Bremgarten town church

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The city church with tower and main portal
The town church seen from the southeast

The listed town church of St. Nikolaus is an important landmark of the city of Bremgarten in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland . It is located in the heart of the lower town and is surrounded by important buildings of the Catholic parish. It stands in the church district on a former cemetery square, towers over the adjacent buildings and is visible from afar. The 64 meter high tower can already be seen from the Mutschellen Pass in the direction of Bremgarten.

The history of the church can be dated back to the 11th century. It was the scene of the Reformation by the reformer Heinrich Bullinger and his father of the same name in the 16th century. Bremgarten found back to the Catholic faith shortly afterwards. The church was burned four times in its history, three times during the late Middle Ages and once due to improper renovation work on March 28, 1984.

Before the Reformation, the church was consecrated to Maria Magdalena and a side aisle to Nikolaus von Myra . As a sign of the return to the Catholic faith, Nicholas of Myra was chosen as the main patron after the Reformation. The side aisle was later dedicated to the catacomb saint Synesius, whose bones the church received in the 17th century.

Most of the current building was built during the Gothic period. The style of the interior furnishings reconstructed after the fire is based on the later Baroque and Renaissance epochs . Only the movable objects of the church are from the original time, as they were removed from the church before the renovation work.

location

The church is located in the heart of the lower town on a rectangular churchyard square that was formerly used as the town cemetery. Today the square consists of paved sidewalks and lawns and some clergy graves. The churchyard square is bordered by the St. Anne's Chapel , the Mother of God Chapel , the St. Clara's Chapel , a funeral corridor and a small wall. Around the square are important buildings of the parish such as the parsonage, the former Clarisse monastery and today's parish center, the parish hall, the former organist's house and some beneficiary and town houses.

The benefice houses donated the chapels and the altars in the church in the 15th and 16th centuries. A benefice house was the headquarters of a church office that was responsible for a specific church, school or pastoral task and at the same time took care of the financing. People from the city of Bremgarten were able to pay a lump sum and annual interest for an altar with the beneficiary, whose cartridge was then to be honored in a perpetual mass. The founder was also remembered in the mass.

history

Bremgartner sub-settlements in the 11th century

Archaeological studies show that the first construction phase took place before the city was actually founded and that the church was probably built in the 11th century by the Habsburgs .

In the area around today's old town there were two settlements in the 11th century. The first was located around a medieval castle (today's Bremgartner Schlösschen in the old town) and was called Vilingen . The second sub- settlement was below the steeply sloping moraine spur at the location of today's lower town, was already called Bremgarten , was southwest of the church on the left and right of the Reuss and was connected by a ferry . The church was built on the edge of this settlement and originally belonged to the neighboring village of Eggenwil , where the Habsburgs owned a court. Since no donor's grave was found, the church was probably a tax-exempt private church of the Habsburgs and had had the right to baptize, which was not a matter of course at the time. The construction of this church thus initiated the ecclesiastical independence of the settlement of the Habsburg Eggenwil. The Bremgarten settlement was first mentioned between 1135 and 1140, when Count Albrecht II , guardian of the Muri monastery from 1111 to 1140, donated his manor in Eggenwil and the Bremgarten settlement, including the church, to the Muri monastery.

Bremgarten and Vilingen grew together into one larger settlement in the 12th century. The church and settlement remained under the Habsburg court rule at Eggenwil until the beginning of the 15th century.

Depiction of the lightning strike on August 7, 1580 by Johann Jakob Wick

The church was first mentioned in a document in 1252 by the folk priest Markwart, a cleric of the Counts of Habsburg, about ten years after Bremgarten received city rights from Rudolf von Habsburg . In 1415 Duke Friedrich IV lost the cellar office by conquering the city of Zurich . Because of this defeat, his wife, Princess Anna von Braunschweig, donated the church to what was then Bremgartner Spital on July 2, 1420, with the obligation to commemorate her at an annual mass, which is still observed today. Another consecration of the church in 1427 is known.

In 1519 the pastor Heinrich Bullinger (father of the reformer Heinrich Bullinger ) forbade the papal indulgence preacher Bernhardin Samson from preaching, thus setting the first sign of the Reformation . In the following years, the dispute over the Reformation in Bremgarten came to almost civil war-like conditions. In 1529, Bremgarten appointed the son and reformer Heinrich Bullinger as pastor, who worked for two years. Due to the political upheavals of the Second Kappel War , Bremgarten returned to the Catholic faith on October 4, 1532 and elected Nikolaus von Myra as the new church patron . The church as a whole building was reconciled for the third time in its history.

On August 7, 1580, lightning struck the town church, which Johann Jakob Wick recorded in his collection of news on contemporary history from the years 1560–87 in text and drawings. The picture shows how lightning strikes the church tower. The Sigrist and an assistant are ringing the bell and are surprised by the lightning strike. The Sigrist falls over and a shoe comes off his foot.

Building history and architecture

Floor plan before the restoration work and the 1984 fire
Inside, overall view

The church was a rectangular hall church typical of the 11th century, 20.7 meters long and 14 meters wide. It reached from the choir arch of today's main nave to a little over the westernmost column of today's aisle yoke. The width of today's main nave corresponds to the width of the first building. At that time the church had a ground floor and the only place to sit was a stone bench built into the western wall. There was a high altar on the east wall and a baptismal font in the middle of the church. A cemetery was created around the building.

