Parish Church of St. Martin (Lauingen)

City parish church of St. Martin
South view of the minster
Data
place	Lauingen (Danube)
builder	Hans Hieber and Stephan Weyrer the Elder Ä.
Construction year	1516
height	22 m
Floor space	1364 m²
Coordinates	48 ° 34 '5.7 "  N , 10 ° 25' 38"  E Coordinates: 48 ° 34 '5.7 "  N , 10 ° 25' 38"  E
particularities
Gothic with baroque and neo-Gothic elements

Geosted choir part

Massive west facade

The parish church of St. Martin , also called Sankt-Martins-Münster, is the Catholic parish church of Lauingen in the Bavarian district of Dillingen an der Donau in the Roman Catholic deanery of the same name . It is an east-facing church structure, as it was common in the Gothic period, and its bulk shapes the townscape of Lauingen.

history

Early period (8th to 16th centuries)

The origin of the Sankt-Martins-Münsters zu Lauingen was a Martinskapelle, which was consecrated to the holy Martin von Tours , the patron saint of the Staufer , in whose territory the city was located. In between there were presumably several previous buildings, including a three-aisled Romanesque basilica , the existence of which is certain. Due to the allocation of the surrounding settlements of Frauen- , Veitriedhausen , Halberingen, Hausen and Weihengau, the parish district and the city became more and more important.

When the city fell to the Palatinate-Neuburg family in 1505 , Lauingen was expanded as a second residence, the minster was further developed and a much larger new building was considered.

From 1516, St. Martin was largely rebuilt in its current version in the Gothic style. Mayor Mathis Reiser, at the same time church caretaker and painter, was able to win over the Nördlingen master builder Stephan Weyrer the elder to build a new church. The plans came from Hans Hieber from Augsburg.

At the beginning of 1520 the shell was completed and in the following years it was decorated with wall frescoes , most of which were removed again during the Reformation . The cemetery at the parish church was relocated to the St. John's Leper Chapel, which was then outside the city walls.

The building of the tower dragged on until May 1576 and was carried out by the local builders Hans and Jörg Degeler. The coppersmith Thomas Leberwurst completed it with a copper tower hood. St. Martin was financed by papal letters of indulgence from the citizens, foundations and the city, while foreign monasteries granted generous loans.

When the Ettal Abbey ran into financial difficulties, the city of Lauingen bought the grand tithe and the patronage and presentation rights from him and was thus able to dispose of the income, the church building and the construction work .

Reformation and Counter-Reformation (16th to 17th centuries)

In 1522, the influences of the Reformation made themselves felt in Lauingen . After Duke Ottheinrich converted to the Protestant denomination, he abolished Catholic worship with the introduction of Protestantism in 1543. Three years later, Emperor Charles V besieged the city and forced the city council to open the city gates. Lauingen was forced to become Catholic again. A little later, around 1552, the Prince of Neuburg was given back the right to determine the people and the country, and the town's citizens became Protestant again.

The church's Gothic fittings were largely destroyed. Duke Wolfgang Wilhelm converted to Catholicism in 1613 under bitter resistance from the population of the city and the surrounding area. After the invasion of Sweden , Lauingen became Protestant again in 1632. After the Swedes withdrew, the imperial troops came and Duke Wolfgang Wilhelm regained control of the city, again during the course of the Counter Reformation, Catholicism was introduced.

After several denomination bills and iconoclastic interior of the church was in the 18th century Baroque Service. These changes were eliminated towards the end of the 19th century and replaced by a neo-Gothic interior including the baroque statues. Original elements are hardly present in the church due to the turmoil of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation.

Modern times (17th to 21st centuries)

Christoph Senft was already building new altars in St. Martin during the Thirty Years' War . The no longer existing altarpiece Sending the Holy Spirit was created during this time. The local master carpenters Hans Jerg Rieger and Johann Michael Schroff supplied the baroque church stalls, which Johann Michael Schroff replaced in 1748. A pulpit was added in 1748, as well as the 16-part way of the cross and a new organ.

In 1774, the high altar from the Schroff workshop was replaced. In 1780 Johann Enderle painted the church with 24 baroque paintings, which were whitewashed in 1842.

As part of the celebrations for the 600th anniversary of the death of St. Albertus Magnus in 1800, most of the baroque furnishings were removed. The neo-Gothic found its way into Martinsmünster, and Joseph Riedmüller was commissioned with the implementation. Joseph Hieber made new altars; neo-Gothic glass windows were also added. Parts of it were again removed during extensive renovations from 1953 to 1955.

