Lutheran Parish Church Holy Cross
Evangelische Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche
Augsburg, Bavarian Swabia, Germany
1652/53: construction; 1730: decoration of the choir; 1748: renovation of the gallery of the organ; 1762/67: renovation of pulpit and altar
Architecture: Johann Jakob Kraus (1611–1672); paintings (beside the pulpit): Johann Heinrich Schönfeld (1609–1684); choir fresco: Johann Georg Bergmüller (1688–1762); designs for pulpit and altar: Johann Esaias Nilson (active 1721–1728); execution of pulpit and altar: Ignaz Wilhelm Verhelst (1729–1792)
Ecclesiastical architecture (parish church)
Magister Thomas Hopfer (gov. 1649–61), Magister Andreas Degmair (gov. 1729–35), Magister Jakob Brucker (gov. 1744–57), Matthäus Friedrich Degmair (gov. 1757–65), each pastor of the Parish Church
Augsburg is one of the most important places of the Reformation. The Lutheran denomination especially was established early in the affluent, bourgeois city. At the Diet of 1530 in Augsburg the Lutheran confession, the Confessio Augustana, was handed over to the emperor by the Lutheran nobles. In 1555, the Peace of Augsburg established the equality of Confessio Augustana and the Catholic Church in the empire – but only in the city of Augsburg did both denominations exist in an inimitable coexistence. Only here was it possible to erect a Protestant church such as the Church of the Holy Cross in the immediate vicinity of the Catholic Church. Today's building was built by the master-builder Johann Jakob Kraus in 1652–3 to replace the Ottmars chapel, which was demolished in 1630.
The Church of the Holy-Cross is situated in the immediate vicinity of the older and larger Catholic Church of the Holy Cross. The outer appearance of both buildings is felicitously harmonised – especially due to the respective onion domes – which may be seen as another symbol of the peaceful coexistence of both denominations. Overall the façade is sparsely decorated, although crowned by a large scrolled gable whose plasticity is increased by the protruding hexagonal onion dome. The façade doesn’t lie axial to the interior; a necessary admission to the floor-plan of the site, which is almost triangular. The interior is illuminated through high windows that are typical of Protestant churches. Inside, the architecture of the hall is very chaste. In the west there is a wooden gallery, which again, is typical of Protestant church architecture. Exceptional for a Protestant church, however, is the rich collection of paintings, donations by wealthy parishioners, which is displayed on the west wall. This gallery may be seen as a reaction to the rich decoration of Catholic churches, because in the battle for believers on the free market of denominations, each party had to be capable of competing.
View Short DescriptionThe form of this small church – a hall with high windows – is typical of Protestant religious architecture. In contrast to the exterior, the interior is exceptionally rich. Most impressive is a large collection of paintings, but also the superb choir decorated in the Rococo style. The pulpit is flanked by two monumental Baroque canvasses by one of Augsburg’s most famous painters, Johann Heinrich Schönfeld.
Archival documents, paintings, and signed pulpit: “1665”.
Wall on the right-hand side, Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Cross
1660: crucifix; 1660: paintings; 1762: pulpit
Johann Esaias Nilson (1721–1728); Ignaz Wilhelm Verhelst (1729–1792); Johann Heinrich Schönfeld (1609–1684)
The pulpit, decorated in slender rocailles, is positioned prominently within the church vis-à-vis the gallery according to its role in the Lutheran rite. A life-size wooden crucifix above the pulpit and two paintings of Christ’s Passion by Johann Heinrich Schönfeld at either side complete the Christological ensemble.
Choir
c. 1653: retable; 1673/74: paintings; 1730: organ and decoration of the vault; 1748: renovation of the gallery and organ; 1767: altar
Johann Heiss (1640–1704), Johann Ulrich Mayr (1630–1704), Johannes Spillenberger (1628–1679), Josef Werner (1637–1710); Johann Georg Bergmüller (1688–1762); Johann Esaias Nilson (active 1721–1728); Ignaz Wilhelm Verhelst (1729–1792)
The choir, oriented to the west, was renewed in 1730 in the contemporary Rococo style. On the occasion of the centennial of the Peace of 1648 a new gallery for the organ was installed. The slightly curved stucco is captivating in its simple elegance, its colour highlighting the choir. Although the gallery continues in the choir, the coloured Regency and Rococo stucco establishes a discrete, almost scenographic quality. The fresco on the ceiling shows the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity. Around the altar, as at the pulpit, paintings depict scenes from the Life of Christ: the Baptism, Resurrection, Pentecost and Last Supper. The two most important ritualistic elements in the church – altar and pulpit – together harmonise in form and content, dedicated fully to the teachings of Christ.
Hagen, B. Von,Wegener-Hüssen, A., Stadt Augsburg (Denkmäler in Bayern VII.83), Munich 1994, pp. 226–30.
Evangelisch-Lutherisches Pfarramt Heilig-Kreuz, Augsburg (Hg.), Die evangelische Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in Augsburg. Eine Lutherstätte, Augsburg 1981.
Pèe, H., Johann Heinrich Schönfeld. Die Gemälde (Jahresgabe 1969 des Deutschen Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft), Berlin 1971, pp. 51–2, 164–6.
Hans Christian Hönes "Lutheran Parish Church Holy Cross" in "Discover Baroque Art", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://baroqueart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;BAR;de;Mon12;27;en
MWNF Working Number: DE3 27
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