The first interior subdivision was made in the middle of the 13th century. A sacristy was built to the northeast and an ossuary to the southeast by building two L-shaped walls to the east. The high altar stood in the middle of a resulting choir , which was separated from the main hall by an additional barrier wall. The bench was extended on the south wall. The sacristy received a base made of mortar and the ossuary was excavated like a cellar.

Due to the population growth of the city, the interior of the church was no longer sufficient for the number of worshipers. The church was extended to the west and at that time probably assumed the dimensions of today's main nave. The church at that time had three altars: the high altar, a side altar on the west wall of the sacristy and probably another on the west wall of the ossuary. The location of the third altar could no longer be proven archaeologically. A documented consecration of this extended church took place on August 18, 1300. This building was badly damaged by fire about forty years later, perhaps even largely destroyed, and then had to be rebuilt.

The new construction began with the tower first, because the year in the so-called Wendelstein of the tower foundation testifies to the start of construction of the tower by master Rudolf von Merenschwand in 1343. The entire tower had a height of about 50 meters without the later added eyelash of the belfry. The ground floor was probably used as a sacristy. In order to be able to hold church services in the damaged building, an emergency roof was erected, which was supported in the interior on wooden pillars arranged in pairs and housed in masonry plinths. The walls had become brittle because of the fire and were no longer able to support a roof. As a further expansion step, today's three-sided choir was built on the east side, including a choir arch wall as a transition to the main nave.

Since the church was again badly damaged in the town fire in 1382, the west wall had to be rebuilt from scratch and the north and south walls renovated. The walls were extended to their present height.

In the first 30 years of the 15th century, a chapel wing with two chapels was built on the north side, which shared a wall with the church. The construction of these chapels proceeded slowly. The eastern one was completed first, and the western one about twenty years later.

On March 20, 1434 the lower town of Bremgarten burned down and with it the church again and had to be restored again. At that time, it was limited to the most necessary measures such as the renovation of the roof, the church floor and the interior. The church was finally reconciled on July 31, 1435 . The federal troops occupied Bremgarten and Baden in May 1443 during the second phase of the Old Zurich War and plundered through the neighboring country. Another reconciliation was necessary (documented on July 5, 1457), probably because of damage or looting by the federal troops. Because of the renovation work that had become necessary due to the population growth and the damage in recent years, it was decided to convert. In 1450 the chapels built on the north side were integrated as a side aisle by tearing down the north wall of the church. The church was probably decorated with Gothic frescoes during this expansion or a little later. Another documented reconciliation in 1487 indicates a renovation, a new building or a restoration of the church or the interior.

In 1532 a one-story sacristy was added. In 1575 the sacristy was extended with a second floor and thus reached the current volume. The late Renaissance portal on the south wall was built in 1617. Hans Jakob Ablutz from Mellingen repainted the tower clock in 1681. During the year 1742/43 the tower were a belfry and a new spire attached. Four years later (1747) the Zug clockmaker Michael Landtwing renewed the church tower clock. The main portal was built in 1804.

Foundation

The main nave , widened by two meters on both sides and designed as a nave , lies next to the high choir, which is closed on three sides . The side aisle connects to the north side of the main nave and is shortened by a nave yoke on the choir side. At this point is the almost square tower, which has a side length of eight meters on the ground floor and the wall thickness is 2.2 meters. The sacristy has two floors and is set off to the outside by a staircase with a spiral staircase . It is also located on the north side of the choir.

The construction of the attic and the tower after the fire was carried out by Max Vogelsang AG in Wohlen under the supervision of the architect V. Moser.

tower

The 64 meter high tower is a high Gothic work. It is sparsely structured, but has a brick lash . The lower bell chamber is open on all sides and has lined, ogival twin sound windows. The two pointed arches of the windows are underpinned by a rectangular central pillar with strong fighters . The main entrance to the tower is in front of the choir between the two side altars on the left.

The helm of the tower had a green, copper patina before the fire . After the fire, the tower helmet was manufactured by Max Vogelsang AG and Paul Grunder AG in Teufen . Today the roof is painted red. The height of the helmet is 37 meters.

Catacomb Saint Synesius

The church has relics of the bones of the catacomb saint Synesius, about whose life nothing is known. The bones were removed from the Calepodius catacomb in Rome in 1652 under Pope Innocent X and through the mediation of the commander of the Swiss Guard Johann Rudolf Pfyffer von Altishofen and brought to Bremgarten by the city pastor Heinrich Honegger and the capitular Christopherus Bürgisser.

On August 18, 1653, Bremgarten celebrated the arrival of the bones and the houses and streets were decorated with garlands of flowers, triumphal arches and inscription panels. The abbot Dominicus of the Muri Monastery , the Abbot Georgius of the Adelberg Monastery in Württemberg and more than 90 priests from the religious and religious clergy as well as political envoys from the cantons of Uri , Schwyz , Glarus and Zug were present at the celebrations . The bones were then placed in the specially created altar in the town church.

The relic saint is called on Synesifest, the fourth Sunday in October, to help out with eye diseases. For this purpose, a clergyman holds a bone of the saint set in gold to the forehead and pronounces a blessing. The Synesifest is still popular today. The decorated bones (skull and some extremity bones) are exhibited in a shrine in the Synesius altar during the festival. During the year, the bones are kept in a burglar-proof room in the rectory.

