St. Matthew (Melle)

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Catholic St. Matthew Church
West portal
Old church in 1969 before the extension

St. Matthäus is the main Roman Catholic church in Grönegau , located in the center of Melle . It is the original parish of the Deanery Grönenberg, founded in the Middle Ages (around 800) in the southeastern area of ​​the Diocese of Osnabrück .

In addition to the residential tower of Wasserburg Castle Gesmold it is the oldest example of architecture in Grönegau , the southern Osnabrück region . It is considered an excellent example of Low German architecture around 1200, built on the Kohlbrink, an elevation in the Else River valley , located in today's pedestrian zone next to the Mell town hall and the Evangelical Lutheran St. Petri Church . In 1974 it was extended by adding a new church in the shape of a tent roof.

history

Old and New St. Matthew Church (2011)

After the establishment of the Diocese of Osnabrück around 780, ten district or chaplain churches were built in the region between Friesland and the Teutoburg Forest , which were subordinate to the Osnabrück bishop . For the Graingau ("green Gau") this was the church in Melle. It was created on the Meierhof , the Kohlbrink, which belonged to the episcopal property , an elevation in the river valley on the Wiehen Mountains . The chaplaincy or baptismal churches established further churches in the following century, which made up the 22 original parishes of the old diocese.

The oldest written mention of the church in Melle, which has been preserved to this day, dates back to 1169. In it, the church is referred to as Parochia Menele ( parish church in Melle). The pastor was no longer just a representative of the bishop , but a clergyman with rights of his own. The city of Melle was founded at this time.

St. Matthew Church around 1500
South portal beautiful or bridal portal
Martyrdom of St. Matthew, painting by Andrea Alovisii (1681)

The first patronage of the Melle church was probably St. Peter . A stone sculpture (a head of Peter with a halo) from the 11th century, which is now in the Diocesan Museum in Osnabrück, was attached to the sacristy wall for a long time . The protective stone on the wall can still be seen. With the emergence of the veneration of the Apostle Matthew in Germany, the patronage probably changed in the 12th century.

The old outer wall of the church is still completely preserved today. It is square with greenish reed sandstone from the nearby Wiehengebirge. According to written records, the year 1213 was in the keystone of the vault . As can be seen in a weathered inscription that is still legible today, the church was expanded to include the choir and a side aisle in 1375 . The beautiful or bride portal , which is embedded in the south wall, leads into the church in three steps, each with three pillars. The capitals include rich naturalistic foliage.

Bishop Heinrich von Munster , the mid-15th century administrator was the diocese Osnabrück, gave the stediken and Wigbold Melle (the fortified town) in 1443, the town charter privilege . Since church life had become livelier, the founding of a vicarie was founded in 1461 by the castle team of Grönenburg and numerous citizens of the Melle parish . Melle had two clergymen as early as the 15th century.

After the Reformation , introduced in Melle on August 1, 1545, the St. Matthew Church was used as a simultaneous church by both denominations until the Protestant Petrikirche was built in 1651. At that time, Jesuits exercised pastoral care in the parish. By the Recessus Mellensis 1651 the church property was divided. The church with all its valuables as well as the houses of the vicar and the sexton remained with the Catholics.

Valuables such as the altarpiece, showing the martyrdom of the apostle Matthew, decorated chalices , a monstrance with the coat of arms of the founder and an eternal lamp, were given to the Catholic parish of Melles by the von Nehem family at Gut Sondermühlen in the second half of the 17th century. During the great city fire on May 10, 1720, which destroyed two thirds of all houses, the roof structure, bells and clockwork of St. Matthew's Church were also destroyed. But since the massive vault kept the fire away from the interior of the church, the church could continue to be used. Reconstruction was completed just two years later.

Due to the constant growth of the community and according to various expansion plans (on the north side a baptistery and a two-storey oratory was planned in 1881 , later the addition of a chapel south of the choir), a decision was made in the 20th century to build a new church with the old one Church should stay connected. Until the end of the 19th century, the church was surrounded by a cemetery. Later the Catholic Kohlbrink School was built to the south of the church and the new church was built in its place.

After a ten-year planning phase by the architects Ostermann and Droste from Münster, the expansion of a new church began in the spring of 1973, adjacent to the old southern wall. The foundation stone was laid on October 4th of the same year. The result was a modern church that met the requirements of the Second Vatican Council , with a roof structure modeled on the tent of God among the people (Rev. 21,3) and around 800 seats. The main part of the interior of the church consists mainly of a square system, over which a tent-shaped folding roof rises. The binders have also remained visible in the interior. With the multitude of ridges, ridges and valleys, the precision of the work in the node of the tent roof is evident . On 19 October 1974, was consecration by Bishop Hermann Helmut Wittler and Dechant Pastor Klaus Plate instead. While the New Church is used today as a Sunday and festival church as well as for large concert performances, the Old Church is used as a baptismal, wedding and weekday church.

Equipment of the old church

Altars and altarpieces

Choir window The Apocalyptic Lamb

In 1461 an altar is reported in a foundation document : located midden in the church dedicated to honor users Lewen Vrouwen, Sante Annen and sunt Antonio . At the end of the Thirty Years' War , the inventory is described as completely depraved . According to an inventory in 1651, the church had four altars.

