St. Martin (Koenigheim)

The Martinskirche in Koenigheim

The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Martin (also St. Martin and Nepomuk ) in Königheim was built as a baroque church from 1752 to 1756 according to plans by the chief engineer and architect Michael Anton Müller, a student of Balthasar Neumann . In 1756 the church was painted in the choir and nave by the Tiepolo student Georg Anton Urlaub . The church has recently been carefully renovated. The Martinskirche belongs to the pastoral care unit Königheim, which is assigned to the deanery Tauberbischofsheim of the Archdiocese of Freiburg .

history

The first two Franconian wooden churches

The first two churches were built between 800 and 1200. They were made of wood and did not survive until the Gothic period .

The Gothic third church

When there were at least two noble families and a knightly family in Königheim around 1200, the decision was made to build a massive Romanesque church with a spacious choir tower . This castle tower was named in 1486 because the two bells were hung on the “bruchthurn”. Since the two castles did not have a tower, the strongly built church tower in the fortified churchyard was set up for observation and defense. This is how it could be called the castle tower, even though the castle buildings stood outside the churchyard. Gothic windows were used in 1486 when a new high altar and new bells were purchased. For the renovation at that time, they wanted a "valuable picture" for the high altar, which is why they commissioned a painter from Nuremberg. Document No. 36 of the document collection says: “The honorable Master Lienhart von Nürnberg has promised to put a plaque in the church for about 70 guilders. but if he makes the table better according to the pastor and the officials in Bischoffsheim, the von Kennicken should also improve their pay. The picture was put up the day before the Assumption of Mary and was viewed by Pastor Lipper von Bischofsheim and the honorable ones on the Monday after the Assumption of Mary. They were very pleased with the picture and gave Leinhart 120 guilders. "After the heading" New panel on the high altar " it was probably a picture of Martinus. The bell purchase is recorded in document no.37:

“Our pastor, vicar, church master, Heymbürger and the whole community have bought the wise and wise bell founders and masters Bernhard Lachmann bell founder and master Heinrich Winters, both citizens of Heilprunn (Heilbrunn), two bells, the big one at 25 quintals 31 pounds small to 6 quintals less 6 pounds. The masters named have hung these bells for us in our "burch thurn" for 272.5 gulden. "

That this church, besides the high altar of St. Martin of Tours and the two side altars of St. Nicholas of Myra and St. Maria Magdalena a fourth, middle altar of St. Georg , most likely at the choir entrance, was a peculiarity for the market town of Königheim and differentiated the church from those of the surrounding villages. On the south side of the church, the so-called Mount of Olives was built in 1499, partly by the famous Würzburg sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider himself, partly by his journeymen. The upper arch stone bears the year 1499, above it the Königheimer Kännchen coat of arms with the lead inscription "kennicken". In addition, several animals are "carefully" depicted on the stones between the three sleeping apostles. Especially on Maundy Thursday, devout prayers with candles used to gather at this group of Olives at the church. Nevertheless, this jewel came to a tragic end, which was written down in his diary by the mayor of Königheim Caspar Stephan von Lauda, ​​was handed down in Latin by Pastor Severus and translated into German by Pastor Rothermel:

“The year 1540 was very terrible. To celebrate the feast of St. Margaret was the harvest and around the feast of St. Michael finished the grape harvest, the most excellent wine had been pressed. You have to know: at that time the schoolmaster and the church man had their sleeping quarters on the church tower, both to guard the sacred equipment and to watch the buildings around the church. These two were enemies. When they were too hot on the feast of the consecration of the church by the new wine and their hatred, they threw fire into each other's fat, the flames of which soon seized the tower and the church. Due to the strong wind, it quickly expanded to such an extent that 40 more houses in the town towards Schweinberg (west) burned down. Only the sacristy and the small buildings could be saved. the disaster also arose mainly from the fact that the fire penetrated the tower and so no more signal could be given with the fire bell. Although the residents were called out with a lot of shouting to put out the fire, many refused because they were intoxicated with the new wine, and they thought it was a rotten rumor, because otherwise it would ring the fire bell. As a result, little was saved from the fire. Truly a ruinous church consecration. "

The fourth “simple” church from 1541

The new church was rebuilt on the old walls, but it was during the Reformation that donations for the church were dismissed as useless human work. The Reformed only tolerated a wooden cross without the body of Christ and only one altar. The Renaissance style had not yet reached the villages in 1541. Most of the elements, such as the windows and the portal, were built in the Gothic style. On November 7, 1541, the cathedral chapter made a "donation" of 200 guilders. The congregation got some discounts through compulsory labor and wood removal and so one could afford four bells, which melted in 1635 when the church burned. Pastor Severus reports:

"In 1618 the local pastor and dean Kern and the mayor Reuschlein had an organ built."

