St. Mauritius (Koblenz)
The parish church of St. Mauritius is a Catholic church in Koblenz . The parish church is located at the highest point in the Rübenach district and thus largely determines its silhouette. The church was built between 1862 and 1866 and has a brick steeple as a special feature. She bears the patronage of St. Mauritius , the secondary patron saint is St. Aldegundis .
history
Precursor church
In connection with the first mention of Rübenach in a donation from the Archbishop of Mainz Lullus to the monastery of Hersfeld , a chapel in the village was mentioned in 775 . A church was first built in Rübenach around 1220. The three-aisled Romanesque basilica has undergone a number of alterations and extensions over the centuries. In the second half of the 15th century the choir was closed and rebuilt in Gothic style. Further extensions are mentioned in 1680 and 1809. In the 19th century, the number of residents of Rübenach increased sharply and the old church building was no longer sufficient for the faithful. After a severe fire broke out in 1841, in which a large part of the town was destroyed, a new building was considered for the first time in 1844, which began in 1862.
From 1857 there was a church dispute in Rübenach over the pros and cons of demolishing the old Romanesque church. Although the church was dilapidated, the Prussian government in Berlin still advocated preservation in 1863 and forbade its demolition, probably in order to preserve it as a monument. But since it narrowed the cemetery and blocked the view of the newly built church a few meters behind it, the citizens of Rübenach wanted the demolition. They received support from the later Archbishop of Cologne, Philipp Krementz . After the new building had been completed, some citizens, probably young people, took action on November 2, 1866, and began the destruction in a night-and-fog campaign. In order to restore peace and order, Prussian soldiers were then relocated to the town by Queen Augusta Guard Grenadier Regiment No. 4 . Because of the severe damage to the old structure, it was finally torn down completely in the spring of 1867. As a punishment, the mayor's office was moved to Weißenthurm in 1867 .
New construction of St. Mauritius
The Koblenz architect Johann Claudius von Lassaulx was commissioned on May 19, 1846 with the construction of St. Mauritius in Rübenach. However, 15 years passed before the funds for the new building were raised, various disputes resolved and the building land was available. Lassaulx died in 1848 and could no longer carry out his building plan.
In 1857 the Cologne architect Vincenz Statz was entrusted with the construction. He drafted a new building plan, which provided for a hall church with a tower, and partly included Lassaulx's plan, which provided for a classical church with neo-Romanesque elements. Statz kept the floor plan, but used the neo-Gothic style. Local construction management was carried out by the Koblenz city master builder Hermann Nebel . The construction work began on February 24, 1862, the laying of the foundation stone was celebrated on July 19, 1862 together with the Trier Bishop Wilhelm Arnoldi . The building of the church was completed on August 8, 1865 when the keys were handed over to the mayor. The handover to the parish and the benediction took place on March 31, 1866, the consecration was carried out on September 24, 1868 by Trier Bishop Matthias Eberhard with the participation of the Prussian President Adolph von Pommer Esche .
During the air raids on Koblenz during World War II, St. Mauritius was badly damaged by a British air mine on August 12, 1942 . The polygonal choir was completely destroyed. The reconstruction was carried out in 1952 with a flat choir closure according to plans by Mayen architect Karl Peter Böhr. Outside the old choir dimensions were marked with stones. During the interior renovation in 1958, the church received a simple painting in which many old frescoes were painted over. According to the liturgy , the sanctuary was slightly changed in 1966. A renovation of the exterior took place in 1989-1994, the church tower was secured in 1996-1997.
Construction and equipment
Outside
The parish church of St. Mauritius is a three - aisled neo - Gothic hall church with five bays . Basalt quarry stone from Mendig , Rieden and Bell as well as from Karmelenberg was used as building material . The choir was originally a dodecagon. After being destroyed in the war, it was rebuilt as a flat choir closure. It is flanked by two stair turrets with slim helmets . The small octagonal roof turret above the choir was not restored. The sacristy is attached to the choir on the northeast side . The aisles close with three sides of a hexagon.
The mighty, 70 m high west tower with five floors stands in the axis of the main nave and is integrated into the church. From the third floor upwards, it changes from a square floor plan to an octagonal tower shape. Column canopies with pointed helmets , such as those found in Laon Cathedral, are attached to the transition . On the west side of the tower is the main entrance, which was designed as a column portal . A rose window and a gable are built into the tower above . To the north and south of the tower there are two annex-like additions with transverse saddle roofs , which suggest the impression of a transept and accommodate the side entrances.
The outer walls of the main nave are structured by alternating strong and weak buttresses and lancet windows with simple tracery . The pointed spire is made of stone, the nave has a huge kinked roof covered with slate .
Next to the southern side entrance, a mission cross is attached to the outer wall over a neo-Gothic altar-like base with tracery . The ceramic body is a work from the late 19th century. Southwest of the church is a large, multi-part Lourdes grotto made of cinder block with a typical figure of Mary. It was donated by Chr. Alsbach, who, according to the plaque, wanted to remember her husband Nikolaus, who died in 1916.
