Paulinerkirche, Leipzig
Encyclopedia
Augustusplatz
The Augustusplatz is a square located at the east end of the city centre of Leipzig. It is the city's largest square and one of the largest squares in Germany...
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, named after the "Pauliner", its original Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
friars. It was built in 1231 as the Klosterkirche St. Pauli for the Dominican monastery in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. From the foundation of the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
in 1409, it served as the university church. After the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
it was donated to the university and was inaugurated in 1545 by Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
as the Universitätskirche St. Pauli (University Church of St Paul), later also called Unikirche. Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
and Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
were among its directors of music.
The church survived the war practically unscathed but was dynamited in 1968 during the communist regime of East Germany. It was not rebuilt. Instead, a new university church was built on the site in the shape of the former church and inaugurated in 2009, for the 600th anniversary of the university.
Dominican Abbey
In 1229, friars of the Dominican OrderDominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
settled in Leipzig and started in 1231 the building of the Paulinerkirche as their abbey church, within the city walls close to the gate "Grimmaisches Tor". It was built in the typical fashion of a church of a Mendicant order
Mendicant Orders
The mendicant orders are religious orders which depend directly on the charity of the people for their livelihood. In principle, they do not own property, either individually or collectively , believing that this was the most pure way of life to copy followed by Jesus Christ, in order that all...
of the 13th century, with a choir and a nave with two aisles in the "Langhaus". The church was consecrated in 1240 by archbishop Wilbrand from Magdeburg to St. Paul.
University Church
Since the foundation of the University of LeipzigUniversity of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
in 1409, the church was closely related to the university. A tradition of "Universitätsgottesdienst" (university service) started then, with preachers appointed by the university since 1419. The altar from the 15th century is now in the Thomaskirche. Several faculty members of the university and their relatives were buried in the church, commemorated on epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
s of artistic value, people such as Johann Christoph Marci (law), Christian Friedrich Franckenstein (historian) and Benedikt Carpzov (1595-1666, law), whose epitaph was restored in 2011. Johann Tetzel
Johann Tetzel
Johann Tetzel was a German Dominican preacher known for selling indulgences.-Life:Tetzel was born in Pirna, Saxony, and studied theology and philosophy at the university of his native city...
, a Dominican preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
famous for selling indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
s, was buried in 1517.
After the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
the order was dissolved, and on 22 April 1544 Moritz von Sachsen signed the donation of the former monastery to the university. The Paulinerkirche was inaugurated as a Protestant university church by Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
on 12 August 1545. Luther's sermon on this occasion is extant in his handwriting, the so-called Zerbster Handschrift ("Eine predigt || D. Martini || Lutheri, newlich zu Leip= || tzig gethan. || Wittemberg. || Durch Hans Lufft. || 1545."), printed in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
in 1545 ("Ein nütze Lehr, unnd || schöne vermanung, || Wie Gott durch das H. Euangeli= || on uns heimgesuchet, unnd wir || uns dagegen halten sollen. || Gepredigt zu Leipzig, || durch || D. M. Luther || M.D.XLV. ... Gedruckt zu Nürm= berg durch Johan vom Berg, || und Ulrich Newber, wonhafft auff dem Newen= || baw bey der Kalckhütten. Anno 1545.), and printed in Leipzig in 1817 when the church was reopened after the Battle of Leipzig
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
.
The church was used for services and, from 1543 to 1768, also as Aula, an auditorium for academic functions. Samuel Rüling
Samuel Rüling
Samuel Rüling was a German composer and poet in the early 17th century.- Before Kreuzkirche :Rüling was born around 1586 in Groitzsch, near Leipzig, as the son of Johann Rüling...
was music director in Leipzig, also for the Paulinerkirche, from 1610 to 1612, when he moved on to the Kreuzkirche
Kreuzkirche
The Church of the Cross in Dresden is the largest church in Saxony, and home to the Dresdner Kreuzchor boy choir. Known since the early 12th century, it was officially dedicated on 10 June 1388 to the Holy Cross. Since 1491, it has burned down five times...
in Dresden. Werner Fabricius was the first "Director musices Paulini" (director of music of St Paul) from 1656 to 1679. He was succeeded by Johann Schelle
Johann Schelle
Johann Schelle was a German baroque composer.Schelle was born in Geising and died in Leipzig. He was the cantor of the Thomanerchor from 1677 to 1701....
(1679–1701) and Johann Kuhnau
Johann Kuhnau
Johann Kuhnau was a German composer, organist and harpsichordist.-Biography :Kuhnau was born in Geising, Saxony. He grew up in a religious Lutheran family. At age nine, he auditioned successfully for the Kreuzschule in Dresden...
(1701–1722). An organ at the western wall was first heard on 2 November 1679. In 1717 the new organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
by Johann Scheibe was inspected by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
in his function as an organ consultant. Johann Gottlieb Görner
Johann Gottlieb Görner
Johann Gottlieb Görner was a German composer and organist. His brother was the composer Johann Valentin Görner and his son the organist Karl Friedrich Görner...
was the organist from 1717. His comment was: "nicht gnugsam rühmen und loben können, sonderlich deren Raren Register" ([he could] not praise enough, especially its unusual stops).