On October 24, 1753, the 100th anniversary of the transfer of the catacomb saint Synesius was celebrated. For the anniversary, the sisters of the Gnadenthal Monastery recaptured the bones and embedded them in a new glass shrine. The celebration was first scheduled for October 22nd, but had to be postponed for two days due to bad weather. More than 10,000 people took part. The program consisted of a procession and a festival of three acts and eight scenes, which revolved around the martyr Synesius. The music for this was composed by the Bremgartner Father Caspar Bürgisser, who later became the abbot of the Wettingen monastery .

On Monday, October 24, 1853, the 200th anniversary of the transfer of the catacomb saint Synesius took place. First, the celebration was banned by the cantonal government in Aarau because the necessary permit was missing. There were also concerns about the lack of security and the lack of lessons in schools. The city council of Bremgarten sent a delegation to Aarau, which mediated successfully. So the celebration could take place as planned.

On October 25, 1953, the 300th anniversary of the transfer of Synesius was celebrated. There were several masses and sermons. The guests of honor were Abbot Stephan Kauf from Muri-Gries Abbey and Canon G. Binder von Solothurn .

Church fire on March 28, 1984

The burning attic

On the afternoon of March 28, 1984, the church burned down while renovating. The workers treated the beams in the choir with a wood preservative that emitted fire-hazardous fumes. Shortly after injecting the entablature, at 1:50 p.m. a worker used a cutting disc to cut off a screw that was still protruding from the entablature. The flying sparks ignited the vapors of the wood impregnation agent suddenly and there was an explosion in the choir. Nobody got hurt. In the hours that followed, the fire spread from the choir over the roof structure to the main portal. Since the door to the tower was open, the fire could penetrate there and set the whole tower on fire. At 4 p.m., when the tower was in full fire, the big bell rang for the last time. After the extinguishing work was stopped at 5:30 p.m., the bells fell and caused the fire to flare up again. All but one of the bells melted. Bremgarten lost what was then the oldest bell in the canton of Aargau . The bell, which survived the fire badly damaged, now stands outside the church as a fire memorial. The sacristy was spared from the fire because the door from the choir to the sacristy was locked. The church roof, the organ and the organ gallery as well as the superstructure of the altars were victims of the flames.

The spire has caught fire

About a hundred firefighters from Bremgarten, Wohlen and Lenzburg were on duty. As the head of the tower was too small, a helicopter was used, the water from the Reuss brought and poured into the tower walls after the burnt spire had fallen into the tower. The helmet collapsed because of the scaffolding and not on surrounding buildings. This enabled the fire inside the tower to be extinguished and the tower walls to be saved from collapsing. The fire was not under control until around 8 p.m. Since the church tower and the scaffolding threatened to collapse, the area around the church was evacuated. Because of after-fires, the fire brigade observed the fire for three days.

Since the plans had been recorded exactly before the renovation began, the church was rebuilt almost true to the original thanks to donations and contributions from the lottery fund by architect Walter Moser . Six new bells were cast for the Church on June 29, 1986, and were consecrated and raised by children on October 25, 1986. On December 6, 1987, the renovated church was finally consecrated. The contract for the new organ was signed with Metzler AG in Dietikon in November 1985. The work lasted until 1988 and the organ was put into operation after the official church inauguration in August 1988.

Bells

Former big bell from 1641 as a fire memorial next to the church

History of the earlier bells

An unknown bell founder made three bells for the church in 1515. These did not survive until the 20th century. In 1641, the Lorraine bell founders Honoré les Rossier, Claude les Rossier and Jean de Norge produced new bells to complete a seven-part chord with the bells from the 16th century in the church. In 1741 the Council of Churches demanded that three split bells should be cast. He first got to the bell founder Peter Ludwig Keizer, but did not reach an agreement with him. The two grandsons of the founders from 1641, Louis and Nicolas les Rossier, restored the largest bell and replaced the second largest. The Bremgartner Stadtkirche received a death bell in 1771, which was cast by Joseph Anton Brandenberg from Zug.

Bell inventory before the fire in 1984

New little bell dedicated to Mother Teresa. Cast on June 29, 1986

Before the fire there were eight bells in the church bell:

