Bach in Arts

Art-1938

Type:

Bach Stained Glass Window

Title:

Bach Stained-glass window at St. James's Church (St.-Jakobskirche), Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany

Location:

St.-Jakobskirche, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany

Description:

There is one more memorial to honor J.S. Bach in the world. It is located in Rothenburg, the German city of all, in the St. Jacobs Church. It is a real ensemble of windows all related to J.S. Bach. How I found them? There was a antique merchandise stamp, such stamps that you sometimes found in boxes with cereals or washing powder, no postage stamp, but several themes to collect. I found one and asked in Rothenburg, whether Rothenburg was a Bach city, whether J.S. Bach acted there once. The church administration answered quickly and told me, no Bach wasn't there, but the window still exists. I assumed only one section and you can imagine my joy when I discovered, there were some 10 window sections, instead of the expected one. Until now there had been zero text about that on the internet, not that stamp not even one photo of the windows. So, we as J.S. Bach fans discovered - I guess for 99.99 % of all J.S. Bach fans on the planet one memorial more, some 0.01 % of the J.S. Bach experts in Leipzig might have known about that unique treasure.!

The stained-glass windows in the west choir of Rothenburger St. Jacob's Church today form the Backdrop for the Holy Blood Altar by Tilman Riemenschneider, a hundred years ago but when she in the church came, they left the noon sun fall into a kind of museum chamber is in the Holy Blood had set behind the mighty Steinmeyer organ.

With these windows from 1911 documented respectfully area end in the church Volunteerism Rothenburger citizens Stiftergroßherzigkeit in time of economic prosperity before WW1, Protestant civic pride coupled with appreciation of Protestant Church Music and the consciousness of the identity of the former bourgeois elite with the representatives of the Empire.

The west chancel window would not exist without the association founded in 1906 to restore St. Jakob Church and without the exceedingly energetic longtime 1st Secretary, the Rothenburger City Kantor and urban music director Ernst Schmidt (1864-1936; since 1917 University of Music Director in Erlangen). His role in the renovation started at the time of the St. Jacob's Church is outstanding. He has also put his own personal monument windows. Next among the relevant personalities in the history of this window of Rothenburger Stroller producer Dr. Hans Heinrich Maier (1858-1928), Franz Zettler of the Zettlerschen Hofglasmalerei in Munich and his staff, the architect Prof. Josef Schmitz, the painter Ferdinand Wagner d. J. - and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Sequentially: On May 27, 1906 in the Protestant club house in Rothenburg of the Association for the Restoration of St. Jacob's Church was founded, to the just launched major renovation of the St. Jacob's Church in Applying the necessary financial support. On 1 Chairman pastor Fabri was elected, 1st secretary music director Ernst Schmidt. The latter proved to be in the coming years as the real driving force in the team. It was soon clear that financial resources in the required amount in no way were acquired solely through membership fees and one way or another donation. So you came surprising for deciding the main activity of the association on the preparation and conduct of a lottery to concentrate. This lottery, which is anticipated was also extremely successful. they gave the club and thus the development so much revenue that you not only the current Could relieve construction costs noticeably, but also a significant amount for the installation of a Church heating was put aside, the then however not for heating, but inflation eating up.

In view of the lottery was the most difficult task, the necessary government approvals for to get. Each of the states in the federation of the German Empire had in this Respect for its territory the exclusive jurisdiction. There was wide training ground for skilled Diploma aria, especially since each state was careful that own major construction projects not Bringing promote "foreign" projects behind. And in Rothenburger home state, in Kingdom of Bavaria, was still to the unwillingness of Catholic circles over-generous promotion a Protestant church to feel. But Ernst Schmidt always found the right partner who helped in, To open doors and to make "good weather" for St. Jakob. So finally able in May 1909 Raffle start. The 225,000 lots at 3 Mark were surprisingly sell out fast. Of the Jackpot with 60,000 Mark went to Mülheim am Rhein (now district of Cologne). As the success loomed with the lottery, matured at Ernst Schmidt, the idea for an "homage window": On 31 July 1908 he brought in the board meeting of the association to a proposal, in the west choir of the Church as an expression of thanks for the approval of the lottery in the various countries, especially in Prussia, to install an artistically executed in stained glass window. In April 1909 This was Plans more advanced: The chief of the church renovation, Professor Josef Schmitz from Nuremberg, had already created a first draft drawing. The preparation should be in the prestigious Zettlerschen Hofglasmalerei in Munich take place. Nearly three weeks later, the company Zettler delivers an executed Sketch for the homage window. And also declared in April 1908, the Rothenburger factory owner Hans Heinrich Maier, he would donate the window. 3,200 Mark he put it in prospect, 1910, he increased its commitment to 6.500 marks.