When Bach was cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
in Leipzig from 1723, he also performed services at the university church and composed for both services and academic functions. He was Universitätsmusikdirektor (director of music) from 1723 to 1725. Possibily he performed a new cantata
Bach cantata
Bach cantata became a term for a cantata of the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach who was a prolific writer of the genre. Although many of his works are lost, around 200 cantatas survived....
already for Pentecost, Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59
Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59
Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten , BWV 59, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach composed the cantata for Pentecost and probably first performed it in Leipzig on 28 May 1724, but an earlier performance on 16 May 1723 at the University Church of Leipzig is possible.-History...
, on 16 May 1723, before he began his tenure as cantor at the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche two weeks later, on the first Sunday after Trinity
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
. On 17 October 1727 Bach performed the Trauerode (after Johann Christoph Gottsched
Johann Christoph Gottsched
Johann Christoph Gottsched was a German author and critic.-Biography:He was born at Juditten near Königsberg, Brandenburg-Prussia, the son of a Lutheran clergyman...
) Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl, BWV 198, requested by the university for the funeral of Christiane Eberhardine, the wife of August II the Strong. Bach performed his motet Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226, first on 21 October 1729 in a memorial service for Johann Heinrich Ernesti (1652-1729), rector of the Thomasschule. Probably in 1733, Bach performed his cantatas Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen, BWV 213 (Hercules at the Crossroads), for the birthday of the heir to the throne of the elector, and Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten! BWV 214, for the birthday of the queen, a cantata which he used as a model for parts of his Christmas Oratorio
Christmas Oratorio
The Christmas Oratorio BWV 248, is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It was written for the Christmas season of 1734 incorporating music from earlier compositions, including three secular cantatas written during 1733 and 1734 and a...
, namely its opening chorus. Probably in 1735 Bach performed the hommage cantata Die Freude reget sich, BWV 36b, to Johann Florens Rivinius on his appointment to the Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
ship of the university in October 1735.
In 1778 Johann Adam Hiller was appointed music director and served until 1785.
19th century
During the Battle of LeipzigBattle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
in 1813, the church served as a camp for hostages and a military hospital. In the 19th century most of the remaining buildings of the monastery were demolished and replaced by the Augusteum
Augusteum (Leipzig)
The Augusteum was a building on the Augustusplatz in Leipzig, to the left of the Paulinerkirche. It was the original site of the University of Leipzig.-History:...
, built from 1831 to 1836. The church had originally faced the city walls, which were torn down in 1785. The church faced the new representative square, later called Augustusplatz
Augustusplatz
The Augustusplatz is a square located at the east end of the city centre of Leipzig. It is the city's largest square and one of the largest squares in Germany...
. Therefore Albert Geutebrück
Albert Geutebrück
Albert Geutebrück was a German classicist architect, especially active in Leipzig, where his works included the Augusteum....
erected in 1836 a Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
facade, replaced by a Neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
facade of Arwed Roßbach
Arwed Roßbach
Max Arwed Roßbach was a Germany historicist architect from Saxony. He worked mainly in the Gründerzeit.-Selected works:...
in 1897.
Felix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Barthóldy , use the form 'Mendelssohn' and not 'Mendelssohn Bartholdy'. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians gives ' Felix Mendelssohn' as the entry, with 'Mendelssohn' used in the body text...
conducted his oratorio on the church's patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
, Paulus, in the first performance in Leipzig on 16 March 1837. The composer's funeral was held in the church on 7 November 1847.
In 1907 Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
was appointed music director of the university.
Destruction in 1968
The church survived the war practically unscathed, unlike the Augusteum next to it. On 4 April 1968 the Universitätschor (choir of the university) performed Bach's St Matthew Passion, conducted by Hans-Joachim RotzschHans-Joachim Rotzsch
Hans-Joachim Rotzsch is a German choral conductor, conducting the Thomanerchor from 1972 until 1991 as the fifteenth Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He is also a tenor and an academic.- Biography :...
.
On 30 May 1968, during the communist regime, and after a decision by the SED
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
-led city administration and the university administration, the Paulinerkirche was dynamited to make way for a redevelopment of the university, carried out between 1973 and 1978. Protestors against the blasting operation were arrested.
A plaque at the site was unveiled 25 years later, on 30 May 1993. An A-frame sculpture in the dimensions and at the location of the former facade at the Augustusplatz was a memorial.
The Paulineraltar, the Gothic altar, was rescued and is temporarily installed at the Thomaskirche.
Rebuilding debate
Since the 1990s the rebuilding of the church has been discussed. Among the people demanding a rebuilding is Nobel Prize-winning biologist Günter BlobelGünter Blobel
-Biography:Blobel was born in Waltersdorf in the Prussian Province of Lower Silesia. In January 1945 his family fled from native Silesia from the advancing Red Army. On their way to the West they passed through the beautiful old city of Dresden, which left deep impressions in the young boy...
, arguing:
This is much more than a church — this is a shrine of German cultural history, connected to the most important names in German cultural history.
New university church
The new buildings at the University's main campus are inspired by the form and shape of the old church. The newly built heart of the university includes a room for common prayer and regular religious services situated exactly at the place of the former church. The first in the new church was held on6 December 2009, the second in Advent, including Bach's cantata Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 61
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland , BWV 61, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Weimar for the for the first Sunday in Advent and first performed it on 2 December 1714.-History and words:...
.
External links
- Foundation "University Church of St Paul, Leipzig" stiftung-universitaetskirche.com
- Leipzig braucht die Universitätskirche / zum Wiederaufbau der 1968 gesprengten Paulinerkirche paulinerkirche.de 2011