For a new high altar, an altarpiece with the martyrdom of St. Matthew was donated to the church in 1681 . The baroque painting, which the canon in Osnabrück and Minden and provost to St. Johann in Osnabrück Theodor Heinrich von Nehem commissioned in 1681, was probably painted by Andrea Alovisii , who came from Italy and who worked for the Prince-Bishop for almost 20 years as court painter Osnabrück Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg stood. It shows the founder and his relatives on the right and left edges of the picture. A plaque that is incorporated into the picture bears the following inscription: Revered and distinguished Dr. Theodor Heinrich von Nehem, canon at the cathedral church in Osnabrück and Minden, head ( provost ) of St. Johann, Sacellan ( chaplain ) of the bishop and archdeacon in Melle, at the church in honor of St. Apostle Matthew. Anno 1681. The painting is now on the north wall of the choir room.

Altarpiece: Ludwig Nolde, Mount of Olives Scene (1932)

In 1810 Georg Gerhard Wessel from Osnabrück made a new high altar in the Byzantine-Corinthian style on which he depicted the Calvary scene. A large crucifix stood in the center between four stone pillars. To the right and left of it rose the statues of Mary and John. The altar filled the entire width of the choir room.

In the Louis Seize style , Wessel also made two side altars, the Joseph and Mary altars. The holy figures in a niche were each framed by two columns. The niche was set off with a round arch. The pillars carried an openwork cornice. A gable, framed with garlands, rose above it and bore the initials SM = Sancta Maria and SJ = Santus Josef. The altars were dismantled in 1975 and stored for later reconstruction.

In 1871 the high altar in Wessel was replaced by a new one by the sculptor Seling from Osnabrück. The narrow altar, built in neo-Gothic style, also represented the crucifixion group. While the cross is now considered lost, the people of the group, Mary, Mary Magdalene, John and the weeping women, are still there.

In 1932 the church council commissioned the artist Ludwig Nolde (1888–1958) from Osnabrück to create a new altar with four relief images carved in linden wood. The first picture shows the birth of Christ: the baby Jesus and behind them Mary, Joseph, ox and donkey. An angel is enthroned above the group. In the second picture the scene of the Mount of Olives is shown: an angel hands the chalice to Jesus praying while the disciples lie there asleep. The third picture heralds the resurrection: angels in the background, sleeping guards in the foreground and in the middle the glorified figure of the risen One. The last relief shows the judge of the world with his hands raised.

This altar was demolished in 1975 during the restoration of the church. The reliefs are now on the south wall of the church. The group was partially destroyed by vandalism in 2010. The parish had it restored in 2011 by a restorer. Today, in the center of the chancel, where the former high altars were located, is a stone sacrament stele.

Crosses and Stations of the Cross

Triumphal Cross 13th Century

Triumphal Cross:
The Gothic triumphal cross from the 13th century puts the aspect of suffering in the foreground in accordance with the style of the times. It is one of the few monumental crosses of the Diocese of Osnabrück. At the ends of the cross bars are the symbols of the four evangelists Matthew (man), Mark (lion), Luke (bull) and John (eagle).

Tower cross:
Until 1979, a larger than life carved oak cross hung on the west side of the church tower. It is dated to the 18th century. Like the organ, it is said to come from the Dominican Church in Osnabrück and is attributed to the Münster artist Johann Mauritz Gröninger . After 150 years of exposure to the elements, a thorough restoration was urgently required. It turned out that the crucifix had not been created for outdoor use. After removing the layers of paint, the natural wooden cross was given a new location in the tower chapel.

Cross of the Ellebrechtschen Hof:
A cross from the Ellebrecht farm in Gerden, which has been on the farm for more than 200 years, was acquired by the parish and now hangs in the new church on the former outer wall of the old church. The restoration brought the carefully carved body back to full advantage.

Stations of the Cross:
The Stations of the Cross, consisting of the 14 stations of Jesus' ordeal, are made of red clay. The oak frames have the same neo-Gothic shape as the former high altar of the old church. The Stations of the Cross were made in 1893 on the occasion of Pastor Transylvania 's golden jubilee.

Man of Sorrows:
Christ in misery or The Man of Sorrows is called a late Baroque figure of the St. Matthew Church. The seated Christ raises arms and folded hands and his face shows the agony of the Way of the Cross. The figure dates from the end of the 17th century and is probably also a work by Mauritz Gröninger. The folds of the torn robe as well as the hair and beard dress correspond to the fashion of the time of origin.

Madonna and bishop figure

The late Gothic Madonna on the old outer wall of the new church corresponds to the Gothic form of representation, which emphasizes the human element, with the intimate relationship between mother and child, which extends its hand to the mother, lost in thought. The bishop figure, also attached to the old outer wall, may represent St. Wiho as the first Bishop of Osnabrück. They assign alternative interpretations to St. Blasius and St. Nicholas to. Both figures were probably made around 1470.

  • Madonna around 1470

  • Bishop figure around 1470

  • Lid of the baptismal font (19th century)

Baptismal font

The baptismal font was initially in a baptistery on the north side of the tower behind the portal. Its lower part is a Doric column with a garland entwined at its upper end. The high points of the garland bear angel heads. A ring of acanthus leaves stretches across the base. While the Doric foot dates from around 1800 and shows French influence, the lid of the baptismal font is dated to the end of the 19th century. It consists of the figurative representation of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan. After the church was restored in 1975, the baptismal font was given a new location in the front right part of the chancel.

Four evangelists

The four evangelists: Matthäus , Markus , Lukas and Johannes were made by the artist Georg Gerhard Wessel from Osnabrück . The pastor in Melle at the time, Johann Heinrich Richter, commissioned it around 1800. The four figures are attached to the north wall in the middle of the nave. In the course of a second restoration phase by the restorer Ochsenfarth from Paderborn, the old colors were exposed and replenished true to the original. The evangelists are on the north wall on the middle level of the nave.

