St. Stephanus (Weimar)

The Stephanus Church in Weimar-Schöndorf

Stephanuskirche Weimar-Schöndorf, view from the southeast

The Evangelical Lutheran St. Stephen 's Church in Weimar 's Schöndorf district was built between 1964 and 1966. With its unusual shape, it is an integral part of the townscape .

It is one of the GDR's number of newly built or remodeled sacred buildings, which are limited for political reasons .

history

Schöndorf has belonged to Weimar since 1939 and lies on the rising ridge of the small Ettersberg between Weimar and Großobringen . According to the decision of the district synod of autumn 2012, Schöndorf has been part of the Großobringen parish since 2013.

The community has the youngest church in the parish - it was consecrated in 1966. The foundation stone was laid on June 25, 1964 by Thuringia's regional bishop Moritz Mitzenheim . The consecration took place on May 15, 1966, also with Regional Bishop Mitzenheim.

After the tenure of Pastor Martin Steiger in 1994, the church was renovated with Horst Jahresling as a consultant.

Today the parish Schöndorf belongs to the parish area Schöndorf-Großobringen in the parish of Weimar the Evangelical Church in Central Germany .

architecture

The architect of this church was a church builder and architect Klaus Kaufmann from Eisenach. The geographical proximity to the former Buchenwald concentration camp influenced the architecture of the sacred building. The punched remains on the altar wall, which are broken through by the Cross of the Resurrection, are also reminiscent of the barbed wire, and the red stone tiles refer to the blood-soaked earth of the Ettersberg. In the early years there were numerous events in memory of the victims of the Buchenwald concentration camp.

On its south side, the gleaming white church has extensive glazing with clear glass and glued-on colored glass parts. As a result, the church interior is very bright. The indicated botanical structures with the stalks reaching towards the sky are a harmonious connection to the outside world. After 50 years, the variant originally intended as a temporary solution has become an integral part of the church's architecture and art, and a collection for the necessary renovation is in progress.

The square, slightly tapering church tower is not - as usual - on the west side of the church building, but divides it about a third to two thirds. It can be seen from afar and shapes the silhouette of the village. The bell cage with the bells is housed in it.

organ

image	Organ builder	year	Manuals	register
	Rudolf Bohm	1969	I / P	9

Bells

The church has four bronze bells from the traditional company Franz Schilling Söhne from Apolda , which were lifted into the tower on July 19, 1965:

year	O	Weight (kg)	Nominal	Bell decorations and inscriptions
1965	910	510 or 470	a1	Shoulder / O COUNTRY, COUNTRY, COUNTRY HEAR THE MAN'S WORD // THE MAN'S WORD IS TRUE, AND WHAT IT PROMISES, IT CERTAINLY KEEPERS ♰ / Wolm Gießerzeichen
1965	720	240 or 220	c sharp2	Shoulder / BE MERRY IN HOPE, PATIENT // IN TRUEBSAL ♰ STOP PRAYER / Wolm Gießerzeichen
1965	600	140 or 120	e2	Shoulder / LET THE CHILD COME TO ME AND PROTECT ♰ / / DO NOT, BECAUSE THAT IS THE REALM OF GOD ♰ / Wolm Gießerzeichen
1965	550	100	f sharp 2	Shoulder / BE RECONCILIATED WITH GOD / Wolm foundry mark

Church tower with tower cross and belfry

Interior view with crucifix

Baptismal font and baptismal pot

Namesake

The church is dedicated to the first Christian martyr Stephen .

Pastor of the parish

Parish Vicar Christiane Günzel (from September 1962)
Pastor Siegfried Urban (from May 1966)
Pastor Martin Steiger (from September 1994)
Pastor Bernd Eichert (from September 2001)
Pastor Sabine Hertzsch (from January 2013)

Varia

The Pfarrer-Urban-Straße is dedicated to the longstanding clergyman of this church in Schöndorf as thanks and in memory .
The 50th anniversary of the parish fair was celebrated with a festival weekend from April 29th to May 1st, 2016.

Individual evidence

^ Schöndorf »KG Schöndorf and KGV Großobringen. Retrieved June 9, 2020 .
^ Source: Information from retired pastor Martin Steiger, Weimar, on January 31, 2020
^ EK Weimar - From the community life. Retrieved June 9, 2020 .
↑ Flyer "Help to renovate the stained-glass windows of the Stephanuskirche!" From 2015
^ Pastor Steiger previously worked at St. Johannis Church (Oldisleben) and before that at St. Severi (Blankenhain) ; he worked in Schöndorf until his retirement.
↑ Deutsche Post | ZIP code search. Retrieved June 9, 2020 .
↑ Flyer of the parish and the parish office Schöndorf - Großobringen, spring 2016
↑ Community sheet “Showcase” of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Community Weimar, April 2016 edition, p. 20

Web links

Commons : Stephanuskirche Weimar - Collection of images, videos and audio files

51.014444444444 11.3425Coordinates: 51 ° 0 ′ 52 ″ N , 11 ° 20 ′ 33 ″ E

[1] Schöndorf »KG Schöndorf and KGV Großobringen. Retrieved June 9, 2020 .

[2] Source: Information from retired pastor Martin Steiger, Weimar, on January 31, 2020

[3] EK Weimar - From the community life. Retrieved June 9, 2020 .

[4] Flyer "Help to renovate the stained-glass windows of the Stephanuskirche!" From 2015

[5] Pastor Steiger previously worked at St. Johannis Church (Oldisleben) and before that at St. Severi (Blankenhain) ; he worked in Schöndorf until his retirement.

[6] Deutsche Post | ZIP code search. Retrieved June 9, 2020 .

[7] Flyer of the parish and the parish office Schöndorf - Großobringen, spring 2016

[8] Community sheet “Showcase” of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Community Weimar, April 2016 edition, p. 20