  1. A bell (diameter 55 centimeters) from 1641 with antique writing on the neck “LAUS EIUS IN ECCLESIA SANCTORUM • PSAL. CXLIX & EX FRAGMENTIS REDIVIVA ANON. MDCXXXXI » and the Bremgartner city arms. This bell was later welded again.
  2. Death bell (diameter 82 centimeters) from 1771. On the neck of the grotesque frieze was written DEO HONOREM PATRIBVS PATRIE LAVDEM PRO BON BVBLICO in antiqua. S. GEORGE ORA PRO NOBIS ANNO 1771 and just below was "BY HITZ VND FEVR I AM flowed JOSEPH ANTONI BRANDENBERG IN TRAIN HAS ME Gossen" . Between pendants with fruit were the reliefs of Mary, Jesus on the cross, St. George, St. Nicholas, Emperor Heinrich and the Bremgartner city arms.
  3. A bell (74 centimeters in diameter) with an inscription on the neck with images of the evangelists and a text in Gothic lowercase letters "anno dmi mccclxxxxvii" (translated: "In the year of the Lord 1397" ). This bell from 1397 was the oldest bell in Canton Aargau at the time .
  4. Agatha bell (diameter 105 centimeters) from 1641. On the neck between scrollwork and grotesque frieze there was an antiquarian writing “MENTEM • SANCTAM • SPONTANEAM • HONOREM • DEO • & PATRIAE • LIBERATIONEM • S. AGATHA • ORA • PRO • NOBIS • 1641 •” and reliefs by Jesus on the cross, the patron saints St. Nicholas and Maria Magdalena, from John the Baptist, from Thomas, from Verena, from Agatha and also the Bremgartner city arms.
  5. A bell (diameter 116 centimeters) from 1641 with antiquarian writing on the neck between the scrollwork and grotesque frieze "LAUDATE DOMINUM IN CYMBALIS BENESONANTIBUS, LAUDATE EUM IN CYMBALIS IUBILATIONIS • PS • 150 • ANNO DOMINI MDCXXXI." (Translated: «Praise God with melodious cymbals, Praise him with joyful cymbals. Psalm 150. In the year of the Lord 1641» ). The relief showed images of Maria, the church patrons St. Nikolaus and Maria Magdalena, Michael, Laurentius, Margaretha, Mauritius, Francis, as well as the Bremgarten coat of arms with an imperial eagle.
  6. Angelus bell (diameter 130 centimeters) from 1859. The neck inscription was “AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM. SANCTE MARIA ORA PRO NOBIS PECATORIBUS » . It had reliefs of Mary, Jesus on the cross, Peter, Paul, John the Baptist and Agatha. It was cast by the Rüetschi bell foundry in Aarau.
  7. A bell (diameter 146 centimeters) from 1743. On the neck between the tendril and palmette frieze was written in antiqua: “A FVLGVRE ET TEMPESTATE AC OMNI MALO LIBERA NOS O REX GLORIAE CHRISTE ET VENI NOBIS CVM PACE. ANNO DOMINI MDCCXXXXIII » . The coat bore reliefs of Mary, Jesus on the cross, Sebastian, Katharina, Agatha and the Bremgartner city arms.
  8. A bell (diameter 163 centimeters) from 1641 and restored in 1743. On the neck it is written in antiqua script “FESTA COLO PLANGO DEFVNCTOS FVLGVRA FRANGO ET CRVCE QVIDQVID ERIT TE SVPERABO MALI. ANNO DOMINI MDCCXXXXIII » The coat bears the inscription « HONORATVS ET CLAVDIVS LES ROSIERS LOTHARINGI NOS FECERVNT ANNO 1641 QUOS HORUM NEPOTES LVDOVICVS ET NICOLAVS LES ROISERS ET IOANNES CAVDRILLIER RESTAVRAVER » The cloak bears the reliefs of the Annunciation ( “AVE GRATIA PLENA” ), the crucifixion group with Jesus and the two criminals, the church patron St. Nicholas, Maria Magdalena, Synesius and Michael as well as the Bremgarten coat of arms. This bell stands today as a memorial on the church square.

Today's bells

Bell lift on October 25, 1986 (St. Nicholas Bell)
Surname volume Weight in kg
Cast on June 29, 1986
Nicholas of Myra B 0 3013
Mary Magdalene d 1 1493
Maria ( angelus bell ) f 1 913
Synesius g 1 630
Óscar Romero b 1 370
mother Teresa c 2 270

The new bells come from the H. Rüetschi bell foundry in Aarau . The largest was cast on August 29, 1986 and the remaining five on June 13, 1986. For the new bells, in addition to new material, 462 kg of the bells melted by the fire were used. A total of 6689 kg of a copper bronze (79% copper / 21% tin, ± 1%) were cast for six bells.

The new bells are only dedicated to one person. One bell each bears the name of the church patron Nikolaus von Myra and Maria Magdalena. The angelus bell is dedicated to Mary and another to the catacomb saint Synesius. As a reference to the time when these bells were cast, the two smallest each have the name of a current person: the second smallest the name of Bishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez of San Salvador, who was murdered on March 24, 1980, and the smallest the name of the then still living Mother Teresa in Kolkata .

All bells bear the inscription «KATH. KIRCHGEMEINDE BREMGARTEN 1986 » and on the shelf on the back in smaller letters « BELLENGIESSEREI H. RÜETSCHI AG • AARAU » . The two largest bells were donated: the largest (Nikolaus) by the local company Georg Utz AG , a manufacturer of storage and transport containers, and the second largest (Maria Magdalena) by the Reformed parish of Bremgarten-Mutschellen.

  1. “MOTHER TERESA” is written on the front of the coat , below with smaller letters “MOTHER OF THE POOREST • AND THE DYING • IN CALCUTTA” .
  2. On the front of the coat it says “BISHOP OSCAR ROMERO” , underneath in smaller letters “FIGHTERS FOR JUSTICE • VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE • IN SAN SALVADOR † 1980” .
  3. On the front of the cloak is "SYNESIUS" , underneath with smaller letters "CATACOMB SAINTS • VORED IN BREMGARTEN SINCE 1653" .
  4. “ANGELUSGLOCKE” is written on the front of the coat , below with smaller letters “MARIA SPRACH: SEE • I AM THE LORD'S MAID • IT IS DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD • LK 1, 38” .
  5. On the front of the cloak is “MARIA MAGDALENA” , underneath with smaller letters “AFTER JESUS ​​• RISEN • HE FIRST APPEARED • MARIA MAGDALENA • MK 16.9” and on the edge of the front with even smaller letters “PENCILED BY REF. CHURCH COMMUNITY BREMGARTEN-MUTSCHELLEN » .
  6. On the front of the coat it says “ST. NIKOLAUS » , below with smaller letters « BISHOP OF MYRA • A MAN OF GOOD • AND READY TO HELP » and on the shelf of the front with even smaller letters « PENCILED BY GEORG UTZ AG » .

