Theresienkirche (Aachen)
The Theresienkirche is a Catholic city church in Aachen . It is located in the northeast area of the city center and borders the building areas of the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH) . It is owned by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia as a special property.
history
The church belonged to the former Carmel of St. Theresa, which was built by the sisters of the Cologne Carmel, St. Maria of Peace, as a monastery church for the Carmelite Monastery of Aachen in 1662. The Church of St. Teresa of Ávila , was built between 1739 and 1745 by Laurenz Mefferdatis . The baroque master builder Johann Joseph Couven was responsible for the interior design. In the course of secularization , the church became the property of the city in 1802.
In 1943 the church burned down due to the effects of the Second World War . The altars, communion bench , pulpit and wall paneling from the 18th century had previously been outsourced, but these were thrown into a moat out of concern that there would be potential fire food in the event of an attack. It was possible to recover them in 1945, but they had suffered so much from the weather that they could only serve as a template for reconstructions.
In the 1950s the church was rebuilt as it was in the 18th century, the furnishings were not reconstructed until the 1970s.
Church building and equipment
The building was built of brick and shows an early classical form, which has a three-axis structure divided by pilasters with arched windows and a segmented gable.
The church building adapts to the course of the street that already existed at the time and was therefore not built in the typical east-west orientation. By inserting a triangular staircase, Mefferdatis succeeded in realizing a rectangular interior floor plan.
The interior of the church consists of a single-nave hall, which is vaulted with three bays. The choir lies behind a high triumphal arch .
The interior was donated by Johann von Wespien in 1754 . His sister was the mother of the convent, Maria Anna von Wespien. This is reminiscent of the coats of arms of the founder and his sister on the side altars, placed between two palm fronds on the gable ledge.
Sacred establishment
The main altar of St. Theresien is a pillared structure made of oak. It has gilded Corinthian capitals . The painting on the altar dates from the 18th century. It shows two angels. Rococo carvings decorate the tabernacle .
Todays use
Today the church is used by the Romanian Orthodox community “Holy Trinity” for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. This Orthodox service takes place every Sunday at 11.00 a.m. The church is open to anyone who wants to celebrate it.
literature
- On the way in Couven's footsteps, authors: Marcel Bauer, Frank Hovens, Anke Kappler, Belinda Petri, Christine Vogt, Anke Volkmer, GEV-Verlag; ISBN 90-5433-187-9
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ludwina Forst: King's Way. In the footsteps of the first city curator, Hans Königs (1903–1988). P. 119 and P. 151, Thouet, Aachen 2008, ISBN 3-930594-33-1
Coordinates: 50 ° 46 ′ 41 ″ N , 6 ° 4 ′ 54.8 ″ E