Josef in Mettlach-Keuchingen , accessed on March 10, 2019.

Coordinates: 49 ° 29 ′ 28.4 "  N , 6 ° 35 ′ 31"  E