  • Evangelist Matthew

  • Mark the Evangelist

  • Evangelist Luke

  • Evangelist John

pulpit

Pulpit around 1800

In the style of the side altars, the sculptor Wessel also made the pulpit around 1800 . It is located on the right in the transition between the altar area and the nave. The four fields of the pulpit parapet are decorated with garlands and grape hangings. Angel heads can be seen at the end and two putti are floating on the back wall. The base of the pulpit ends with acanthus leaves and a grape. Under the sound cover is a dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit . The end of the pulpit cover is the representation of the Good Shepherd, who is carried by six rambling volutes.

Klausing organ

As early as 1589 there was an entry in an account book of the municipality about the repair of an organ. An organ builder who was not named is said to have received 6 guilders for his repair work. In the visitation report of 1651 a positive organ is mentioned, which is said to have been attached to the north wall of the church above the sacristy . The organ was accessible through the sacristy. According to the accounting book, the maintenance of this instrument has been the responsibility of the organ building family Klausing from Herford since 1665 . The organ was also damaged in the great fire in Mell (1720), which destroyed the roof structure of the church. The organ builder Johann Adam Berner was commissioned in 1721 to build a new one-manual organ, which was completed in 1722. In 1799 Jacob Courtain made an offer to the St.Matthew Church to renovate the organ , but this was never carried out. With the abolition of the Dominican monastery in Osnabrück and the sale of the inventory, the St. Matthew Church was able to acquire the organ there.

The baroque organ still preserved today was created by Johann Berenhard Klausing or his father Hinrich Klausing in 1713. It had 17 stops on two manuals without a pedal . In 1819 the instrument was given to the parish of Melle. In 1861 Melchior Kersting from Münster made an expansion to 26 votes. Further revisions were made in 1964 and 1979 after completion of the respective church renovations by the organ building company Franz Breil from Dorsten. The work has largely been preserved and was restored in 2009 by the Ahrend organ building company from Leer .

Klausing organ from 1713
East side apse
Door in the east choir
II Hauptwerk C – c 3 (spring drawer)
Praestant 08th'
Drone 16 ′
Dumped 08th'
Octave 04 ′
Pipe lull 08th'
Quint 03 ′
Forest lull 02 ′
Sesquialt III
Mixture V
Quint 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Trumpet 16 ′
Trumpet 08th'
I substation C – c 3 (spring drawer)
Praestant 04 ′
Dumped 08th'
Lull shower 04 ′
Octave 02 ′
Mixture III
Vox humana 08th'
Pedal mechanism C – d 1 (slide box)
Sub-bass 16 ′
Octave 08th'
Octave 04 ′
Trumpet 16 ′
Trumpet 08th'

Bells

The first written record of the presence of a bell dates from 1589. In the utgave ter Kerken church bill , 7½ shillings for bell grease and 12 shillings for two new bell ropes are booked. In 1591 the bells were cast over. Presumably they had been in use and cracked for a while. The church directory gives the following information: Item when the bell was worshiped around, the bock in front of Speck and Ungell 1 Daler. Give the master a word of 1 can wins 4 shillings before that. Item when the last bell was worshiped, I thought I had 30 dallers. Following darna, on the orders of Drosten Jasper vom Obers another 25 Daler. Item before Tappen, Bende and Klepel to berne Cordt Smet geven 3 Daler. The community bore the costs. The nobility also participated, as evidenced by a letter from Johann zum Plettenberg on January 12, 1591 at Gut Walle. The exact location of the bell casting is not known. Presumably it took place near the church. The field name Klockenbrink is still a reminder today.

In a visitation protocol from 1705 it says: There are three big bells in the tower. One or the very old one is consecrated with the inscription: Ave Maria, gratia plena . (Hail Mary, full of grace). We use them every day for mass. The other two, larger ones, whether they are consecrated or not, are renovated in 1639 on September 27th, at the time when the Lutherans had occupied the church. Thus 1639 can be assumed to be a new casting. The church records show that the bell founders Franz and Walter Hemony and the Dutch bell founder Johann von Campen were active in Melle.

The great fire of Melle in 1720 destroyed the old bells. In 1727 a new bell consisting of three bells was ready. Their sizes are listed as 4000, 2800 and 1500 pounds. In 1792 the middle bell had to be replaced. It was labeled: Henricus Petit me fuderit. Anno 1792. (Heinrich Petit cast me. In 1792.). In 1842 the big bell, now at about 5000 pounds, was cast over because it had cracked. Their inscription read: ad gloriam omnipotentis sempiternique Dei et in honorem Ecclesiae patroni sancti Matthaei. (To the glory of the almighty, eternal God and in honor of the church patron, St. Matthew). Next: I call to joy, wake up to devotion, agree to sorrow. The bell founders Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock made the bell casting. A year later, the smallest bell was damaged by a crack and had to be replaced. Her weight was about 1,260 pounds.

In 1917 the two largest bells were confiscated due to the war. Through collections in the community, which brought in around 14,000 Reichsmarks, two new bells could be purchased in 1925. The Swedish Archbishop Albert Bitter , who comes from Melle, consecrated the bells. In 1935 the bell cage received an electric bell system. The two largest bells were also confiscated during the Second World War . The big bell was found again in 1946 in the Hamburg bell cemetery . The middle bell was re-cast in 1957 on the occasion of the silver jubilee of the dean Robert Hesse. The bell, which weighs 1515 kg, bears the inscription: Queen of Peace, pray for us .

