Unionskirche, Idstein
Encyclopedia
The Unionskirche is the Protestant parish church of Idstein
, a major town in the German Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
. Idstein was a residence of the Counts of Nassau
. The church building in the center of the historic "Altstadt" (old town) dates back to the 14th century, but its interior was changed in the 17th century and is a unique Baroque monument, including 38 paintings of the Dutch Golden Age
school of Rubens. The church was named Unionskirche in 1917, commemorating the union of Lutheran
and Reformed
Protestants in the Duchy of Nassau in 1817.
church existed before 1287 at the same location. The present church was built from 1330 to 1350 under Gerlach, count of Nassau, as the church for a Collegiate
of six canon
s, founded in 1333. Collegiate and church were dedicated to St. Martin
.
The Reformation
turned Idstein Protestant. After the Thirty Years' War
, the church was transformed to a representative "Predigt- und Hofkirche" (church for sermon and court) by Johann of Nassau-Idstein (1603–77). From 1665 to 1678, galleries were constructed on three sides, and the ceiling of the nave was completely covered by 38 oil painting
s from the Dutch Golden Age
school of Rubens. The paintings were created from 1673 to 1678 by Michael Angelo Immenraedt (Antwerp) and his pupil Johannes Melchior Bencard. Three paintings are based on designs by Joachim von Sandrart
, five were executed by his nephew Johann von Sandrart. Several paintings are based on well known works by Rubens, for example The Wedding at Cana on the south wall largely based on Rubens's painting The Feast of Herod which hangs today in the National Gallery of Scotland
in Edinburgh
.
The sequence of paintings told the gospel to a partly illiterate congregation. The Biblical figures appear in courtly Baroque garments. The painting "Heimsuchung" (Visitation) shows Mary arriving, a servant carrying her cases on his head. Elisabeth seems to reside at an estate with a formal garden shown in the background, resembling the one of the Idstein residential palace which was begun in 1646. Paintings looking up to the sky were arranged in the center of the ceiling, from altar to the back:
"Verklärung Christi am Tabor" (Transfiguration
), Kreuzaufrichtung (elevation of the cross), Auferstehung (Resurrection
), Kreuzabnahme (Deposition
), Himmelfahrt (Ascension), and "Johannes auf Patmos sieht den Himmel offen und die Engel mit dem Evangelium" (Vision of St. John on Patmos
, literally: John on Patmos sees heaven open and the angels with the gospel).
Johann, infamous for his Persecution of witches (Hexenverfolgung) as late as 1676, died shortly before the work was completed. Franz Matthias Hiernle erected an epitaph
for Georg August Samuel von Nassau-Idstein (1665–1721), his wife Henriette Dorothea and their children, after a design by Maximilian von Welsch
, which was placed left of the altar.
The church was simply called Stadtkirche (Town Church). The few remaining Catholics of Idstein were not permitted to hold services until 1806, when they were granted to use the "Schlosskapelle" (Palace Chapel) until 1888, when they could move to their own church. The Stadtkirche was named Unionskirche in 1917, to commemorate the centennial of the union
of Lutheran
and Reformed
Protestants in the Duchy of Nassau in 1817 in the so-called "Nassauische Union", to form the Protestant Church in Nassau. It was the first such union in Germany.
The Unionskirche is a monument marked according to the Hague Convention
.
, but retaining the historic case (Prospekt).
The church choir, conducted by Edwin Müller, was named Idsteiner Kantorei in 1972 and started to perform two major concerts a year, in addition to services and concerts in smaller churches of the region. Since 2003 the cantor
has been Carsten Koch, who is also professor at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt. In addition to the standard repertoire, he selected rarely performed works such as Schumann
's Missa sacra on 9 November 2008. In 2011 they performed Mendelssohn's Lobgesang, with Christiane Kohl
as a soloist.
, presenting especially vocal music, such as a recital of Elizabeth Parcells
and concerts of the vocal ensembles Chanticleer
, ensemble amarcord
and Die Singphoniker, among others.
In 2000 the Idsteiner Bachtage were held as an ecumenical collaboration of the Unionskirche and St. Martin
. Concerts at the Unionskirche included the Brandenburg Concertos
, cantata
BWV 34 and the Missa in A.
In 2003 the Unionskirche hosted the annual choral concert of St. Martin, while that church could not be used due to restoration. In keeping with the interior design, works of George Frideric Handel
were performed, including his Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate
and a Gloria
, rediscovered in 2001 and performed by coloratura soprano Katia Plaschka
.
Carsten Koch established a series of symphony concerts on the annual "Tag des offenen Denkmals" (European Heritage Day
), beginning in 2004 a cycle of the symphonies of Beethoven
.
