St. Nikolaus (Veringenstadt)
| St. Nikolaus, Veringenstadt | |
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| General view with the bell tower , nave and choir | |
| place | Veringenstadt |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| diocese | Freiburg |
| Patronage | Nicholas of Myra |
| Construction year | 1316 |
| Construction type | Hall church |
| function | Parish church |
The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Nicholas with its towering bell tower significantly shapes the view of Veringenstadt . Today's church goes back to several previous buildings up to the year 1316. The lower tower shaft with a Romanesque entrance portal and a Romanesque font in the entrance area testify to the beginnings . The nave, the choir and the upper part of the bell tower were built between 1862 and 1871. Significant Gothic and Baroque paintings and carvings can be seen in the church: works by the Strüb family of artists , by Niklaus Weckmann and Jörg Syrlin the Elder. J. The choir windows are the work of the Ulm glass painter Wilhelm Geyer .
The parish church of St. Nikolaus is part of the Straßberg-Veringen pastoral care unit, which is located in the Sigmaringen-Meßkirch dean's office .
Story of St. Nicholas
In the imperial period in the middle of the 13th century, robbery, murder and manslaughter went unpunished and the plague spread rapidly. Many of the surrounding hamlets were abandoned and the residents united to form a town under the protection of Veringen Castle .
At first the city could not found its own parish and therefore did not have its own cemetery. The residents of the upper town up to the town hall fountain and on the Gassengraben (today Bahnhofstrasse) belonged to the parish of Deutstetten and the lower town to Veringendorf .
The original little Nikolauskapelle had a small rotunda that only offered space for the altar. In order to enlarge the chapel, the narrow semicircular choir was demolished and a very large one was added, in which, in addition to the altar, there was also space for benches. This building, including the altar, was inaugurated on June 2, 1316 by Auxiliary Bishop Berthold von Konstanz .
In 1471 the Nikolauskapelle was expanded again.
In 1515 there were seven chaplains with their respective chaplains , which were later combined in the St. Nicholas Parish:
- Ursula chaplain since 1360
- Catherine's Chaplaincy since 1368
- Thomas Chaplaincy since 1425
- Chaplaincy of the Holy Spirit since 1464
- John's chaplaincy since 1467
- Early Mass Chaplaincy since 1497 (?)
- Anna chaplain since 1515
At the beginning of the 19th century, the nearby Deutstetten church was the most visited pilgrimage church in Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and Hohenzollern-Hechingen . This pilgrimage church was to be merged with the parish of Veringenstadt and the St. Nicholas Church to be demolished, according to the information from the Sigmaringen Oberamt on April 26, 1811 due to insufficient foundation assets. However, this plan was not implemented.
After Napoleon finally smashed the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in 1806 , the political changes led to St. Nicholas being elevated to a parish and thus a parish church in 1821.
Until 1861, the length of the Nikolaus chapel including the altar rotunda reached the current 1st level of the communion bench . In 1861 the demolition of the old church began. Only the lower part of the church tower remained. The current church was consecrated in 1871.
In 1894 the interior of the church was painted. On the left side of the choir arch a mural was created with Hermann the Lame from the family of the Counts of Veringen , who came from Altshausen. He was a brilliant monk from Reichenau and was called "miracle of the century" by his contemporaries. He was probably the author of the " Salve Regina ". On the right side of the choir arch was St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen shown.
In 1957 there was a fundamental redesign. In order to make the formerly dark church lighter, the three choir windows were extended downwards by 2 m. The walls were deliberately designed with restraint in order to bring the old sculptures and the new windows to the fore and to give the room clarity and calm. The loose arrangement of the sculptures also makes it clear that the sculptures experienced varied places to stay in Veringenstadt with its many chaplains.
Tower and entrance portal
The lower tower shaft dates from the beginning of the 13th century. From the second floor up, the tower dates from 1863. The tower is around 40 m high.
An outer pulpit was located on the south side of the tower until 1956. The parapet was early Gothic tracery and came from the communion bench of the old church before 1863.
The Romanesque entrance portal on the east wall of the tower has double, detached soffits, three-quarter monolith columns with capitals and probably comes from the church that was consecrated in 1316.