On the night of October 12th to 13th, 1941, the roof structure of St. Martin was badly damaged in a bombing raid during World War II. The church could only be saved and major damage averted through the efforts of committed Lauingers.

Extensive exterior and interior renovation work was carried out from 1953 to 1955. As a result, the frescoes from the time the church was founded were exposed. While the neo-Gothic furnishings were partially preserved, the pulpit, two side altars, six confessionals and the neo-Gothic organ case were removed. In 1985 the church had to be closed for two years because the vault was threatened with damage . A static renovation was necessary, at the same time the interior was renewed.

Klaus Backmund from Munich created the people's altar with the skull relic of Albertus Magnus and an ambo for the new chancel . During the last change, the interior of the church was returned to its original state from the time it was founded.

The organ, which has been shut down for 15 years, has been sounding again since November 11, 2018 after the renovation by the organ builder Siegfried Schmid ( Knottenried ).

Building description

Exterior view

The parish church is a late Gothic hall church made of white plastered brick on a rectangular floor plan with three naves of equal height and width .

Externally, the Lauingen parish church can be recognized by its massive and simple appearance. Most of the foundations are taken from the Apollo Grannus Temple in Faming. As an east-facing church building, the choir protrudes into Herzog-Georg-Straße, while the facades of the other houses strictly follow the course of the main street of the ducal city . The three-part choir sections with tall stained glass windows appear independent, but are grouped under the common roof.

The relatively thin masonry is high and simply designed, interspersed with high church windows and weak buttresses . From the west, the huge end of the church adorns the image of the sacred building. The well-preserved five-story late Gothic roof structure is also worth seeing . With its monumentality, it bears witness to the architecture of the time and shapes the cityscape of Lauingen.

Four mighty portals are set into the southern and northern parts of the church. Another portal in the east is a holdover from the time of the Reformation.

A high, square tower with an octagonal upper floor and a flat Welsch hood is approx. 57 meters high. To the east of this is the two-storey sacristy, the former Sebastian Chapel, which was first mentioned in 1491.

inside view

The three-nave , eight-year church is 65 meters long, 25 meters wide and 22 meters high. The ridge height is about 38 meters. Most of the masonry is made of brick . The 14 slender round or half columns support the net vaults . The columns in the chancel are painted in multiple colors. The people's altar stands on the one-step raised chancel , a few meters behind it the high altar with a Pentecost scene with twelve apostles and Mary in the middle. Two side altars in the apses are dedicated to Saint Martin and Saint Albert .

The columns are connected with column straps. The vault ribs of baked clay are painted green. The reddish color of the columns in the chancel has been preserved in the original. The ceiling of the minster is of a uniquely airy elegance and clarity. The slender columns give the impression of a self-supporting ceiling.

Frescoes on the west side above the organ gallery depict Adam and Eve and the tree of knowledge . Exposed frescoes on the north side represent part of the Way of the Cross. Under the gallery is the cenotaph of Count Palatine Elisabeth.

38 members of the ducal house of Pfalz-Neuburg are buried in the grave behind the high altar from 1570. Parts of it were transferred to Munich “for better protection” and are now in the Bavarian National Museum.

Furnishing

1st high altar 2. Albertus altar 3. Martin's altar 4. People's altar 5. Statue of the cathedral patron St. Martin 6. Virgin Mary statue 7. Pulpit 8. Sacristy (former Sebastian Chapel)

9. Tower base 10. Main south entrance east 11. Main north entrance east 12. Main south entrance west 13. Main north entrance west 14. Organ gallery 15. Cenotaph (tomb) of Countess Palatine Elisabeth

Altars

Special gems in the interior of St. Martin are the neo-Gothic altars by Joseph Riedmüller and Joseph Hieber, especially the high altar, which is raised in the middle apse. Its central element is a Pentecost scene , the "sending out of the Holy Spirit" with the Blessed Mother in the center. Above is a statue of Jesus with a gospel book, underneath it is an exposure console with a cross in front of it, flanked on the left by the patron of the church and on the right by the diocese patron Ulrich von Augsburg .

The right side altar is dedicated to St. Albert. He wears the Dominican costume and, as a bishop, is equipped with a miter and a shepherd's crook and a book as a reminiscence of his scientific work as a Doctor Universalis . In the middle is the scene of the birth of Jesus with shepherds at the manger.

The left side altar is dedicated to St. Ulrich . In the middle the three wise men pay their respects to Jesus at the manger.