A clapper made of hammer-forged soft iron was attached to each bell on an adjustable suspension device with the help of a leather connection. The bells are attached to an iron yoke with axles and self-aligning ball bearings (slightly cranked yoke). For the largest bell, the yoke also had to be strongly curved (strongly cranked) and a counterweight clapper (GGK for short or standard GGK) installed.

The transport and installation of the belfry and the preparations for the bell lift began on October 20, 1986. The consecration of the bells with subsequent lift took place on October 25, 1986. The pupils from municipal kindergartens and schools were allowed to raise the six bells by pulley . The bells were raised from the smallest to the largest by children of a certain age. The whole thing looked like pulling a rope . The lightest bell ("Mother Teresa") was raised by the kindergarten students, the heaviest bell ("St. Nicholas") was finally raised by high school students. The installation in the bell chamber and the follow-up checks lasted until October 31, 1986.

The bronze was charged at 23.50 francs per kilogram and the price came to a total of 157,191.50 francs for the raw material including casting. Bell cage and clapper cost 36,500 francs. Including planning and installation work, the bells cost a total of CHF 242,511.50.

On Good Friday, the bells are symbolically sent to Rome for blessing. Instead of the bells ringing, the Klepper (also called Rafele ) sounds . The old Klepper was destroyed in the 1984 fire. The carpenter's workshop Russenberger and the private man Kurt Heizmann built a new Klepper and donated it to the church.

Interior

Frescoes

Late Gothic fresco fragments in the choir.

Before the restoration work in the early 1980s, the walls in the church were painted white. On the south and north walls there were pictures of the Way of the Cross . A larger than life crucifix and two statues, one on the left and one on the right, were attached above the choir arch . The restored crucifix now hangs over the south side entrance, where before the renovation there was a large painting depicting Jesus. The only picture of the original frescoes uncovered in 1897 was an 80 by 32 cm depiction of Mary with a naked baby Jesus in three-quarter profile, which can be attributed to the Soft Style of the early 15th century.

During renovation work in mid-1983, frescoes by the artist Paul Widerkehr from 1630 were uncovered. His work was painted over in 1780 when the church was baroque . The church fire in 1984 completely destroyed the frescoes in the choir. Among the recurring frescoes, however, fragments of frescoes from the late Gothic period around 1500 emerged from the fire . As far as they were still preserved, these were exposed and now adorn the choir. They depict the twelve apostles oversized and classically dressed, holding their typical marks (e.g. the key for Peter) and a scroll with a Creed sentence in their hands . The apostles stand in arcades . The choir arch today shows the scene of the Annunciation by the angel Gabriel , whereby only the figure of Mary and the angel could be exposed by the restorers. The backdrop was repainted.

The return frescos in the nave were also attacked by the fire, but not completely destroyed. They could be restored and show a cycle with Jesus and his apostles in the frame of the window. In the arcades in the middle of the church, passion angels with crucifixion tools are painted in their hands. Window fronts such as arcades to the Synesius Ship also have pseudo-architectural images that are intended to make the church appear larger and more spacious. The front wall of the Synesius ship bears an image of the Last Judgment .

Choir

In the choir, next to the high altar, there are reconstructions on both sides of a twelve-seat choir stalls by FA Hedinger from 1820. It is considered a neo-classical and neo-Gothic transitional work. The walls have pilaster strips and the chairs have walnut veneer .

The Eternal Light is a traffic light in the Regency style from 1741 with the master's mark of the Augsburg silversmith Franz Christoph Mäderl and the donor's coat of arms from Meyenberg von Bremgarten. The traffic light is a double vase with many ornaments in a cylindrical case. Three angel figures each sit on three volute brackets shifted by 180 degrees, each with a device for attaching the chains. Curved candlestick arms with crown-shaped candle cups are attached in the middle of the angles between these volute bows.

High altar

Choir with high altar in black and white marbling.

The high altar was first consecrated on August 18, 1300, later reconciled on July 31, 1435 after the fire accident in the lower town . After the church was rebuilt after the Old Zurich War, he was reconciled on July 5, 1457 and consecrated to Maria Magdalena. On July 25th, 1647 the altar was reconciled again and on July 25th, 1647 it was probably relocated and consecrated to today's church patrons Nikolaus von Myra and Maria Magdalena, as well as Katharina von Alexandrien , Sebastian and Verena .

Around 1700 the high altar was built in the manner of the sculptor Johann Friedrich Boul from Kaiserstuhl . Today's high altar in the choir is a reconstruction of the high altar from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Before the fire, the altarpiece was marbled green, yellow and red. The reconstruction today is marbled with a black base color and white veins.

The altarpiece shows Mary's Assumption, dating from the artist Franz Karl Stauder . It is framed by a column-supported gable. This wears an aedicule with a round image of the Holy Trinity. An inscription cartouche is placed between the altarpiece and the round picture. Another inscription cartouche sits between two angels on the aedicule. The larger-than-life statues of the church patrons St. Nicholas and Maria Magdalena stand between the pairs of columns. St. Nicholas carries a gilded crook in his right hand and has placed his left hand on his heart. Maria Magdalena carries a crucifix in her right hand and a gilded skull on her left arm. Both statues wear white robes. Statues of St. Catherine and Agatha stand on the two outer columns.