Choir stalls

One of the oldest pieces of equipment is the choir stalls in the chancel . It dates from the late Gothic around 1500. The original cheeks and seats are still preserved, the front and rear walls have been renewed over the centuries. A two-part Gothic lancet window is carved into each of the front side panels . The cheeks of the seats have four-part windows. Rosettes separate the seats from each other. You can also find yourself on the knee bench. The seat boards can be folded out and provided with misericords (standing aids).

The choir or church stool in the organ gallery is less elaborate. It dates from the end of the 16th century. At its head end there are two inscriptions and a coat of arms of the Meierinck family.

Collection chest around 1650

Collection chest

Until 1920, a chest from the 17th century served as a container for donations and donations. As a stollen chest it is a rarity in the Osnabrück region. It is made of oak and has hand-forged iron bands and locks. Two coats of arms have left their mark on the wood. On the left the Voss zum Dyck coat of arms and on the right that of Haren auf Laer . Johann Voss zum Dyck was married to Gertrud von Münchhausen . The aristocratic couple probably lived on Gut Laer (district of Melle) for 13 years from 1647 to 1660. When the denominations were separated, the chest fell to the Catholic community.

Tower clock

Clockwork from Korfhage

A clock tower has probably been in the roof of the tower since the beginning of the 17th century . On the south side of the church tower, however, there was already a sundial , which remained indispensable even after a tower clock was installed, as the sexton set the tower clock according to its time. A repair is mentioned in an invoice from 1649. Another invoice from 1663 shows that master Wilhelm Haußbrandt, custodian and organist in Melle, worked on the clockwork and received one schilling and two deuts for it.

When the Catholic and Protestant denominations were separated, the Mellensis Recessus of 1671 stipulated: Concerning the clock in the Catholic churches, the residents of the Wigbold Melle should still have to maintain it (§ 10). At that time, the clock tower of St. Matthew's Church was the only public clock in Melle. Since all residents benefited from it, the entire citizenry had to pay for the maintenance.

After the big fire in the city, Glockengießer Rücker (Rinker) from Gießen was commissioned to install a new chime clock. Since it was evidently very prone to failure, Mayor Vahrendorf wrote in 1724 that the bell founder made the clock for no use, only took in the money . The subsequent repairs by the watchmaker Ricke from Halle cost 30 thalers. After various differences of opinion between the magistrate and the parish about the maintenance of the clock, winding, greasing and correcting , the magistrate stopped paying the sexton from 1845 to 1883. As a result, the clock "stopped" for 19 years. After the abolition of the Mellensis recess in 1874, the city was of the opinion that the maintenance of the clock tower was the responsibility of the parish. However, in a two-year process, the parish prevailed. As a result, major repairs were half financed by the parish and the city. In 1961, in the course of a major repair by the Korfhage tower clock factory from the Buer district of Melle, Paragraph 10 of the Mellensis recess was mutually repealed. In 2006, the old mechanical clockwork was replaced by an electronic radio controlled clock while retaining the old dials and hands.

Altarpiece: Ludwig Nolde, Nativity (1932)

crib

As early as 1684, an expense item for the purchase of nails for the installation of a crib appeared in the church's account book . In 1888 the Matthäusverein donated a nativity scene consisting of 22 figures. The painted representations, consisting of the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, ox and donkey, sheep and dog, shepherds and maids as well as the three kings and a camel, are up to 80 cm tall. The crib was erected in front of the Marien Altar until 1972. Today it has its place at the bridal portal, the transition from the old to the new church.

Liturgical devices

Eternal traffic light 17th century

The oldest records of liturgical equipment in St. Matthew's Church are from the early part of the Thirty Years' War. Vicar General Lucenius found monstrance and goblets locked in a box during a visitation . When St. Matthew's Church was looted in 1630, church equipment was also stolen. In a protocol it says: The ornaments, goblets and ciboria were removed. The liturgical implements that survived the Thirty Years' War are recorded in a visitation protocol dated August 3, 1651. Accordingly, there was still a chalice with a gilded paten, four silver-plated and two wooden candlesticks, a silver container for the storage of the Holy Sacrament, two altar candlesticks, a bronze holy water vessel and two silver-plated flower vases. The parish also had six vestments with stoles and manipulas and two albums .

In another visitation protocol from 1705, the pastor at the time, Pastor Wilhelm Hoet, lists several liturgical devices. In addition to the monstrance donated by Friedrich von Nehem in 1676 and still preserved today, there was another, older one. Mention is also made of two silver goblets and a gilded ciborium as well as six large silver candlesticks, which are said to have been worth 650 thalers. Two vessels for oils and hosts, a silver censer, eight small jugs and eight bells are also mentioned.

In 1724 the custos et organist of the church Johann Schiller created another directory of the inventory of church utensils : Wass in the church of S. Matthäy in silver and other ornaments of the churches available: Six large silver candlesticks and two small ones in front of H. venerabel. A silver lamp. A missal studded with silver. A monstrans. A ciborium. Two cups. A communicant beaker and two measuring jugs. A wooden cross with a silver cross image to use after the sick. Two silver crowns in front of the Mother of God and Kindt, a septer and a small golden Creutz and a silver penny and an Agnus Dei. Four small Kronckes which the angels have in their hands and four small candlesticks which the angels have in their hands.

In an insurance policy from 1900, the items named in 1724 are listed. A goblet from a foundation of the von Nehem family is also listed. The family coat of arms was engraved on the foot. The liturgical implements listed have been preserved to this day.

