Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary (Weißenregen)
The pilgrimage church of the Assumption of Mary is a pilgrimage church in Weißenregen , a district of the Upper Palatinate town of Bad Kötzting .
Origin of the pilgrimage and church building
Regarding the origin of the pilgrimage, a legend tells of an image of grace saved from the iconoclasm in Nabburg , which was initially hung on an oak.
In 1584 the oak burned down, but the miraculous image remained intact and was placed in a wayside shrine. In 1593 the Niederaltaich monastery built a chapel in Weißenregen, which was replaced by a larger one in 1611. From 1659 to 1660 there was an extensive expansion. Finally, instead of the dilapidated chapel, the current pilgrimage church was built between 1750 and 1765. The pulpit was created in 1758 by the Kötzting sculptor Johann Paulus Hager. Differences in style between the figures of the pulpit and those of the altars suggest that other sculptors were involved in the altars. On May 1, 1765, the church was solemnly consecrated by the Regensburg auxiliary bishop von Wolframsdorf. The side altar paintings by the painter Johann Anton Sollfleisch were replaced by new paintings in 1912.
church
The single-aisled hall church has a flat barrel vault . The tower has an upper floor, which is crowned by an onion dome with a lantern .
There was originally a large fresco depicting the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on the ceiling of the nave . It was painted over in 1880 and again in 1912. In the 19th century it was replaced by sparingly stuccoed ornaments with the Christ monogram . The ceiling painting in the choir shows the birth of Mary. The painter is unknown. The Greek god of wine Bacchus appears in the picture as a symbol of autumn (feast of the birth of Mary: September 8th).
Altars
The high altar with its twisted columns bears the signature on the back: "This altar was made by Egidi Vischer, carpenter in Kötzting in 1752." The altar contains the miraculous image, a 45 cm high wooden figure from the early 14th century. The baby Jesus, the crowns and the silk robes for mother and child were not added until the Baroque period.
On both sides of the tabernacle are the altar figures of Saints Joseph (left) and John the Baptist (right). Outside the pillars on the left include Joachim and Anna , and right Elisabeth and Zacharias on. In the extract there is a figure of God the Father, above it in the form of a dove the Holy Spirit.
The left side altar contains a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows . It was painted in 1912 by the Cham painter K. Keneder. The picture above shows the Annunciation to Maria, painted in 1761 by Johann Anton Sollfleisch. The altar figures represent John and Magdalena .
The right side altar has a painting of St. Joseph from 1912 and above it a picture of St. Sebastian by Johann Anton Sollfleisch. The latter was originally the main picture on the left side altar. Next to it are the altar figures Rochus and Franz Xavier .
pulpit
The church is particularly known for its ship's pulpit. Its designer is Johann Paulus Hager. The staircase, at the foot of which an angel kneels with tablets of the law , is flanked with carved rocks and tree trunks. The pulpit is designed as a ship's hull. Two apostles lean over the railing, the one on the left is identified as Simon Peter because of his appearance . You are lifting a real net in which there are lifelike fish. A third apostle, holding an anchor (Christian symbol of hope), helps out from the land. The prophet Jonah can be seen under the pulpit in the mouth of a large fish.
On the back wall there is a relief showing Christ as the good shepherd. A wingless angel carries a large crescent moon (Mary symbol) on the sound cover . A replica of the miraculous image from the high altar stands on the sound cover, surrounded by two large angels. According to the founding legend, the statue of the Virgin is located on an oak trunk, which ultimately becomes a mast and thus takes up the ship's motif again. The mast is held by God the Father, at the end there is a look-out basket over which the Holy Spirit hovers in the form of a dove.
Further facility
The crucifixion group on the south wall consists of a crucifix around 1900 and the assistant figures Johannes and Maria around 1700. The Rosary Mary hanging from the choir arch was also made around 1700. Georg Halter painted the 14 Stations of the Cross in 1914. The case of the modern organ dates from 1900. In the vestibule of the church there are several votive pictures .
literature
- Achim Hubel: Weissenregen , Art Guide No. 924 (1969), Verlag Schnell & Steiner, Munich / Zurich
Web links
Coordinates: 49 ° 9 ′ 52.7 " N , 12 ° 50 ′ 42.4" E