Fortified Church (Finkenbach-Gersweiler)

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Fortified church

The fortified church in Finkenbach

Basic data
Denomination Protestant
place Finkenbach , Germany
Building history
start of building before 1304
Building description
Architectural style Late Gothic
Furnishing style Wooden gallery, pulpit, wall paintings
Construction type Choir, west tower, nave
Function and title

Fortified church during the Middle Ages

Coordinates 49 ° 40 ′ 43.5 "  N , 7 ° 44 ′ 51.5"  E Coordinates: 49 ° 40 ′ 43.5 "  N , 7 ° 44 ′ 51.5"  E
Template: Info box church building / maintenance / dedication or patronage missing

The fortified church in Finkenbach-Gersweiler is on the southern outskirts of Finkenbach-Gersweiler in the Donnersbergkreis . Mentioned in a document as early as 1304, the fortified church served as a retreat for the village population in dangerous situations during the Middle Ages .

history

The fortified church of Finkenbach in the sunset

The massive defensive structure of the former fortified church proves that Finkenbach also played a not insignificant role in the church in the early Middle Ages. The pastor Thomas can be traced back to 1384. It is not known when the first act of worship was performed on the Kirchberg, the Veitsberg, in Finkenbach.

The first written mention of the church comes from 1304. Its patron saints have been Saint Mary, Saint Vitus , Saint Nicholas and John the Baptist over the years . In the Middle Ages there was a brotherhood of “our dear women” with its own altar. In 1401 the church came to the Münsterappel regional chapter. In 1409 it was made a pilgrimage church . At the beginning of the four seasons (1st week of Lent, Pentecost week, after September 14th and after December 13th) there were pilgrimages to the Quatember masses. The wall paintings from around 1470 in the church choir are a reminder of this time . In 1540 Finkenbach became a Lutheran , in 1818 with the church union in the Palatinate , finally a Union Protestant parish. From 1684 to 1888 the small minority of Catholics had limited and controversial simultaneous rights in the Church.

description

  • Defense tower of the church

  • Choir

  • Mute organ

The castle-like defense tower at the southern exit of the town was probably built in the middle of the 13th century . Together with the church, which stood in the middle of a cemetery walled with an oval circular wall , the complex served as the last place of refuge and defense for the village population in rough times. The tower is 22 meters high, has three floors and 1.30 meters thick foundation walls. Firing chambers, loopholes , machicolation and the remains of the former battlement are reminiscent of its earlier function. The baroque hood in the form of an octagonal helmet was put on in 1757 as weather protection and a belfry. Before that, a weather vane with Hohenfels-Reipoltskircher coat of arms adorned the platform. The first bell casting took place in Finkenbach as early as 1518. As a result of the two world wars, only one historic bell from IM Stocki from 1759 has survived. In the basement of the tower, the old tower cock (1873–1992) and a tower clock mechanism from 1823 restored in 1996 by Peter Lanzer from Bistigart are on display.

The late Gothic choir and west tower were repaired in 1469 and connected by a baroque nave adapted to the choir in 1743 . The original longhouse was narrower and lower. As a result of the construction work in 1469, the cross vault in the chancel was replaced by a flat ceiling. In the Baroque , the current barrel ceiling was finally installed . The choir is adorned with three tracery windows with fish bubble motifs and a glass .

The wooden gallery , the stalls and the pulpit with the barred parish chair are kept in a simple baroque style. The organ comes from the organ building workshop of the Stumm brothers from Sulzbach in the Hunsrück (1743). Only the original prospectus has been preserved, the organ work was renewed in 1919 and 1962 through modifications by the companies Eberhard Friedrich Walcker and Gebrüder Oberlinger . The gaming table has also been replaced by a folding-door table . In 1998 a restoration took place.

Murals

The late Gothic wall paintings on the north wall of the choir are unique for the Palatinate. The Passion Cycle , created around 1470, consists of 17 individual images in Secco technique . It was probably whitewashed in 1743. During the most recent church renovation in 1983, the paintings were rediscovered by chance and restored in 1997/98 according to the specifications of the State Monuments Office . The sequence of the pictures is: Entry into Jerusalem, cleansing of the temple / Judas money, Holy Communion, prayer on the Mount of Olives, capture / Judas kiss, before Caiaphas, before Pilate, scourging / undressing, crowning of thorns, mockery, carrying the cross, crucifixion, deposition from the cross / lamentation, burial, descent into hell , Veronica's handkerchief, resurrection, angel motifs on the sacrament niche.

  • Late Gothic wall paintings

  • "Crucifixion" field of view

  • "The Entombment" image field

Rectory, rectory, cemetery and cenotaph

A little below the church is the rectory from 1830/31 with the former stable, laundry room and barn (1894/95). Originally the rectory with the oven was opposite the farm building. Only a window garment is left of this in the parish stable. The barn is also a new building from 1843, the previous buildings were dilapidated or collapsed. The gate beam from 1757 comes from the old barn and has been reused.

There are two natural monuments in the immediate vicinity of the rectory : a 12 meter high and 3.15 meter thick acacia (approx. 120 years) and a 10 meter high and 1.55 meter thick oak (approx. 230 years).

The new cemetery with old trees has been attached to the south of the church since 1878. The old cemetery of honor for those who died in the world wars has been partially preserved. Also a memorial from 1921, surrounded by 18 trees of life, for the victims of both world wars. It was made from Niedereisenbach sandstone .

Web links

Commons : Wehrkirche  - Collection of images, videos and audio files