In front of this structure is the altar table with a polygonal tabernacle . The altar table has the same black and white marbling as the rear structure and thus adapts to the overall picture. The tabernacle has side niches with the figures of Peter and Paul.

Side altars

The Altar of Our Lady, which originally stood under the choir arch.

After the choir arch there are four reconstructions of the side altars by the artist Lorenz Schmid, which are consecrated from north to south to Archangel Michael , Mary , Joseph of Nazareth and Agatha of Catania . The original altars were made in 1779 and 1780, but were destroyed in the church fire in 1984.

The altars each consist of a niche-shaped column retable with a top gable. The altarpieces are by Franz Ludwig Hermann . Each altar has a main leaf and a round picture in the top gable. Angels sit on the pillars of each altar, and there are two statues next to the pillars.

  • Michael Altar: The first consecration took place on August 18, 1300, another on October 4, 1532. He was consecrated to Archangel Michael, as well as Eligius , Jodok , Quirinus of Siscia and Agnes of Rome . In the first few years the altar was honored on the Sunday before the Remembrance Day of Bartholomew on August 24th and later in the Pentecost octave like most other altars. Today's main sheet shows a picture of Michael and the round picture shows Agnes. On the left side of the altar there is a statue of Quirinus and on the right Eligius.
  • Altar of Our Lady: This altar was first mentioned on February 28, 1411 and a consecration is documented on June 26, 1467. On October 4, 1532 it was consecrated to Mary and John the Baptist , Jacob , all the apostles , Barbara of Nicomedia , George and Joseph. It used to be called the Middle Altar or Bullinger Altar and originally stood under the choir arch. The altar was honored in the octave of Pentecost. It was later moved to its current position to the left of the choir arch, replacing the altar of the Lord's Passion , which was patronized by the Three Kings and other saints. This altar was in the charters of Stifterpfrund not mentioned at November 3, 1532 and June 26, 1467 in Rekonziliation the church on October 4 1,532th Structure of today's altar: The main sheet shows the awarding of the scapular by Maria to Simon Stock and a group of guardian angels . The baby Jesus sits on Mary's lap. On the left side of the altar there is a statue of Crispinus and on the right a statue of Crispinianus .
  • Joseph Altar : This altar was formerly called "Early Mass Altar" and was consecrated on August 18, 1300 and October 4, 1532. The patrons at that time were St. Nicholas, Aegidius , Catherine of Alexandria , Apollonia and Martin von Tours and he was also honored in the Pentecostave. The main page today shows Joseph's death and the circular image shows Rochus von Montpellier . On the left there is a statue of Stephen and on the right a statue of Lawrence of Rome .
  • Agatha Altar : This altar was consecrated on November 13, 1487 by the then Konstanz Vicar General and later Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Zehender (1473–1498) and the altar was to be honored at an annual All Souls Day festival . The patrons were Mary, Stephen , Gallus and all the saints. Today's main sheet shows the martyrdom of Agatha and a signature Franc. Ludov. Herrmann Inven. et pinxitt in 1780 . The round picture shows Blasius von Sebaste . The statue on the left is an image of Apollonia and on the right of a holy martyr .

Aisle altars

The aisle originally had four altars, which were dismantled or rebuilt in the 18th century:

  • Johannes Altar : This altar was consecrated on October 4th, 1532 to the Evangelists Johannes , Georg and Gallus. Further patrons were the Ten Thousand Knights , Dorothea and Margaret of Antioch . This altar stood on the wall in front of the tower. He was venerated on the Church of the Ten Thousand Knights Remembrance Day on June 22nd.
  • Suffering Jesus Christ Altar: This altar was erected on May 10, 1494 in honor of the Passion of Jesus Christ, as well as in honor of Mary, Laurentius ', Lazarus ', Maximins of Trier , Katharinas of Alexandria and Lucias of Syracuse . It was finally consecrated on October 4, 1532 to the Holy Cross , Martin and Lucia. It stood in the northern corner of the gable wall and the long wall.
  • Antonius Altar : This altar was consecrated on June 15, 1471 according to the documents of the donor's beneficiaries. His patrons were: Mary, the Evangelist John, James the Elder , Antonius the Great , Erhard of Regensburg , Leonhard of Limoges , Simon Petrus , Laurentius of Rome , Pantaleon , Vitus , Barbara of Nicomedia , Dorothea, Margaret of Antioch and Agatha. He was standing on the north wall of the adjoining aisle.
  • Synesius Altar: The original Synesius Altar in the middle of the gable wall was only erected after the relics of the catacomb saint had been transferred on August 18, 1653.

With the exception of the rebuilt Synesius altar, all altars were dismantled in the 18th century and replaced by today's reconstructed Rococo-style composition from 1760. The Synesius ship today has three altars, which may originally have been created by Christian Scharpf in 1760. The altars are dedicated to Synesius (middle altar), Sebastian (north-facing altar) and the Three Wise Men (south-facing altar). The altars stand next to each other like a triptych , are kept in rococo style and consist of multi-colored stucco marble. The altar tables are bulbous and have a tub-shaped column retable. The volute gables are curved several times and that of the Synesius altar has two little guardian angels sitting on the side.

On the Synesius altar is a baroque Synesius statue by the sculptor Gregor Allhelg, which was taken over from an older altar . The rest of the statues on the altar were also created by him. Next to the column stands Martin of Tours on the north side and Lucia of Syracuse on the south side. On the pillars are the church patron St. Nicholas on the left and Maria Magdalena on the right. The altar also contains a tabernacle-shaped shrine for the bones of Synesius.