The popular altar and the lecturer's desk by the sculptor Klaus Backmund are made of solid bronze. The frame bears floral patterns. The relic of St. Albert is integrated into the altar .

Leaded glass window

Three stained glass windows in each of the apses, designed by Ludwig Mittermaier by Glasmalerei Mittermaier, are of exceptional quality.

Left stained glass window	Medium stained glass window	Right stained glass window
Left Johannes , Matthäus , Veronika , Maria Magdalena middle root Jesse (family tree of Jesus) right Simon, Jakobus Min. , Afra , Ulrich	Left Petrus , Paulus , Hieronymus , Gregory Middle Works of Mercy Right Andreas , Jakobus Maj. , Augustinus , Ambrosius	Left Philip , Bartholomäus , Maria , Josef middle 14 helpers in need Right Thaddäus , Thomas , Charlemagne , John the Baptist

crucifix

A crucifix by Peter Trünklein from 1522 found a new place above the people's altar during the last renovation in 1985. As a free-floating element in the room, the cross should better accentuate the airiness and the enormous height of the minster.

Oil painting

The Way of the Cross created by the Lauingen painter Johann Anwander is particularly worth seeing .

Bells

The tower of the church houses five bells in the disposition c - e - g - a - c. The ringing is balanced in terms of sound. Depending on the weather and the direction of the wind, the bells can still be heard within three to four kilometers.

Bell jar	patron	Data	Year of casting / foundry	image
1	Mary Queen of Peace	Disposition c	1913 (Wolfart in Lauingen)
2	Albertus	Disposition e	1946/47 (Wolfahrt)
3	Anthony of Padua	Disposition g	1946/47 (Wolfahrt)
4th	Franz Xaver	Disposition a	1946/47 (Wolfahrt)
5	Martin	Disposition c	1946/47 (Wolfahrt)

Note: Originally the cathedral still had a sixth bell, but this could not be found after the Second World War.

Cenotaph and royal tomb

→ Main article : Cenotaph for Elisabeth von Pfalz-Neuburg

Under the gallery of the cathedral is the tomb of Elisabeth of Hesse , who promoted the Reformation and died on January 4, 1563 in Lauingen. A massive iron grate surrounds the grave site. There are four lions at each corner on a base. Above this, the sleeping countess rests on a red marble stone. It was created in 1572 by the sculptor Sigismund Winthir.

38 family members of their house rest in the burial place of the Count Palatine von Neuburg , which was laid out from 1570. You can get an impression of the richness of the royal crypt in the Bavarian National Museum.

sacristy

In the former Sebastian chapel, which became the sacristy of the minster, there are many precious paraments that St. Martin received over time, including a heart-shaped lecture cross of the Maria Trost Brotherhood and valuable Vasa sacra .

Spiritual life

liturgy

Sunday mass takes place in the parish church of St. Martin at 10:00 a.m. An evening mass is held in the summer on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the parish church and in the winter months in the St. Alban's hospital church . Before that there is the opportunity to pray the rosary . Church services are also celebrated in St. Martin at high feasts.

Fraternity

Until the beginning of the 20th century , the congregation had a prayer brotherhood , the Arch- brotherhood of Maria Trost . Its origin is believed to have been in 1673 and its tasks consisted of holding afternoon services and increasing popular piety . The brotherhood died out in the 20th century and was reestablished on December 11, 2012 on the initiative of Deacon Gerhard Nothaas and other committed church members for its 340th anniversary and installed by Augsburg Auxiliary Bishop Florian Wörner in the following year as part of a solemn pontifical ministry. On the first Saturday of the month, a Holy Mass is celebrated for the living and deceased members of the brotherhood in Martinsmünster.

Albert adoration

→ Main article : Albertus Magnus

Since Albertus Magnus, known as Albert the Great, comes from the city of Lauingen, there is also a pronounced veneration of this saint and doctor of the church. In the parish church there is a monthly presentation of his brainshell, which Lauingen received after his canonization, and on his feast day on November 15th a solemn service is held in the church in his honor. In 1980 , on the 700th anniversary of the death of "Doctor Universalis", Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI.) Was present. In recent years, many bishops and archbishops have been invited to the so-called "Albertus Magnus City", including Walter Mixa , Konrad Zdarsa , Robert Zollitsch , Manfred Müller .

Web links

Commons : St. Martin (Lauingen)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Architecture and history (website of the parish)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Diocese of Augsburg
2. ↑ Donau-Zeitung of November 12, 2018 on organ renovation , accessed on November 25, 2018