The mighty west tower of the parish church of St. Mauritius
The choir, restored with a flat finish after the Second World War; The old dimensions of the choir are marked with stones in the grass
Cornerstone
Lourdes grotto
Inside
Inside, the central nave is spanned by a simple four-part ribbed vault. The ribs of the vaults of the aisles are eight parts. From attached to the side walls continuous and profiled Sims go services from. Two single-lane windows are embedded in the outer walls per yoke and give the room the necessary light. In the basement of the tower there is a three-aisled hall open to the east, which carries the organ stand. The choir, which was redesigned in the 1950s, has windows by Jakob Schwarzkopf from Trier showing the vines and ears of wheat as Eucharistic symbols of bread and wine. The modern choir design is in clear contrast to the neo-Gothic church interior.
The choir is decorated with two figures of St. Mauritius in armor , with a helmet and lance , and St. Aldegundis with the abbess's staff and book. The baroque figures date from the first half of the 18th century. From the previous church comes a seated Mother of God with an undressed standing child made of walnut wood. The high quality work from the second quarter of the 14th century was restored in 1959. The altar dates from the 1930s. The chalice-shaped baptismal font from 1710 was made of gray marble and stands at the east end of the north aisle. A historical decorative painting in the aisle absiden, created in 1873 by Drotsch, was uncovered from the original furnishings. The benches have carved cheeks with tracery . The colored floor tiles show ornamental and figurative motifs.
In July 2005 the “Book of Life” was placed in a showcase, a precious cowhide cover of soldiers who died in World War II and of the inhabitants of Rübenach who died in air raids.
Choir with the sanctuary
Interior with the organ
Figure of Saint Mauritius
Hall under the tower
Book of life
Organ and bells
The organ was built in 1960 by Orgelbau Romanus Seifert & Sohn from Kevelaer .
Since the church was built , the four bells had to be dropped twice. The first time in 1917 in the First World War. They were then re-acquired in 1924 and had to be melted down for the second time in 1941 during World War II, this time only three bells. The third set of fittings was cast on August 25, 1956 by the Mabilon bell foundry in Saarburg . The four new bells arrived in Rübenach on September 21, 1956 and were consecrated two days later. The bells were installed in the church tower on September 26th. You will be rung by an electric bell system from Diegner and Schade from Dorsten .
The following four bells are in the church today:
- Bell 1
- Clay: C, diameter: 155 cm, weight: 2300 kg
- Inscription: 1956 REX REGUM DOMINUS DOMINATIUM CHRISTUS VINCIT, CHRISTUS REGNAT. CHRIST IMPERAT. (King of kings, Lord of rulers, Christ conquers, Christ rules, Christ commands.)
- Bell 2
- Clay: ES, diameter: 132 cm, weight: 1053 kg
- Inscription: 1956 SANTE MAURITI ORA PRO NOBIS! QUAE SUNT CAESARIS CAESARI, QUAE SUNT DEI, DEO! (St. Mauritius pray for us! Give the emperor what is the emperor and God what is God!)
- Bell 3
- Sound: F, diameter: 118 cm, weight: 950 kg
- Inscription: 1956 REGINA ET DOMINA MUNDI, CUNCTAS HAERESES INTERE-MISTI IN UNIVERSO MUNDO! (Queen and mistress of the world, you have destroyed all confusions in the whole world!)
- Bell 4
- Clay: G, diameter: 104 cm, weight: 700 kg
- Inscription: 1956 TU ES PETRUS - PORTAE INFERI NON PRAEVALEBUNT! (You are Peter - the gates of hell will not overwhelm you!)
Parish community
St. Mauritius is part of the " Koblenz (Metternich) parish community ", which also includes St. Johannes Beheading and St. Konrad in Metternich and St. Servatius in Güls . The St. Maternus Chapel in Bubenheim is a branch of St. Mauritius.
Monument protection
The parish church of St. Mauritius is a protected cultural monument under the Monument Protection Act (DSchG) and entered in the list of monuments of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate . It is located in Koblenz-Rübenach on Mauritiusstrasse .
Furthermore, it is a protected cultural asset according to the Hague Convention and marked with the blue and white trademark.
See also
literature
- Energieversorgung Mittelrhein GmbH (ed.): History of the city of Koblenz. (Overall editing: Ingrid Bátori in conjunction with Dieter Kerber and Hans Josef Schmidt)
- Volume 1: From the beginning to the end of the electoral era. Theiss, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-8062-0876-X .
- Volume 2: From the French city to the present. Theiss, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-8062-1036-5 .
- Rübenach a local history , published on the occasion of the celebration of 1200 years of Rübenach, with contributions by Udo Liessem, Hans Gappenach and Werner Reif, 1975
- Ulrike Weber (edit.): Cultural monuments in Rhineland-Palatinate. Monument topography Federal Republic of Germany. Volume 3.3: City of Koblenz. Districts. Werner, Worms 2013, ISBN 978-3-88462-345-9 .
Web links
- All about St. Mauritius in: Unser-ruebenach.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://www.pg-koblenz-metternich.de/
- ↑ General Directorate for Cultural Heritage Rhineland-Palatinate (ed.): Informational directory of cultural monuments - district-free city of Koblenz (PDF; 1.5 MB), Koblenz 2013
Coordinates: 50 ° 22 ′ 25.5 ″ N , 7 ° 31 ′ 7 ″ E