Pictures by the artist Joseph Anton Schuler enrich the altar superstructures and show Sebastian , Antonius the Hermit , Johann Nepomuk , the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Three Wise Men and Saint Anne . The Antonius picture bears the signature "Joseph Antoni Schueller, 1760" .

Baptismal font

Baptismal font

Next to the Sebastian altar stands the early Baroque font by Gregor Allgelg, which was housed in the St. Anna chapel before the renovation work . It dates from the middle of the 17th century (1650/1660) and has a hexagonal cup shape. The shaft is made of white-veined Unterwalden marble. The height including the lid is 215 cm and the diameter 95 cm. The pelvis is ribbed. The domed lid is made of wood and covered with white volute thermals and gold-plated scrollwork cartouches. At the highest point of the lid there is a six-column structure with small statues representing a group of Anabaptists. The lid is on a chain that is embedded in the ceiling and serves as a device to lift the lid during baptisms. There is a dove on the chain as a symbol of the Holy Spirit .

pulpit

The pulpit dates from 1630 and is attributed to the transition from the late Renaissance to the Baroque. The six-sided pulpit was donated by Hans Sager and is attached to the first ship pillar. She is sitting on a grimacing bug to which the donor's coat of arms is attached. The pulpit is made of oak wood, carved and has little decorative gilding from the years 1630/1640. The carvings show Corinthian columns in the corners of the basket, which support a curved entablature with symmetrical tendril friezes. Ornamental arcades with shell niches and statues of the evangelists and Jesus Christ are located between the columns. The foot ledge contains broad fittings cartouches hung with garlands. The pulpit stairway is bent three times around the pillar. On the parapet there are fittings friezes and tracery structures of interlocking circles. The pulpit has a sound cover with corner vases. There are scrollwork attachments between the vases. In the middle there is a domed structure with a baluster cross on it.

organ

History of the organs

The Otter organ from 1788 to 1898.
Today's organ of Metzler AG, Dietikon.

The church had a total of seven organs in its history . The church acquired the first organ in 1458 from the parish church Maria Himmelfahrt in Baden . 120 years later (1578) Peter Rietsch from Basel renewed the church organ. From 1612 to 1616 Thomas Schott from Urach built a new organ. He later became a citizen of Bremgarten and in return had to forego the tip for building the organ and pay a cup worth 20 kroner. He became a very wealthy and honored citizen who also built organs for surrounding churches, such as the large organ in the monastery church of Muri . Franz Joseph Otter von Trimbach built an organ with ornaments on the organ prospect by Joachim Waltenspühl in 1788 and 1789. At the same time a new singing gallery was built. In 1898 the Otter organ was replaced by a neo-baroque organ by Friedrich Goll in Lucerne. In 1916 Friedrich Goll's organ was enlarged and the prospectus was rebuilt and in 1930 electrified and renovated by Orgelbau AG in Willisau . A new building by Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG in Männedorf finally replaced the existing organ in 1953. This Kuhn organ was destroyed during the church fire in 1984. The renovated church received a new organ from Metzler AG in Dietikon in the style of the Otter organ in 1988 .

Today's organ

The flattened back positive on the gallery parapet and the figure of Michael were taken over from the Otter organ from 1788 in the subsequent renovations and new buildings. Before the church was restored in the 1980s, the statue of Michael and its base were given to W. Furrer in Brig for restoration. The figure represents the Archangel Michael fighting with Lucifer. During the restoration, a few prospect pipes were removed. The figure and these pipes were the only ones to survive the fire in 1984. However, there were some exact photographs and measurements of the Rückpositiv that made the reconstruction possible.

The submission documents were sent to six organ builders. The budget totaled 680,000 Swiss francs , for the organ 500,000 francs, for carvings, marbling and gilding 150,000 francs and for an organ expert 30,000 francs. The contract was awarded to Metzler Orgelbau AG in Dietikon. The organ was to be reconstructed based on the photographs of the Otter Rückpositiv. Likewise, all existing parts (Michael figure and organ pipes) should be reintegrated into the organ. The main and pedal work should be adapted stylistically and in detail to the reconstructed Rückpositiv.

Due to the improved space on the gallery and the higher ceiling, the main housing could be adapted to the new proportions. Based on the old organ by Franz Joseph Otter, the main case was provided with two large side towers. The pedals were placed in these two towers and divided into a C and a C sharp side. The main plant is located between these two side towers . The main work prospectus was designed with a raised central tower and thus sets a counterpoint to the Rückpositiv. The restored statue of Michael was then placed on top of this central tower. The third manual was installed in its own housing, invisible from the front, as a swell mechanism behind the main mechanism . The gaming table with a purely mechanical play and key action has been housed in the base of the main housing. A classic wind supply without float coverings and regulators found its place under the canopy of the main entrance.

The case was made of resonant softwood. Details, carvings and other profiles were developed from the documentation of the old Rückpositiv. The marbling and the other color design, however, were matched to the side altars in order to create a harmonious overall picture in the interior of the church.

The pipes are made of different metal alloys, which are important for the timbre. For example, there are prospectus pipes made of almost pure tin and pipes inside the organ made of almost pure lead. The organ also has wooden pipes.