Equipment of the New Church

View of the chancel

Sanctuary

The community gathers in five bank blocks with around eight hundred seats around the semicircular chancel. In the center is a celebration altar made of Italian travertine . The sacramental stele, a large, rising column, which was also made of travertine, conceals the tabernacle in its center. Its door is decorated with the representation of the burning bush and is meant to indicate the presence of God. A slender, two-meter-high column with the Eternal Light on the right of the tabernacle indicates the presence of Christ. A five-field cross hangs above the altar. It is cast from bronze and shows sections from the life of Jesus: birth, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and Christ in eternity. To the left of the celebratory altar is the ambo , made of bronze and decorated with a dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit , the place of the preaching of the words. The chancel was designed by the sculptor Walter Mellmann from Osnabrück.

Breil organ

The organ included in the design of the chancel and positioned to the left of the ambo was built in 1977 by Franz Breil from Dorsten and removed on the 4th Sunday of Advent by cathedral organist Winfried Schlepphorst . It contains 30 registers with 2450 pipes distributed over 2 manuals and pedal , the registers of the second manual being swellable . The game contracture is mechanically, the key action with the abrasive loading is electromagnetically controlled. Your disposition is:

Breil organ from 1977
I Hauptwerk C – g 3
Dumped 16 ′
Principal 08th'
Reed flute 08th'
octave 04 ′
Flute 0 04 ′
octave 02 ′
Mixture IV-VI 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Trumpet 08th'
II Swell C – g 3
Wooden dacked 08th'
Viol 08th'
Unda maris 08th'
Principal 04 ′
Transverse flute 04 ′
Schwiegel 02 ′
Fifth 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Oktavlein 01'
Sesquialtera II 0 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Mixture IV 02 ′
Zimbel III 01 ⁄ 2 ′
Basson 16 ′
Trumpet 08th'
Hautbois 04 ′
Tremulant
Pedals C – f 1
Principal bass 0 16 ′
Sub bass 16 ′
Octave bass 08th'
Reed bass 08th'
Choral bass 04 ′
Mixture IV 02 ′
trombone 16 ′
Trumpet 08th'

3 electrical normal couplings: I Man./Ped., II Man./Ped., II Man./I Man .; 3 free electrical combinations

Stained glazing

Window New Church by Manfred Espeter

The ornamental stained glass was created by the artist Manfred Espeter from Münster . In a free composition, large, triangular window areas were incorporated into the tent roof construction, which run down into rectangular windows. You can see rays, clouds, drops, leaves and crystals that sparkle in the sunlight.

When the artist accepted the order to create the windows, he was not given any requirements for the design or a program. Espeter did not give an interpretation of the windows or favored a certain interpretation suggestion. Accordingly, the windows do not convey a direct message and tell no story, they are non-thematic. After completion, the artist himself saw a high point of his creative work in these windows.

New Church window

The light that is only slightly filtered through the window emphasizes the bank area of ​​the church where the congregation gathers. Due to its triangular shape, the window shape takes up the pyramid-like architecture of the church. Due to their size, the windows act as a substitute for the exterior walls; they become, as it were, window walls that connect the interior with the outside. The character of the wall is reinforced by the lack of spatial depth in the window pictures. The dialogue of the windows with the architecture and the room design is continued in their internal structure. All basic colors are represented in different clear, light and strong tones. The variety of ornaments and shapes reaches into the fantastic. Only one motif can be found in all windows, the sheet. The glass material that was used in the lead glazing is real antique glass , hand-blown glass. It was processed with overlays: a second layer of glass was applied to a first colored glass layer. This processing technique makes the glass opaque (non-transparent). The windows are transparent to incident light. As soon as the sunlight hits them, the colors begin to shine in their diversity. Integrated glass spheres and cylinders bundle and reflect the incident daylight in a special way.

Window program of the old and new church

The figurative motifs in the windows of the Old St. Matthew Church there are more clearly defined in terms of the picture. They contain the traditional symbols of the Old Covenant: ark, thorn bush and tablets of the law as well as Christ, the scion from Israel and the apocalyptic lamb. They want to speak a clear language in a building that was built when the Pope and Emperor were guarantors of the rule of Christ, a building that itself wants to be the image of heaven, of the new Jerusalem . The New St. Matthew Church wants to be understood differently. It is God's tent among men . Your architecture speaks of this when a tent-shaped folding roof rises above the floor plan. A tent combines freedom and being on the move. It means being tied back to nature, simplicity of lifestyle and restriction to the important and necessary.

Church staff

Joseph statue, Georg Gerhard Wessel (1810)
Virgin Mary statue, Georg Gerhard Wessel (1810)

Pastor

The title pastor was not always clearly formulated in the past centuries. The priests were often referred to as dungeons , rectors or pastors . With the foundation of a Vikarie there were in Melle from 1461 to the end of the 20th century in addition to the priest a vicar . In 1953 a third priestly position was set up, the holder of which from then on bore the title of vicar. Since then, the second priesthood has operated as a chaplain . Since the late 1980s, the vicar position has not been filled again due to the lack of priests. Since then there have been two posts again, that of the pastor and that of the chaplain.

Since 1965, the parish of Immaculate Conception in the Sondermühlen district has belonged to the pastoral care area of ​​St. Matthäus Melle since 1990, and the parish of Maria von der Perpetual Help in the Buer district , as in earlier times. In November 2010 the parishes of St. John the Baptist in the Riemsloh district and St. Anna in the Schiplage-St. Annen added to the previous parish community of Melle-Buer-Sondermühlen. The pastoral care unit now bears the name Parish Community Melle-Ost .