Romanesque font in the entrance area
Outside pulpit when a bell is lifted in 1949
Romanesque archway
Equipment of the north nave wall
Holy Bishop Erhard
The figure of St. Bishop Erhard on the north wall of the nave is the oldest figure in the church. Around 1410; Height 68 cm; Linden wood; old version exposed and supplemented. Probably the work of an unknown sculptor from Veringer. Crosier new.
Towards the end of the 7th century he was traveling as a wandering monk in Alsace and founded numerous monasteries here. A legend has been passed down from that period according to which he gave sight to the Alsatian duke's daughter Odilia, who was blind from birth, when she was baptized. St. Erhard is venerated as a patron against eye diseases, plague and animal diseases.
The bishop with a slim body, the bishop's staff in hand and a book as an attribute. Like a monk, he wears a shaved head with a fringe of hair and a curl over his forehead. St. Erhard is usually depicted in pontifical robes. Here he appears in a simple, long red chasuble . The approaches of a hood can be clearly seen on the neck. The medieval parish church of Deutstetten was dedicated to St. Bishop Erhard and St. Dedicated to Walburga . After Deutstetten fell into disrepair around 1530, this figure was probably taken over by Deutstetten in the St. Nikolauskirche.
Grave slab
Also on the north wall of the nave is a 1.90 m high and 60 cm wide grave slab made of sandstone without an inscription (approx. 12th – 13th centuries). In the upper quarter there is a flat relief (2.4 cm) of a protruding Greek cross with a rounded stem. This is possibly the grave slab of a Count von Veringen .
St. Wendelin
St. Wendelin as a young shepherd, 1st half of the 18th century, wood, old frame , height 66 cm, north wall of the nave.
Wendelin is said to have come from a royal family, but decided to live in the service of God. In search of an undisturbed place, he met a nobleman who made him his herder. Wendelin's humility and piety shamed the nobleman, who thereupon built a cell for the saint near a monastery.
St. Andrew the Apostle
A figure of St. Andrew the Apostle is also on the north wall of the nave. The 60 cm high figure is made of linden wood, the back is smooth, the old version has been exposed and supplemented. Sculptor of the Strüb family, Veringenstadt around 1510 (possibly Jakob Strüb the Younger "Master of the Rother Altar" (masterpiece of the Mannheim Reiss Museum)).
Simon Peter's brother rarely finds a representation; mostly he is shown in his martyrdom, with his hands and feet tied to the inclined cross, according to the early Christian tradition, according to which he is said to have suffered martyrdom on November 30, 60/62 in Patras in Greece . He is the patron of fishermen, rope makers, butchers, water carriers and was called upon to marry, against gout and sore throat. After Peter was worshiped as the patron saint of the chapel at the castle, his brother Andreas in Veringenstadt was not forgotten. The figure may have been in the Peters Chapel earlier.
Andreas, depicted alive, with tangled hair and a shaggy beard, is not nailed to the cross, but tied with ropes. The apostle turned his head to the left, opened his eyes and looked down at the people at his feet, to whom he had preached for two more days.
Mother of God
Sculpture of a standing, late Gothic Mother of God with child and grape. Soft style . Approx. 1430-1440; Height 125 cm; Wood; new heavily gold-plated. The child, sitting upright, has put his right hand around the mother's neck. From her straight, crowned head with an elongated face framed by curls, the headscarf falls on both sides in ring folds on the shoulders. “The fruit of your womb is given”. This is how Mary is prayed and that is the symbolism of the grapes. Mary brings a fruit to humanity that brings salvation and life.
From the Middle Ages until 1862, this figure was the main character of a simple shrine , flanked by St. Fabian and St. Nicholas . The old shrine was framed by scenes from the life of the Blessed Mother painted on two double wings. This picture panel was sold in 1815. It can be assumed that these panels of the "Life of Mary" were painted by Hans and Jakob Strüb. In the Princely Hohenzollern Castle Museum in Sigmaringen there are "7 panels of the life of Mary" by Hans and Jakob Strüb, which can be seen as photo reproductions in the Strübhaus in Veringenstadt.
Equipment choir room
altar
The large and heavy high altar made of Trientine marble with its monumentality and clear shape dominates the entire choir. The relief "Isaac's Sacrifice" embedded in the altar is a work by the sculptor Oskar Steidle from Schwenningen (Heuberg) from 1956. A relic of the Holy Martyr Pope Fabian († around 250) was placed in the sepulcrum (grave) of the main altar . walled in.
