St. Stephan (Unterostendorf)
The Roman Catholic branch church of St. Stephan is a rococo late Gothic hall church in the Unterostendorf district of Oberostendorf in the Swabian district of Ostallgäu . It belongs to the parish of the Assumption of Mary in Oberostendorf in the Kaufbeuren deanery of the Augsburg diocese .
History and architecture
The elegant Rococo country church was built in 1752/1753 according to plans by Franz Kleinhans through the conversion of a late Gothic predecessor structure, the nave was increased, the choir was redesigned and the tower was given new upper floors. The single-nave nave with three axes has a two-story, curved west gallery and is closed off by a barrel vault with stitch caps . The retracted choir is closed with a pendentive dome and ends in a three-sided, barrel-vaulted end. A three-part group window with a curved ocular is arranged on the southern side wall . On the north side is the tower, which carries a slim tower with beveled corners and an onion dome above a high square substructure . Extensive restoration work was carried out between 1978 and 1990, during which the high altar was restored (1978), the choir arch and tower statically upgraded (1980/81), the dome renewed and the outside renovated (1983), the organ installed and renovated (1985 ), the side altars (1988) and Stations of the Cross (1990) renovated.
The rich stucco interior was made in 1753 by Joseph Fischer . The coat of arms of the Augsburg Prince-Bishop Joseph, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, is placed above the choir arch . The frescoes were also created in 1753 by Franz Joseph Degle. In the choir, they show a representation of Stephen in front of the High Council with Salvator mundi , Mary and apostles in the spandrels and on the north wall an illusionistically painted oratorio with praying peasants. In the nave, the martyrdom of Stephen is depicted with apostles in the cartouches, on the lower gallery parapet divine virtues. A strongly renewed depiction of the crucifixion of Christ can be found on the outer choir front wall.
Furnishing
The high altar was created by Fischer in 1753 and shows in the altar sheet by Degle the glory of Saint Stephen with the figures of Saints Franz Xavier and Johann Nepomuk and Saints Magnus and Antonius of Padua arranged on the side . The side altars were created by Johann Kaspar Gardeth in 1770 and show the pictures, also painted by Gardeth, with Mary's engagement on the left and the fourteen helpers in need on the right.
Noteworthy is the pulpit from 1753, which as a sound cover has a freely swinging cornice with putti and the dove of the Holy Spirit, above it is equipped with an extract-like back and on the side with volutes and vase attachments. The sound cover bears an inscription with Lk 11.28 EU .
Several paintings from the end of the 17th century show the Trinity with Mary, the Prince of the Apostles and the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The Way of the Cross from 1750 is decorated with carved frames by Gardeth and accompanying original wooden panels with the step numbers of the Way of the Cross.
In the choir there are grave monuments for Peter von Gaisberg († 1571) and his wife on the north side and for Hans von Gaisberg († 1606) and his two wives as relief with stucco and terracotta .
The upper gallery bears the small box-like organ from the second half of the 18th century, which was repaired and slightly changed in 1881. The organ was sold around 1950 and acquired again in 1985 after a restoration by Albert Greiter and installed. Two bells from 1913 and 1925 ring the bell.
literature
- Georg Dehio : Handbook of the German art monuments. Bavaria III: Swabia. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Munich, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-422-03116-6 , pp. 1041-1042.
- Hans Pörnbacher: The churches of Ober- and Unterostendorf. Art Guide No. 2108, Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 1995.
Web links
Coordinates: 47 ° 57 ′ 5.4 " N , 10 ° 43 ′ 50.5" E