  • 1263 Everhard von Horst. At the instigation of Pope Urban IV. Pastor of Melle and Osnabrück Cathedral Chapter
  • 1289 Heinrich Tappe (Hinricus de Melle), is named as a witness in a document from 1290 by the Count of Ravensberg.
  • 1345 Ratbert, is mentioned in the oldest document in the Mell parish archive. He receives compensation after the property of his parish falls into other hands.
  • 1350 Gottschalk Honeken, is referred to as the rector of the Mell church .
  • 1404 Albert von Lechende. Studied at the theological faculty in Cologne .
  • 1435 Hermann Gramberch, Vicecuratus of Domvivar Arnold.
  • 1458 Rembert von Kerssenbrock , is mentioned in the tithe register of the Diocese of Osnabrück.
  • 1461 Volquinus Pringenhagen. Kerkherr to Melle , is mentioned in the foundation deed of the Vicarie Melle.
  • 1486 Ludike Velt, receives a piece of land in Eicken from the widow Grete van Broke.
  • 1528 Johann van Beveren. Expressed two leases of land the Wordt called before the judge Johann Poetteker.
  • 1599 Johannes Dukenus, mentioned as vicar as early as 1566. He presumably took over the pastoral position later.
  • 1602 Gerhard Schrage
  • 1603 Georg Coevorden. Excerpt from the Lucenius protocol: The pastor has been Georg Coevorden for over 20 years, an old man of almost 80 years, who was also ordained a Catholic presbyter. He also clearly assures that he is a Catholic ... The vicar and schoolmaster Gerhard Hasselius - a Lutheran - although he was ordained a priest about 25 years ago from Cologne by the venerable Fabritius.
  • 1630 Hermann Hoffhaus. First dean of the newly founded dean's office in Grönenberg.
  • 1633 Magister Arcularius. Initially vice rector in Osnabrück, was used by the Swedes .
  • 1648 Anton Seumenicht. Initiated the construction of the evangelical Meller Petrikirche, of which he became pastor.
  • 1650 Bernhard Löper. Jesuit and parish administrator. In 1652 he wrote a religious pamphlet in 12 chapters and directed this theological examination of the teachings of Martin Luther to the knighthood of the Grönenberg office. The answer of his predecessor, now a Protestant pastor, Anton Seumenicht, was: stay healthy and don't mess with me.
  • 1654 Heinrich Frey. Jesuit. Initially a teacher in Düsseldorf . Later professor in Paderborn and Münster .
  • 1660 Wilhelm Hoet. Many of the church's art treasures still preserved today were acquired during his tenure.
  • 1705 Friedrich Wilhelm Hoet. Probably a nephew of his predecessor. The tower, attic, rectory and school were rebuilt after the great fire during his tenure.
  • 1739 Johann Hermann Arkenow. Was buried in front of the high altar in St. Matthew's Church.
  • 1751 Johann Friedrich Brockmeyer. Was buried in front of the high altar in St. Matthew's Church.
  • 1796 Heinrich Richter. Initially worked at the Osnabrück Cathedral. After secularization, he acquired the Klausing organ of the Dominican monastery in Osnabrück.
  • 1828 Wilhelm Lammers. Celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest in Melle. Received an award for his services to denominational peace from the Royal Hanoverian Landdrostei.
  • 1861 Johann Bernhard Transylvania. Founder of the Katholisches-St.-Matthäus-Stift hospital .
  • 1900 Hermann Josef Dreck. Was ordained a priest in Eichstätt (Bavaria) because of the Kulturkampf. Until 1923 he was also responsible for the vicarie St. Marien Sondermühlen (at that time still St. Antonius ), which was run as a pastoral care office. Cathedral Chapter. He received the distinction of Papal Secret Chamberlain and Real Privy Councilor .
  • 1930 Theodor Voss. Later rain of the Osnabrück seminary.
  • 1932 Robert Hesse. From 1948 also responsible for St. Marien Buer (pastoral care district until 1975), dean of the Grönenberg dean's office. Spiritual advice.
  • 1960 Wilhelm Lübbers. Also responsible for St. Marien Buer, later also pastor of St. Marien Sondermühlen, dean of the Grönenberg dean's office.
  • 1968 Klaus Plate. Also pastor of St. Marien Sondermühlen and Buer, builder of the new St. Matthew's Church, monsignor , dean of the Grönenberg deanery. Later pastor Primarius and provost of Bremen .
  • 1981 Hermann Rickers. Also pastors of St. Marien Buer and St. Marien Sondermühlen, monsignor, dean of the Grönenberg dean's office and cathedral capitular.
  • 2008 Michael Wehrmeyer. Also pastors of St. Marien Buer , St. Marien Sondermühlen, St. Johannes Riemsloh (since November 2010) and St. Anna Sankt Annen (since November 2010).