The simplicity of the room should make it easier to concentrate on the essentials.
Behind the high altar are two grave slabs of Georg von Rechberg († 1554) and his wife Katharina von Rechberg († 1564).
Choir window
The choir windows are the work of the famous Ulm glass painter Wilhelm Geyer . He was a member of the White Rose resistance group , which invoked Christian and humanist values. During the dictatorship of National Socialism, the siblings Sophie and Hans Scholl lived with him in his apartment in Munich.
Wilhelm Geyer is also represented with his glass windows in the Ulm Minster , the Cologne Cathedral , the Xanten Cathedral and the Cathedral of “Our Lady” in Munich . The manufacture of the windows in Veringenstadt was taken over by the Wilhelm Derix company in Rottweil in 1957 .
The strong colors represent a "light revelation " of the central thoughts of the Christian faith:
- Fall of Man
- Incarnation of God
- Suffering of christ
- Sacrificial death and
- Resurrection of Jesus Christ
In the central window Maria is shown with Hermann the Lame , a son of the Counts of Veringen . With her gesture, as in the prayer of Salve Regina “show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your body”, the Mother of God points to the depiction of the Son of God in the upper middle window.
Baptismal font
The octagonal baptismal font made of sandstone (height 90 cm, width 70 cm) was created at the end of the 15th century. On one side, the Greek cross with bulbs is shown as a “living trunk” and “tree of life”. The cross is thus a sign of life versus death.
Sacrament niche
The sacrament niche is 1.21 m high, 1.05 m wide and is made of sandstone. It was probably created in 1471 when the church was expanded. It was taken over from the old church in 1882. The opening is bordered like a portal by a keel arch with crabs and finials , which is flanked by two inclined coats of arms .
St. John the Baptist
The figure of St. John the Baptist is made of limewood and is hollowed out at the back. The version has been supplemented and partially renewed. It was probably made around 1450 by a Veringenstadt sculptor belonging to the Strüb family.
Strictly upright, the right foot taken forward, the other largely hidden under the drapery , the Baptist approaches the viewer. In his left hand he carries a book, a symbol for the word of God , on it the lamb , to which he points with his right hand. The head, framed with strong hair and strands of beard, looks obliquely to the left towards the center of the altar.
Holy Bishop Nicholas
Limewood, hollowed out at the back, frame exposed and supplemented, height 110 cm. Probably a Veringenstadt sculptor from the Strüb family - around 1450.
The hl. Bishop Nikolaus , patron of seafarers and traders, is one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. The fact that the Veringenstadters chose him as their patron saint is also a sign of how much the Lauchertstadt was shaped by the merchants.
The saint in the bishop's robe stands upright, his head with miter turned a little to the left. He holds the right hand raised in blessing, with the other he grips the bishop's staff , at the same time holding the book with the word of God upright to him. Above the book, the three golden balls can be seen as a typical attribute, which according to legend the saint is said to have thrown three poor girls through the open window to secure their marriage.
The chasuble , which tapers to a point between the arms, shows that gentle fold attachment that avoids too strong folds. This figure is also evidence of the efforts of the Veringenstadt sculptor of the Strüb family to overcome the era of the "soft style".
St. Peter
Height 115 cm. Around 1450. Peter with the tiara and the papal insignia is wrapped in a wide cloak. Probably a Veringenstadt sculptor from the Strüb family - around 1450.
St. John Evangelist
Height 110 cm. Around 1510. The figure of St. Johannes Evangelist may have been made as a substitute for the above-mentioned altar shrine.