Königheim was relatively spared from the Thirty Years' War until 1635, in 1634 the Swedes left the area, but in 1635 the Imperial Croats besieged the area. They burned down the church on September 11, 1635. The document collection says:

"In 1635 the imperial party plundered our areas from the field camp between Worms and Speyer , took away all the cattle and otherwise poorly housed, and on September 11th they created the worthy church with 4 bells and all church robes and many who had fled in them Things have been burned away, so that nothing was left, except what was subsequently picked up in the ashes from the melted bells. "

There is also an addendum:

"Only the vault of the bell tower has been left by the fire."

Pastor Severus provides further details in his chronicle from Caspar Steffan's diary, which he experienced as a local wine merchant.

“In 1635 two cohorts (divisions) of soldiers came here, one by the chapel, the other by the clay pit at the garden gate. The residents resisted and fought them off. They shot at the soldiers but didn't shoot anyone otherwise there would have been a bloodbath on the first day. Then a third cohort came at the lower gate, where few were to defend, and penetrated. The soldiers gave trumpet signals to others. For three weeks everything was devastated and looted, the church with the vestments and a chalice were burned down, the graces (storehouses) have been preserved because the soldiers went to Gissigheim after the fire in the church . Some sleeping soldiers were murdered by peasants so the soldiers went back the following day and beat some residents who surprised you in the church with beating that some died and some had to buy themselves out. The walls of the church stood in ruins for seven years, the four melted bells lay hidden under the ashes. "

Services were held in the chapel (cemetery chapel) for seven years. All chasubles and choir coats were burned, so paraments were borrowed from neighboring towns.

The fifth, early baroque church from 1642/43

David Häfner from Tauberbischofsheim opened the series of benefactors. Out of compassion for the burnt church, he gave the church his loaned money, others then bequeathed money in wills. When the plague broke out, many houses were empty, so the right wood was used to determine the roof of the new church. A request was made to the cathedral chapter and the council received 100 guilders and another 50 from the archbishop at the time. In 1642 the place for the bell casting was prepared. It was agreed with Paul Arnold from Fulda that he should pour 40 hundredweight bells. 5 guilders were offered per hundredweight. Part of the ore was obtained by cleaning and grinding the old bell metal from the ruins. On the other hand, men sent out by the community collected copper and all sorts of ore, old kettles, Hellhafen, copper dishes, all sorts of brass, candlesticks and cup heads. Everything was given of free will. After the bells were cast, Caspar Dietz volunteered to donate the larger bells and gave 118 guilders. The larger bell had 21 quintals, the second, called the midday bell, 14 quintals, the third, called the wine bell, 9 and because there was still some ore left, a small bell with 7 quintals was poured. For the total of 51 quintals, 255 guilders were paid. The chronicle says:

“Four beech carpenters were forced to select wood from the community forest. Some wood was obtained from neighbors. When the tower was built and the bells hung, imperial and Bavarian armies, then French armies, penetrated the neighboring regions; Since God was watching, our church building did not suffer, although the soldiers led away the cattle and 22 horses. Due to the robbery of the soldiers, cattle and horses were missing to bring about the beams erected by the carpenters. And there was a lack of money. Everyone's heart trembled for fear that the wood would be scattered by looting by soldiers, by fire, or by the indifference of the times. When there seemed to be no remedy left, 80 guilders were lent to Bischofsheim according to a resolution and construction began. The aforementioned councilor Caspar Dietz, the founder of the big bell, gave 100 guilders and a third time 42 guilders. So they started to rebuild the nave. On January 1, 1643, the procession was led out of the chapel into the parish church and there, after the office and the sermon, the “great God” was sung, although there was neither a chair nor a pulpit. The joy at the sound of the bells was unbelievable. "