Chaplains and Vicars

Christ in misery - the man of sorrows , Mauritz Gronninger 17th century
Stations of the Cross by Ludwig Nolde (1893)

Owner of the 1st employee position

  • 1765 Johann Friedrich Theklenborg, was related to the founders of the newly founded Vicarie.
  • 1793 Conrad Burrelmann, born in 1764 in Gesmold , died at the age of 33 on January 26, 1797 in Melle.
  • 1797 Conrad Sepe, then pastor in the pilgrimage site of Rulle .
  • 1810 Karl Josef Esser, born in Nideggen , Diocese of Aachen.
  • 1815 Matthias Menke, his way of life was often not in line with his calling.
  • 1819 Albert Isidor Ottens, previously a field preacher, died in Melle in 1830.
  • 1830 Franz Niemann, worked as vicar until his death in 1848.
  • 1848 Anton Tensing, from 1861 active as pastor in the north .
  • 1861 Heinrich Kerstiens, nine years as vicar in Melle, from 1869 as pastor in the north and the island of Norderney , dean of the deanery of East Friesland .
  • 1869 Johann Hunfeld. After working for a number of years in the Nordic Mission, he worked as vicar in Melle for 19 years.
  • 1888 Franz Tonberge. At the same time worked as a teacher at the community school in Melle, later cathedral vicar and episcopal chaplain and dean in St. Johann Osnabrück.
  • 1890 Gerhard Borgmann. First Konviktprezeptor at the Episcopal Seminary in Osnabrück, later house chaplain in Mecklenburg, vicar and teacher at the council school in Melle.
  • 1893 Carl Klemann. Born in Hamburg, initially chaplain in Melle for seven years. From 1900 chaplain in Gesmold, later pastor in Mecklenburg.
  • 1900 Bernhard Vieler, born in Meppen in 1865 , was previously a chaplain in Hamburg
  • 1921 Josef Krämer. First teacher at the higher girls' school in Hamburg, later active at the Osnabrück Cathedral.
  • 1926 Ferdinand Niederschäfer. After his time as chaplain, pastor in Cuxhaven .
  • 1933 Alfons Jünnemann. Vicar in Melle until 1936, then pastor in Mecklenburg .
  • 1936 Johannes Andree. Initially a preceptor in the Bischöfliches Konvikt in Meppen, until 1945 vicar in Melle.
  • 1945 Paul Biedendieck. Until 1948 vicar in Melle, then diocesan praeses of the youth, later provost in Lübeck.
  • 1948 Alfons Brüggemann. After returning from Soviet captivity, resumed priesthood studies. Vicar in Melle until 1952.
  • 1952 Franz Roelfs. First as a vicar in Melle. After the establishment of the second position in 1953, appointed chaplain.
  • 1955 Konrad Hehenkamp, ​​later spiritual rector of the Marien Hospital in Osnabrück.
  • 1959 Wilhelm Höckelmann. Until 1963 chaplain in Melle, later religious teacher in Clemenswerth / Sögel and Osnabrück.
  • 1963 Karl Peter Gotta. Born in Lübeck, chaplain in Melle until 1965, later pastor in Bremen and Lübeck .
  • 1965 Wolfgang Bartholomäus. Until 1967 chaplain in Melle. This was followed by studying religious education and communication science in Munich, as well as depth psychology in Vienna. From 1968 to 1975 research assistant at the chair for religious education at the University of Munich . 1972 doctorate, then secretary of the Curricula Commission in Theology of the West German Faculty Conference. From 1975 professor for religious education and homiletics in Tübingen .
  • 1967 Bernhard Wigbers. Until 1976 chaplain in Melle, at the same time dean's youth pastor, later pastor in Bersenbrück and dean in Sögel .
  • 1976 Josef Ahrens. Dean's youth pastor, in 1980 he was appointed diocesan youth pastor in Osnabrück , today dean of the Osnabrück-Süd dean's office.
  • 1980 Burghard Sauermost. Born in Nordhorn , initially head of the ecumenical education and meeting place Kloster Frenswegen, 1980 doctorate in philosophy, today professor for pastoral theology at the Philosophical-Theological Study Seminar of the Archdiocese of Berlin and visiting professor at the University of Potsdam .
  • 1985 Franz Mecklenfeld, then pastor in Kiel. Today provost in Lübeck.
  • 1990 Carl Borromäus Hack, later pastor in Haren (Ems) .
  • 1992 Michael Wehrmeyer, then active in Bremen, today pastor in Melle.
  • 1997 Ingo Pohl, retired from the priesthood after his time as chaplain.
  • 2000 Ulrich Müller, later pastor in Glandorf .
  • 2004 Frank Kribber, parish administrator at the time of the change of pastor in 2008, later chaplain in Lingen and Papenburg .
  • 2009 Helmut Schumacher, chaplain.

Owner of the 2nd employee position

Altarpiece: Ludwig Nolde, Resurrection (1932)
  • 1953 Heinz Ziegler. From 1974 to 1990 pastor in St. Johann Riemsloh, since 1990 subsidiar in St. Matthäus Melle.
  • 1956 Hellmut Tourneau. Born in Fulda and raised in Bad Rothenfelde . Later pastor in Osnabrück and Hamburg, there commissioned the police chaplaincy.
  • 1957 Wilhelm Höckelmann (see also above)
  • 1959 Ernst-Günther Winkler. Born in East Prussia, later active in Schleswig-Holstein.
  • 1960 Karl Peter Gotta (see also above)
  • 1963 Wolfgang Bartholomäus (see also above)
  • 1965 Franz Riedel. Born in Hamburg, later active in pastoral care in Lampa, Peru .
  • 1968 Winfried Gabrüsch. Born in Dresden , later active as a priest in Traunstein, Upper Bavaria.
  • 1970 Ulrich Wöste. Born in Hümmling , later active as an episcopal chaplain and cathedral chaplain in Osnabrück (died 1982).
  • 1973 Julius Wülker. Then in Vikar in Voxtrup and city youth pastor in Osnabrück. (Died 1979 at the age of 31)
  • 1977 Reinhard Molitor. Born in Osnabrück, pastor in Twistringen , cathedral chapter.
  • 1982 Dietmar Blank (last vicar in St. Matthäus). Born in Hamburg, diocesan curate of the St. George scouts, provost in Meppen , cathedral chapter.