Equipment for the southern nave wall
Holy clan
The representation of the Holy Kinship is on the right-hand arch of the choir. Linden wood, hollowed back, colored version for. T. new. Height 95 cm, width 116 cm, depth 21 cm. Sculptor presumably Nikolaus Weckmann, Ulm, 1510. In the late Middle Ages, the veneration of the virgin Mother of God Mary extended to her mother, St. Anna out. This led to the popular depiction of Anna herself , the two holy women with the baby Jesus in their midst. Often the group with St. Joseph and St. Joachim adds. It symbolizes the happiness of the family in which God is at home. Mary is sitting with arms crossed in front of her chest, an open book on her lap, a simple crown on her head. Your eyes are thoughtfully directed in front of you. She originally carried a lily in her right hand. Next to her is the mother Anna, who is also seated in the matron's dress , with a head and neck veil. With both hands she holds the naked baby Jesus, who is standing with the right foot on the bench, but with the left foot balanced on the globe in the center of the picture. The grandmother's eyes rest full of kindness and gentleness on the prayer in front of the altar. Behind the two women, the two men lean over a parapet: Josef with folded hands, bald head and short beard, lovingly looking at the idyllic scene. Behind Anna, Joachim with a broad beret on his head and whirling whiskers, holding two white doves in his bent left hand, leans the victim in the temple passage.
Baptismal font
The font was created as part of the church renovation in 1956 and was created by the Rottweiler sculptor Heinrich Schneider. The three-part base and the round baptismal font are made of Trento marble. The cast bronze cover bears several baptismal symbols. The sculpture depicts the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan. “At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John that he could be baptized by him. But John resisted him and said, I need to be baptized by you, and will you come to me? But Jesus answered and said to him, Let it be done now. For it is our due to fulfill all righteousness. So he let it happen. And when Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. And, behold, heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and come upon him. And behold, a voice from heaven said: This is my dear son, in whom I am well pleased. "( Mt 3 : 13-17 EU )
The holy brothers Kosmas and Damian
The standing, youthful St. Damian (98 cm high) with a flat cap and rich curly hair holds a bottle in his right hand in front of his chest. Both figures (approx. 1490) probably come from Jörg Syrlin the Elder. J. from Ulm. They originally flanked the Holy Kinship in the “doctor's guild altar” of the “Heilig-Geist-Spital” chapel, which is now placed on the right-hand side of the choir arch.
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea
A 1.00 m high wooden sculpture from the same time and school. The two figures are very likely from a group of burials that was formerly located here , to which the figures in the Veringendorf church may also belong.
Resurrection Christ
Resurrection Christ, height 108 cm. Wood, around 1490, repainted, under Syrlin influence.
Christ is seated frontally on the globe, his right hand raised with a gesture of blessing, the left hand holding the cross.
Christ on the torture stake
Christ on the stake, from the first half of the 18th century.
St. Sebastian
The hl. Sebastian was a captain at the imperial court. According to legend , when Emperor Diocletian learned of Sebastian's faith, he had him tied to a tree and shot by archers. Sebastian was believed dead and left at the place of execution; but he was not killed by the arrows. When he had recovered, he publicly confronted the astonished emperor in order to hold against him the cruel futility of his persecutions. Diocletian then had him whipped to death.
Bells
1454 - 1942: The largest bell of St. Nicholas came from the year 1454 and bore the inscription in Gothic minuscule: "0 + rex + glorie + christe + veni + cvm pace + mccccliiii".
On July 23, 1897, the small bell broke, which was then replaced by a new one.
During the First World War, all bells across Germany were recorded and categorized according to their age and historical value. In 1916 the two smaller bells of St. Nicholas Church had to be delivered to be melted down.
In 1924 Augustin Pfaff (Chicago) donated three new bells.
During the Nazi dictatorship , the parish had to hand over all the bells from St. Nikolaus and Deutstetten on September 3, 1942 as a “ metal donation from the German people ”.
So only the bell of the Peters Chapel remained. It was installed as a replacement in the bell tower of St. Nicholas' Church. A contemporary wrote at the time: "We have the poorest bells far and wide."
Already four years after the end of the war, 5 bells for the parish church and 2 bells for Deutstetten could be procured. The consecration of the bells was on March 13, 1949. The new ringing of the Heinrich Kurtz bell foundry in Stuttgart consists of five bells that were put together by the Archbishop's Organ Inspector Johannes Maier (Sigmaringen) and Father Gindle (Beuron).
- 1. Bell: The largest bell with the sound e , weight 1140 kg, bears the image of the Most Holy Trinity , the so-called mercy seat , on which the father holds the cross with the son hanging on it, above which St. Mind . The bell bears the inscription: "Let us praise the Father and the Son with the holy spirit, let us praise and exalt him for ever."