Stone tablet in front of the main entrance

The rest was gradually completed, the high altar around 1650, 1666 the Marien Altar for 80 guilders by Andreas Friedel from Külsheim . In 1668 the George altar for 80 guilders by Carolus from Würzburg. Gothic windows were used for more light, the rest was built in an early baroque style. The choir tower at that time rose to the east. On the outside of the choir of the church was a stone tablet from 1643, which can be seen today to the right of the entrance with the following inscription:

"ANNO 1636 DEN XI SEPTBRIS WARD THE CHURCH DVRCH DAS
FEVER VERBRAND + ANNO 1642 VND 43 WI-
THE AVFERBAVET VND EXTENDED GOT ​​ZV
PRAISE AND HONOR OF THE FRIDEN GENAD VND WANTED TO
GRANT ETERNAL BLESSITY TO ALL GVTHETERS.

The church never had aisles. With the ground plan from 1682 Pastor Babenhäußer applied for an extension of the church. One of the experts' suggestions was to break out three arches in each of the side walls and to add side aisles, but because of the costs and compulsory labor, the community wanted to be content with the church. The last change that was made was the addition of a tomb for Pastor Heck in 1689. The Latin inscription reads:

“In the year 1689 on December 29th, the venerable Mr. Johannes Xaspar Heck, cleric of the priests living in community, pastor of the Königheimer, died piously at the age of 36 years. May he rest in peace. "

The tombstone is attached to the current church on the right front.

The sixth, today's baroque church from 1755/56

Without generous donors, a village could not get a large and artful church, because the tithe recipients, who were required to build, only wanted to pay little and the farmers still had labor and labor to do. A big-hearted couple, Johannes Laurentius Agricola and Maria Kathariaana Heffner, were found for the Königheim church, who both married in Königheim in 1697. Johannes Laurentius Agricola worked from 1707 to 1736 in Billigheim near Mosbach as court master and chamberlain. He gave the Sacrament Brotherhood in Königheim in 1731 1000 guilders. The widow later left the church 8,000 guilders, a huge sum for the time. In 1740 the church money was paid out, but the church initially invested the money so that it could be increased through interest. Pastor Seeger at the time was 80 years old and no longer dared to build his parsonage as ordered, and died on July 11, 1746 at the age of 86. The following pastor, Johannes Sebastian Severus, 1746–1766, is considered to be the most important pastor in Königheim because of his eloquence and his lofty life as a chaplain and professor of rhetoric. He also wrote a chronicle and translated numerous Latin scriptures. First of all, he had the rectory repaired in 1748 and later the cathedral chapter, which had to be built, ordered the barn and stable to be rebuilt. Severus built in his own money and didn't get everything back because the cost estimate was exceeded. His enthusiasm for building and his understanding of art helped create the towering, artistically designed church. The famous Würzburg master builder Balthasar Neumann , who was still brought in as a church and palace engineer, died in 1753 at the age of 66. So his student Michael Anton Müller was brought in and commissioned with the plan production. The undated construction cost estimate was 15,967 guilders. In Mainz the church plan was made by order of the elector

"Partly modified and partly approved by his baron Excellency Baron von Ritter."

It was about the Mainz senior building director Freiherr Anselm Franz von Ritter zu Grünsteyn , according to whose idea the Catholic town church Amorbach was built in 1751–1753 . The permit came on October 23, 1748. The first preparations began in 1750, the wood was obtained in 1751, the stones in 1752, and a year later the lime and sand to bake the bricks. The wood was already shod in 1753 and on March 17, 1755 the building contracts were signed with the masons and the carpenters. The church roof was completed on November 26th. The most important contract was signed with the painter Georg Anton Urlaub , who was supposed to paint the fresco for 425 guilders. Nevertheless, he "fell out" with the people of Königheim and the picture was completed by Stephan Reinhard for 200 guilders. The church was consecrated just before Christmas 1756 and opened at Christmas. The two side altars were bequeathed to the church on November 2nd, 1760 by the wine merchant David Mühling. The double staircase was built twelve years later from June to November 1768 and today houses the Mount of Olives.