Idstein
Idstein is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt it is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße , connecting towns with fine timber-frame buildings and...
, a major town in the German Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis
Rheingau-Taunus is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus, district-free Wiesbaden, Mainz-Bingen, Rhein-Lahn.-Geography:...
. Idstein was a residence of the Counts of Nassau
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
. The church building in the center of the historic "Altstadt" (old town) dates back to the 14th century, but its interior was changed in the 17th century and is a unique Baroque monument, including 38 paintings of the Dutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden Age painting
Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history generally spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years War for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Republic was the most prosperous nation in Europe, and led European trade,...
school of Rubens. The church was named Unionskirche in 1917, commemorating the union of Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
and Reformed
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
Protestants in the Duchy of Nassau in 1817.
History
Remnants in the tower prove that a RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church existed before 1287 at the same location. The present church was built from 1330 to 1350 under Gerlach, count of Nassau, as the church for a Collegiate
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
of six canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s, founded in 1333. Collegiate and church were dedicated to St. Martin
Martin of Tours
Martin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
.
The 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...
turned Idstein Protestant. After the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, the church was transformed to a representative "Predigt- und Hofkirche" (church for sermon and court) by Johann of Nassau-Idstein (1603–77). From 1665 to 1678, galleries were constructed on three sides, and the ceiling of the nave was completely covered by 38 oil painting
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
s from the Dutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden Age painting
Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history generally spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years War for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Republic was the most prosperous nation in Europe, and led European trade,...
school of Rubens. The paintings were created from 1673 to 1678 by Michael Angelo Immenraedt (Antwerp) and his pupil Johannes Melchior Bencard. Three paintings are based on designs by Joachim von Sandrart
Joachim von Sandrart
Joachim von Sandrart was a German Baroque art-historian and painter, active in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age.-Biography:Sandrart was born in Frankfurt, but the family originated from Mons...
, five were executed by his nephew Johann von Sandrart. Several paintings are based on well known works by Rubens, for example The Wedding at Cana on the south wall largely based on Rubens's painting The Feast of Herod which hangs today in the National Gallery of Scotland
National Gallery of Scotland
The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
The sequence of paintings told the gospel to a partly illiterate congregation. The Biblical figures appear in courtly Baroque garments. The painting "Heimsuchung" (Visitation) shows Mary arriving, a servant carrying her cases on his head. Elisabeth seems to reside at an estate with a formal garden shown in the background, resembling the one of the Idstein residential palace which was begun in 1646. Paintings looking up to the sky were arranged in the center of the ceiling, from altar to the back:
"Verklärung Christi am Tabor" (Transfiguration
Transfiguration of Jesus
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
), Kreuzaufrichtung (elevation of the cross), Auferstehung (Resurrection
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
), Kreuzabnahme (Deposition
Descent from the Cross
The Descent from the Cross , or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after his crucifixion . In Byzantine art the topic became popular in the 9th century, and in the West from the...
), Himmelfahrt (Ascension), and "Johannes auf Patmos sieht den Himmel offen und die Engel mit dem Evangelium" (Vision of St. John on Patmos
Vision of St. John on Patmos
The Vision of St. John the Evangelist at Patmos is a series of frescoes by the Italian late Renaissance artist Antonio Allegri da Correggio...
, literally: John on Patmos sees heaven open and the angels with the gospel).
Johann, infamous for his Persecution of witches (Hexenverfolgung) as late as 1676, died shortly before the work was completed. Franz Matthias Hiernle erected an 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...
for Georg August Samuel von Nassau-Idstein (1665–1721), his wife Henriette Dorothea and their children, after a design by Maximilian von Welsch
Maximilian von Welsch
Johann Maximilian von Welsch was a German architect, High Director of Building and fortress master builder.- Life :Maximilian von Welsch is regarded as a prominent representative of baroque fortress building in Germany. Besides this he got reputation with the construction of several...
, which was placed left of the altar.
The church was simply called Stadtkirche (Town Church). The few remaining Catholics of Idstein were not permitted to hold services until 1806, when they were granted to use the "Schlosskapelle" (Palace Chapel) until 1888, when they could move to their own church. The Stadtkirche was named Unionskirche in 1917, to commemorate the centennial of the union
United and uniting churches
United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...
of Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
and Reformed
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
Protestants in the Duchy of Nassau in 1817 in the so-called "Nassauische Union", to form the Protestant Church in Nassau. It was the first such union in Germany.
The Unionskirche is a monument marked according to the Hague Convention
Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict is an international treaty that requires its signatories to protect cultural property in war. It was signed at The Hague, Netherlands, on May 14, 1954, and entered into force August 7, 1956...
.