- 2nd bell: The second bell with the tone g , weight 880 kg, is consecrated to Christ the King Jesus Christ with the corresponding image of Christ the King, Lord of the World. The inscription reads: “The praise of the King of Christ is to you, Lord above all things, the whole earth circle serves you, in great and small, you highest King, mighty God, shield all of us below, do not give us to our enemies as a mockery and give us finally peace. "
- 3rd bell: The third bell with the sound a , weight 480 kg, is consecrated to the Mother of God , namely to the Immaculate Heart of Mary . In the picture, Our Lady points to her heart with her left hand, while her right shows a graceful, welcoming pose. On the same bell is the picture of the Benedictine monk Hermann the Lame from the dynasty of the Counts of Altshausen-Veringen with a crutch and globe. The inscription reads: "O Mother of Mercy, you our life's sweetness, you our hope, be greeted, o help when our eyes close." Hermann the Lame was a brilliant monk from Reichenau and was called "miracle of the century" by his contemporaries called. He is the alleged author of the " Salve Regina ".
- 4th bell: The fourth bell with the tone h , weight 325 kg, bears the image of the church patron , St. Bishop Nicholas . The inscription reads: “Saint Nicholas, you strong hoard , be a helper to us in every need, and lead us to God's throne, always remain our patron saint.” The bell reads further: “Pastor was Wilhelm Dreher. Stefan Fink was mayor in 1949. ”The two honorary citizens of Veringen are also mentioned:“ In memory of Apostolic Protonotary, Cathedral Dean and Vicar General Adolf Rösch , Freiburg, and Vicar General P. Ildefons Deigendesch CSB Mission Prelate , Rio Branco , Brazil ”.
- 5th bell: The fifth bell with the tone c sharp , weight 230 kg, is dedicated to the Guardian Angel and shows the angel holding his hand protectively over a child. This bell, intended as a baptismal bell, bears the inscription: “Thank children for the grace of baptism. Faithful, innocent, truth, be your path. "
In the clockwork of the tower clock, a mechanical control ensures that the bells strike the hour.
1st bell,
motif: mercy seat
2nd bell,
motif: Christ the King
3rd bell,
motif: Mother of God
3rd bell, motif: Hermann the Lame
4th bell,
motif: Bishop Nikolaus
Clockwork of the tower clock
- Historical recordings: St. Nikolaus Veringenstadt, consecration of the bell and bell lift in 1949
Bell consecration
Bell consecration
Bell lift
Bell lift
Bell lift
Bell lift
Pastor of the parish
literature
- Thomas Fink: Materials on the history of the city of Veringen. Volume 29: St. Nicholas . 2014.
- Walther Genzmer : The art monuments of Hohenzollern. Volume 2: Sigmaringen district . W. Speemann, Stuttgart 1948.
- Manfred Hermann: Art in the district of Sigmaringen: Plastic . Sigmaringen 1986.
- Herbert Rädle: A holy clan in the Veringenstadt parish church. Hohenzollern homeland . 2008, 4, pp. 73f.
- Albert Waldenspul : The Gothic wooden sculpture of the Lauchert valley in Hohenzollern . Tübingen 1923.
- Karl Theodor Zingeler , Wilhelm Friedrich Laur : The architectural and art monuments in the Hohenzollern'schen lands . Paul Neff Verlag, Stuttgart 1896, Google digitized version (PDF).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Diocesan archive Freiburg, document signature: UZ 645
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Th. Fink: Materials on the history of the city of Veringen. Volume 29: St. Nicholas. 2014.
- ↑ Adolf Rösch : The religious life in Hohenzollern under the influence of Wessenbergianism 1800-1850. A contribution to the history of the religious enlightenment in southern Germany. Cologne 1908. Page 97 f.
- ↑ Frank Maibaum: The meaning of different cross shapes , accessed on January 17, 2019
- ↑ a b c d see Genzmer (1948)
- ↑ See Zingeler, Laur (1896)
- ↑ Mecklenburg. Journal of the Heimatbund Mecklenburg, Jg. 12/1917, P. 75 ff. The expropriation of the church bells
- ↑ Ordinance for the protection of the metal collection of the German people of March 29, 1940. In: Gerhard Werle: Justiz-Strafrecht und police crime fighting in the Third Reich.
- ^ Chronicle of the Heinrich Kurtz bell foundry
Coordinates: 48 ° 10 '44.4 " N , 9 ° 12' 44.9" E