Architecture and equipment

Baroque church of St. Martin

The Würzburg civil engineer Michael Anton Müller designed the high tower facade very similar to that of the Paulinuskirche in Trier by his master Balthasar Neumann. The side parts of the facade curve outward, in Trier inward. Other small changes can also be seen. In contrast, the church floor plan in Trier is completely different, the Paulinuskirche has a transept, from behind you cannot see the side altars. But the high altar, designed by Köhler, goes back directly to the altar designed by Neumann in Trier. The Königheim Church and the Balthasar Neumann Church in Hofheim near Lampertheim / Hessen have more in common in terms of floor plan and facade .

Altars

The high altar was created in 1764 by the Würzburg sculptor (statuarius) Daniel Köhler and the cabinet maker (scrinarius) Josef Steinbüchler. The gilding and marbling was later carried out by Christoph Erbs from Aschaffenburg. The altarpiece shows St. Johannes Nepomuk as he is thrown into the Vltava. The picture of this second church patron comes from Johann Georg Schulz from Frankfurt, as well as the George painting on the right side altar. Above the Nepumuk painting is the large statue of St. Martin of Tours, first patron of the Church; sitting on the horse he hands part of his coat to a beggar.

Confessionals

Four paintings with two penitents and two penitents are attached to the baroque confessionals. Peter easily recognizable by the cross, book and rooster, which crowed after the denial. King David with harp, skull and a hostage. The weeping Magdalena also with a cross and a scourge. And St. Margaret of Cortona in a costume with her religious sisters. The cross and the scourge indicate their conversion and repentance at the sight of the disfigured body of their husband.

Bells

Originally the church had a pair of bells that were destroyed once by a fire in 1540 and a second time in 1635 during the Thirty Years' War . Two of the four today's bells were cast in the 18th century. The first and largest bell by Johann Adam Roth in 1736 and the second bell in 1765. In 1952, the bell founder Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling in Heidelberg started to add the bell and poured two more to make a bell with the tones f`- as`-b`-des` . The details of the bells are known:

The bell f`

Pastor Severus wrote in his chronicle around 1760: “The largest bell shows the coat of arms of Archbishop Philipp Carolus von Eltz, on the right that of the cathedral capital, on the left the coat of arms of the chief bailiff, Count von Stadion, including the coat of arms of the community. In the middle of the other side: S. Martinus Ora pronobis (pray for us). "

The bell as '

The bell was cast in 1765 and consecrated in honor of St. John of Nepomuk by the then Würzburg auxiliary bishop Daniel von Gebsattel. On one side the saint is depicted with the inscription: "I sound the heavens through JOHANNE PATRONO." On the other side you can see the coat of arms of Archbishop Fridericus Carolus von Ostein, as well as that of the cathedral capital, that of the Count of Stadion and that of the Königheim parish. In the upper part there are also German verses with the inscription: "My ringing mouth reminds people big and small to pray, because I myself can't be devout as it sounds."

The bell b`

It was cast by Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling in 1952 and weighs 397 kg.

The bell of the '

The smallest bell was also cast by Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling in 1952 and weighs 229 kg.

inner space

The architect Müller used Neumann's plans for the St. Paulin Church in Trier , which can be seen in the design of the facade and in the structure of the chancel, especially the ciborium above the high altar . At the church there is a stone group of Mounts of Olives from the workshop of Tilman Riemenschneider . The baldachin high altar, the two side altars and the pulpit were made by the Würzburg sculptor Daniel Kohler and the cabinet maker Josef Steinbüchler. The stucco work was done by Johann Michael Winneberger from Mergentheim. The monumental central ceiling painting is based on Tiepolo's Adoration of the Magi . This picture is surrounded by nine smaller paintings. These try to illustrate the deity of the baby Jesus in biblical scenes. In addition, the church houses a way of the cross in reverse glass painting, a large wooden cross with a corpus from around 1480 and a seated Mother of Sorrows.

pulpit

The pulpit was made by the sculptor Anton Herwith in Karlstad in 1756 and bought by the municipality and Valentin Waltz for 130 guilders.

organ

The Martinskirche contains a Seuffert - Vleugels organ, which was restored in 2008.