Church music
The organ, built in 1783 by Stumm, was replaced in 1912 by an instrument of WalckerWalcker Orgelbau
Walcker Orgelbau of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is a builder of pipe organs. It was founded in Cannstatt, a suburb of Stuttgart in 1780 by Johann Eberhard Walcker...
, but retaining the historic case (Prospekt).
The church choir, conducted by Edwin Müller, was named Idsteiner Kantorei in 1972 and started to perform two major concerts a year, in addition to services and concerts in smaller churches of the region. Since 2003 the cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
has been Carsten Koch, who is also professor at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt. In addition to the standard repertoire, he selected rarely performed works such as Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
's Missa sacra on 9 November 2008. In 2011 they performed Mendelssohn's Lobgesang, with Christiane Kohl
Christiane Kohl
- Professional career :Christiane Kohl grew up in Idstein. After her Abitur at the Pestalozzi-Gymnasium she studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Lilian Sukis and Elisabeth Wilke. She received her diploma with distinction in 2003....
as a soloist.
Concerts
The Unionskirche has been a venue of the Rheingau Musik FestivalRheingau Musik Festival
The Rheingau Musik Festival is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres...
, presenting especially vocal music, such as a recital of Elizabeth Parcells
Elizabeth Parcells
Elizabeth Parcells was an American coloratura soprano. In the USA, she sang at the Michigan Opera Theater, the Boston Lyric Opera and The Washington Opera, among others....
and concerts of the vocal ensembles Chanticleer
Chanticleer
- Fiction :*A rooster appearing in fables about Reynard The Fox**The Nun's Priest's Tale, a version of Chanticleer and the Fox told in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales**By metonymy, any rooster**A character in the movie Rock-a-Doodle played by Glen Campbell...
, ensemble amarcord
Ensemble amarcord
The ensemble amarcord is a German male classical vocal ensemble based in Leipzig, founded in 1992 by five former members of the Thomanerchor. Their focus is Medieval music, Renaissance music and the collaboration with contemporary composers.- Singers :...
and Die Singphoniker, among others.
In 2000 the Idsteiner Bachtage were held as an ecumenical collaboration of the Unionskirche and St. Martin
St. Martin, Idstein
St. Martin in Idstein, Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, is the church of the local Roman Catholic parish. The official name is Katholische Pfarrkirche St. Martin. The parish is part of the Diocese of Limburg...
. Concerts at the Unionskirche included the Brandenburg Concertos
Brandenburg concertos
The Brandenburg concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig, margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721 . They are widely regarded as among the finest musical compositions of the Baroque era...
, 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....
BWV 34 and the Missa in A.
In 2003 the Unionskirche hosted the annual choral concert of St. Martin, while that church could not be used due to restoration. In keeping with the interior design, works of George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
were performed, including his Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate
Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate
Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate is a sacred choral composition in two parts, written by George Frideric Handel to celebrate the Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, ending the War of the Spanish Succession. The combination of a Te Deum and Jubilate, the Psalm 100, follows...
and a Gloria
Gloria (Handel)
George Frideric Handel's Gloria is a sacred solo cantata, a setting of the Gloria, the liturgical part of the Mass, for soprano and strings. Handel may have composed it in Germany before departing for Italy in 1706...
, rediscovered in 2001 and performed by coloratura soprano Katia Plaschka
Katia Plaschka
Katia Plaschka is a German coloratura soprano who performs in opera, especially contemporary opera, and concert performances of oratorios.-Professional career:...
.
Carsten Koch established a series of symphony concerts on the annual "Tag des offenen Denkmals" (European Heritage Day
European Heritage Days
European Heritage Days is a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission involving all 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention under the motto, Europe: a common heritage. The annual programme offers opportunities to visit buildings, monuments and sites, many of...
), beginning in 2004 a cycle of the symphonies of Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
.
Literature
- Göbel, Karl G.: Die Bildzyklen in der Idsteiner Stadtkirche (Unionskirche) und ihre Bedeutung, in: NassA 118 (2007), p. 341–384
- Schmidt, Karl Heinz: Grüfte und Sarkophage in der Unionskirche zu Idstein, in: NassA 107 (1996), p. 79
External links
- Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Idstein
- Unionskirche: history
- Bilder: arrangement of the paintings, to the paintings
- Unionskirche: history
- Unionskirche alt-idstein.info
- Idstein Rheingau-Taunus-KreisRheingau-Taunus-KreisRheingau-Taunus is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Limburg-Weilburg, Hochtaunuskreis, Main-Taunus, district-free Wiesbaden, Mainz-Bingen, Rhein-Lahn.-Geography:...
- Ausflüge Taunus III Hintertaunus und Lahn Peter Heckert
- Idstein, Unionskirche (Protestant Church) flickr.com
- Unionskirche picture gallery, nassau-info.de