Disposition

Disposition of today's organ:

I Rückpositiv C – g 3
Dumped 8th'
Praestant 4 ′
Reed flute 4 ′
Octave 2 ′
Covered flute 2 ′
Sesquialter II 2 23
Nasard 1 13
Sharp III 1'
Dulcian 8th'
II Hauptwerk C – g 3
Bourdon 16 ′
Principal 8th'
Hollow flute 8th'
Octave 4 ′
Gemshorn 4 ′
Fifth 2 23
Super octave 2 ′
Mixture III 1 13
Zimbel II 23
Cornet V (from c 1 ) 8th'
Trumpet 8th'
Vox humana 8th'
III Swell C – g 3
Principal 8th'
Reed flute 8th'
Viol 8th'
Suavial (from c 0 ) 8th'
Octave 4 ′
Night horn 4 ′
Fifth flute 2 23
Forest flute 2 ′
third 1 35
Mixture IV 2 ′
Schalmey 8th'
Pedal C – f 1
Principal 16 ′
Sub bass 16 ′
Octavbass 8th'
Bourdon 8th'
Octave 4 ′
Mixture IV 2 ′
trombone 16 ′
Trumpet 8th'
  • Pairing :
    • Normal coupling: I / II (pull), III / II (pull), II / P (step), III / P (step).
    • Super octave coupling: III / P 4 ′ (step).
  • Playing aids : Organo Pleno on, Organo Pleno off, pedaling on, pedaling from swell kick .
  • Tremulant : To all manuals.
  • Vogelsang.
  • Zimbelstern .

use

The church is not only used for church services, but also for performances by regional classical orchestras and choirs. For example, the Aarau Chamber Choir (1991), the Corund Ensemble (1996) and the Baden Vocal Ensemble (2007) as well as many others have performed. Concerts are also held on the church organ, organized by the Bremgarten Organ District. The city organist Peter Reichert has been the artistic director of these organ concerts since 1992 and has played numerous concerts himself. Many guest organists also gave concerts here, such as B. the young organist Jonas Herzog (2008) or the titular organist Alexander Koschel.

In 1993 a CD was recorded on which Peter Reichert played works by the composer Johann Pachelbel on the Metzler organ in the Bremgarten town church.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 1885
  2. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Arnold Nüscheler : Houses of God in Switzerland - historical and antiquarian research , fourth volume, Gebr. Karl & Nikolaus Benziger, Einsiedeln, 1884
  3. a b Cornel Doswald, The excavations in the city church Bremgarten and the early city history , in: Bremgartner Neujahrsblätter 1986
  4. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Peter Felder: The art monuments of Switzerland . - Volume 54 Art Monuments of the Canton of Aargau. - Volume 4 The Bremgarten District. Pages 41–77. Birkhäuser Verlag Basel, 1967
  5. a b c d e f g h Peter Frey and Cornel Doswald, The excavations in the city church Bremgarten, building and settlement history results , in: Bremgarter Neujahrsblätter 1986
  6. References Max Vogelsang AG ( Memento from February 25, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 40 kB), accessed on April 14, 2008
  7. ^ Turmbau Paul Grunder AG ( Memento from September 9, 2005 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on April 14, 2008
  8. a b c d e Heinz Koch, Synesius, the eye saint in Bremgarten , in: Bremgarter Neujahrsblätter 2000
  9. ^ Paul Hugger: The fate of the catacomb saints in the modern age . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . November 1, 1999.
  10. Saint Synesius . In: Pfarrblatt Bern. October 25, 2007.
  11. a b Hans Rechsteiner, Brand der Stadtpfarrkirche St. Nikolaus , in: Bremgartner Neujahrsblatt 1985
  12. ^ Wm R. Müller: The police report on the church fire of March 28, 1984 . Stadtkanzlei Bremgarten AG, accessed on April 20, 2008
  13. Interview with fireman Hubert Leuch in the Aargauer Zeitung, May 11, 2007
  14. a b c d e f Dieter Utz: The new organ in the parish church of St. Nikolaus, Bremgarten AG . Ed .: Orgelbaukommission Bremgarten, 1988.
  15. ^ Karl Lang: Our bells are ringing again ... In: Bremgartner Neujahrsblatt 1987.
  16. Telephone conversation with Mr. Spielmann from Rüetschi AG on April 23, 2008.
  17. ^ Anton Studer, Rev. Letter to the bell and art foundry H. Rüetschi AG. Bremgarten, May 1, 1986.
  18. a b c d Excerpts from the archive of Rüetschi AG, delivered on April 25, 2008
  19. Waltenspühl, Joachim. In: Sikart , accessed April 29, 2008
  20. a b letter from the company Metzler + Söhne, Subject: New organ building - reconstruction in the cath. Bremgarten AG parish church , Wohlen, February 4, 1985
  21. Konzertchronik Kammerchor Aarau ( Memento from January 5, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
  22. Concert list website Ensemble Corund ( Memento from January 15, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
  23. Concert list Volksensemble Baden ( memento from August 23, 2015 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on April 29, 2008
  24. Calendar from Herzog's website , accessed on April 29, 2008
  25. Appearances by Dr. phil. Alexander Koschel ( Memento from March 22, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
  26. Music database from Orgelseiten.de , accessed on May 29, 2008

Web links

Commons : Stadtkirche Bremgarten  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 47 ° 21 '7 "  N , 8 ° 20' 24"  E ; CH1903:  668,114  /  244944

This article was added to the list of excellent articles on July 21, 2008 in this version .