Statues

Between the pillars are the four life-size statues of St. Peter and Paul, St. John the Baptist and St. To see Joseph. There are richly moved figures, as well as St. George's altar. Sebastian and Nikolaus, St. Magdalena and Katharina. These four statues on the side altars were too “alive” for the taste in 1870; during the church renovation in 1872/73, the sculptor Julius Seitz in Külsheim had four smaller wooden figures made. The price of 500 guilders was paid off by 1775. It was again St. Magdalena with the ointment vessel, St. Catherine with the sword, St. Sebastian, but St. Nicholas was represented by a statue of St. Pope Urban , the patron saint of winemakers, exchanged. The four baroque statues were given to the Archbishop's Diocesan Museum Freiburg by the parish in 1910, with reservation of ownership, from where they came on loan to the Augustinermuseum Freiburg im Breisgau in 1929 . In 1953 the news came from Freiburg that there are four Königheim figures. Dean Rothermel was able to have them picked up from Kahlsruhe the next year and "crown" the church renovation of 1955 with her return.

List of pastors

The following pastors have worked in the Königheim parish of St. Martin:

• 1333: Krafto During von Kennenkeim
• 1380–1426: Eberhard von Rulkirchen
• 1428–1448: Johannes HANY from Königheim
• 1462–1468: Peter Hofheinz
• 1471–1511: Magister Leonhard Heylmann
• 1529: Johannes Kennicken
• 1535–1538: Johannes Johann
• 1540–1563: Johannes Heiles from Mosbach
• 1564–1566: Johannes Zorn
• 1566: Helias Gramlich
• 1568–1575: Magister Bartolomäus Brandt
• 1575–1576: Nikolaus Merder
• 1577–1588: Michael Götz
• 1589–1598: Nikolaus Ulinus (Ühlein)
• 1598–1618: Magister Adam Kern
• 1618–1620: Johann Conradt Eilles
• 1620–1635: Christian Hartung
• 1636: Caspar Schilling
• 1637–1659: Magister Mätthäus Wegler
• 1659–1663: Johannes Spitzig from Königheim
• 1663–1667: Magister Johannes Sermodi from Dillingen
• 1667: Georg Nuncius parish administrator
• 1668–1674: Magister Johannes Georg Poth
• 1674–1684: Magister Johannes Petrus Barbenhäuser from Dieburg
• 1686–1689: Kaspar Heck
• 1690–1746: Laurentius Seeger
• 1746–1766: Johannes Sebastian Serverus from Mainz
• 1766–1790: Joseph Glock
• 1790–1822: Johannes Baptist Dotzheimer from Rheinau
• 1823: Joseph Walter, parish administrator
• 1824–1831: Franz Reinhard from Trennfurt
• 1832–1847: Georg Josef Link from Tauberbischofsheim
• 1848–1866: Georg Karl Rückert from Beckstein
• 1872–1897: Friedrich Karl Willhelm Eckert from Walldürn
• 1900–1926: Franz Xaver Leonhard Kieser from Buchen
• 1926–1952: Leopold Rothermel from Östringen
• 1952–1970: Karl Schell from Gottersdorf
• 1970–1973: Eduard Neckermann from Vilchband
• 1998–2012: Hermann Bockmühl
• 2012 – today: Franz Lang

literature

• Franz Gehrig , Helmut Kappler: Königheim. Old market town and wine town , Schnaufer-Druck, Tauberbischofsheim.
• Leopold Rothermel: Königheim history of a Franconian village , Rita publishing house and printer, Würzburg 1930

Web links

Commons : St. Martin  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ LEO-BW.de: Catholic parish church St. Martin and Nepomuk (Kirchplatz 5, Königheim) . Online at www.leo-bw.de. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Municipality of Königheim: Sights of the municipality of Königheim . Online at www.koenigheim.de. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r} Leopold Rothermel: Königheim. History of a Franconian village. Rita publishing house and printer, Würzburg 1930.
4. ^ Deanery Tauberbischofsheim: Pastoral care units of the Deanery Tauberbischofsheim . Online at www.kath-dekanat-tbb.de. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
5. ↑ Joachim Popp organ building: Restauierte organs: 2008, renovation of the Seuffert / Vleugels organ. Koenigheim St. Martin . Online at www.popp-orgelbau.de. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
6. ^ Franz Gehrig and Helmut Kappler: Königheim. Old market town and wine town , Schnaufer-Druck, Tauberbischofsheim.

Coordinates: 49 ° 37 ′ 7.3 "  N , 9 ° 35 ′ 40.3"  E