Church musician

Choir stalls late Gothic

The church musician often performed his office in a combination with the sexton service or teaching profession. According to a document from 1349, the twelve castle men of Grönenburg had the right to appoint a sexton and organist Custos et Organista .

  • 1557 Heinrich Schürmann, his son succeeded him in office.
  • 1612 Johannes Schürmann, professed Protestant teaching.
  • 1645 Johann Schürmann. Moved to the newly built Evangelical Petrikirche with Pastor Seumenicht. The castle men doubted his ability, so that the evangelical consistory was called to mediate. After taking an exam at the Marien- und Katharinenkirche in Osnabrück, however, he put his skills to the test.
  • 1650 Engelbert Mönnig, introduced as a new Catholic employee on December 7th.
  • 1663 Wilhelm Heinrich Hausbrandt, his son succeeded him in office.
  • 1697 Johannes Wilhelm Hausbrandt. In 1717 he was admonished by the archdeacon to do his office more diligently. According to the church book, he died on June 16, 1720 as Custos et Organista Mellensis.
  • 1721 Johannes Schiller. During his service time the new organ of the Bern organ was built . He made an inventory of the church institution.
  • 1760 Johann Casper Kerkhoff
  • 1777 Caspar Hülsmann, a controversial advocate of Catholic teaching.
  • 1811 Franz Dahmann. Married the daughter of his predecessor. During his service, the St. Matthew Church received the historic Klausing organ
  • 1834 Karl Dahmann. After the early death of his father, he took over the position at the age of 20. He received his certificate of appointment only later, when he passed his exam.
  • 1877 Friedrich Müller. In addition to being an organist, he was a teacher at the Catholic elementary school.
  • 1907 Hubert Brauers. Born in the Rhineland, he received an award from Pope Pius XII with the papal order Bene merenti for his services . and the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon by Federal President Theodor Heuss .
  • 1960 Franz Stühlmeyer. Studied in Münster and Cologne. Under his aegis, the Klausing organ was restored and the Breil organ rebuilt - the establishment of a broad-based choir consisting of children, youth, church choirs and choral choirs.
  • 2000 Aleksandra Arkuszewska, studied church music in Hamburg and is now a music teacher.
  • 2009 Stephan Lutermann, in addition to his work at St. Matthew's Church (music in church services, choir work, concert series), he has a diocesan task for the Diocese of Osnabrück.

Pastoral worker

North side

While Franciscan nuns worked in pastoral care in the previous decades , since the 1980s people have been active in the newly created professions as parish and pastoral consultants.

  • 198? –1991 Thomas Langhorst, pastoral consultant. After retiring as a pastoral consultant, he switched to politics.
  • 198? –2004 Susanne Wübker, pastoral advisor. Subsequently at the Philosophical-Theological University St. Georgen, Frankfurt, since 2006 pastoral advisor to the Catholic university community in Osnabrück and spiritual guide for staff in pastoral service.
  • 1991–2007 Michael Göcking, pastoral consultant. Since 2007 Dean of the Osnabrück-South Dean's Office.
  • until 2001 Birgit Konnermann-Metz, community officer.
  • 2001–2004 Monika Walbaum, community officer. Since 2007 in St. Johannes Riemsloh and St. Anna St. Annen. Since November 1, 2010 also commissioned for St. Matthäus Melle, St. Marien Buer and St. Marien Sondermühlen.
  • 2004 Martin Walbaum, pastoral advisor. Since 2008 permanent deacon in Melle.
  • 2008–2016 Claudia Hettlich, community officer.
  • since 2016 Ulrike Meyer, community officer.
  • since 2017 Klaus Stühlmeyer, deacon.

Sons and daughters of the parish (selection)

literature

Books and writings

  • Maria Heilmann: History of the St. Matthew parish in Melle. Represented according to documents and registers . Phil. Diss. Münster 1938.
  • District of Melle (ed.): The Grönegau in the past and present. Home register of the district of Melle . Fromm, Osnabrück 1968.
  • Edgar Schroeder (Ed.): Melle in eight centuries . Ernst Knoth, Melle 1969.
  • Parish of St. Matthew Melle . Studio Böker, Melle 1974 (church leader).
  • Ludger Stühlmeyer: The organs of the St. Matthäuskirche Melle . In: Uwe Pape : Organ Atlas . Pape, Berlin 1980, ISBN 3-921140-22-6 .
  • Paul Burhoff: St. Matthew Melle. From the life of a parish . Sutmöller, Melle 1983.
  • Thomas Stühlmeyer: Observations and thoughts on the windows of the new St. Matthew's Church in Melle . Melle 1992.
  • Kath. Kirchengemeinde Melle (Ed.): The Klausing organ by St. Matthäus Melle . 2009.

Sound carrier

  • A Westphalian queen. Stephan Lutermann at the Klausing organ (1713) of the St. Matthäus Melle church . Ambience.

Web links

Commons : St. Matthew  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ludwig Nolde, article in the NMZ
  2. ↑ Thomas Stühlmeyer: Observations and thoughts on the windows of the new St. Matthew Church in Melle . Melle 1992.
  3. ↑ Photo with the headline "29.11., Funeral Day of Pastor Ulrich Wöste" which 1982 results from the URL of the picture or from the headline in the photo gallery on wilfried-hagemann.de

Coordinates: 52 ° 12 ′ 8 ″  N , 8 ° 20 ′ 13 ″  E