On June 5, was Ernst Schmidt and two other board members of the Association of Bavarian Prince Regent received in private audience. The draft "homage window", a work on "St. Jacob Church "and two watercolors of the St. Jacob's Church and the town hall" were Sr. Kgl. Highness handed and visibly pleased graciously accepted. "The request for an audience with the Emperor in Berlin, however, had only a partial success. The Emperor took "affixing a homage window (from its design, however, he initially has no idea) with satisfaction and gratitude counter, but prevented by other dispositions to give an audience. "In August the Emperor of the Window Drafting sent, along with three watercolors with motifs from Rothenburger Maria Ressel. Ressel watercolors pleased His Majesty apparently better than the window design. hat in any case reveals the answer from the Civil Cabinet of the Emperor: "The Renaissance forms seem Sr. Majesty not to fit into the pure Gothic church. The three excellent watercolors takes Her Majesty with Joys counter and speak from the sincere thanks. "Schmidt responded immediately aif this Majesty full blame and corresponds with Schmitz and Zettler because of a new draft, which then Also present on 15 September, instead of a Neorenaissancerahmens now "with the Gothic building". After the submission of this new design comes in early December 1908, the now universally satisfactory Answer that the Emperor was satisfied and approve the matter. Also Schmidt is pleased with this Development, but he wants more: The homage window in the west choir is flanked by two other windows will, through their design of the music director has quite clear ideas. It is possible, even for these side window Heinrich Maier win as founders, the first still wants to remain anonymous. At the general meeting of the association on 21 June 2010, the public will for the first time about can see informed what they will soon be on the new windows in the west choir of the church and city as the image program is to be understood. In Schmidt's words: "In the middle window, the coat of arms of the Lottery supportive states represented. Since the sacred art of music has always been in the St. Jakobskirche special care fthe west choir of the church anyway as the location of the organ Services of Musica Sacra is consecrated, it was obvious well as other decorative jewelry of the three in question next window to use those motifs, at the sight of the spectator is to be encouraged, the sacred singing as a means to be filled with the Spirit will appreciate to learn and the desire to praise God to consider on stringed instruments as of faith favorite exercise. So can also be seen on the protuberant Coat of arms of Prussia and Bavaria, the image of the "German Zion" with the inscription "Lux rediit rutilae ut laetantur lumine turres "(" The red towers rejoice the returned light ") to 1544 in Rothenburg carried Reformation reminiscent: MDXLIIII. In the side windows we see on the one hand the Creator of the Protestant hymn, on the other hand the representatives of the Protestant Sacred Music: Luther at Hymns working with lute and viola di gamba under the Wartburg - "Einfeste Castle" and JS Bach on the organ, the Christmas Oratorio, the Matthew Passion and the Pentecost Cantata the saving acts of God praising, his birthplace in Eisenach, the St. Thomas Church and the School S. Thomae in Leipzig. " It is probably not entirely wrong, to the west choir window as homage window for Ernst Schmidt designate.

End of 1910 the windows have been completed. Hans Heinrich Maier gives the club its promised Foundation of 6,500 Mark. First, the three large stained-glass windows in the Hofglasmalerei be Zettler in Munich issued in Brienner Straße, where they visited in 1911 Prince Regent Luitpold in February "With repeated expression of his joy and satisfaction". In the next few days Schmidt is with Mayor Ludwig Siebert in Munich, "about the various ambassadors of the states to Visit to the window to invite and to hand over letters of thanks. On February 18, appeared Prince and Princess Ludwig, who chatted animatedly about Rothenburg. On 19 the same thing happened by the ambassadors of Prussia, Baden, Saxony and Württemberg. An invitation to breakfast in the Prussian Legation had to be rejected because Mayor Siebert already preparing to had taken an appendectomy. "

It took a few months until the last little things were designed on the windows. Architect Schmitz suggested to avoid glare surfaces in the two side windows with additional fields Insert crest jewelry. So on came, the left, the Luther window, under the line "A Mighty Fortress Is our God ... "nor the Wappem the Luthertstädte Worms, Eisleben and Mansfeld, including the" Luther Rose " on the right, the stream window under the row from the Bach cantata "My heart ever faithful, rejoice ..." the Coat of Arms of Bach cities Arnstadt, Weimar and Leipzig, including Bachsiegel. In July Schmidt had a lively correspondence with some archives and museums on the correct Presentation of Bach seal out. On October 15, finally, the windows were a set. The 580 Mark additional costs compared to the already donated 6,500 Mark takes over again Hans Heinrich Maier, the one as in the newspaper "Patrician" dubs. From newspaper reports, the public also learns that the draft at the windows comes from Franz Zettler and the figurative part of the painter Professor Ferdinand Wagner, Munich, has the copyright. The cityscape over the coat of arms of Prussia and Bavaria in the middle window was opened by Mr. Schmetzer, a Rothenburger, who is engaged in Zettlerschen studio, executed. The Crest on the central windows are the arms of the eight German states, with the lottery in their field have approved more or less serious limitations: Prussia, Bavaria, Württemberg, Saxony, Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, Sachsen-Meiningen, Saxe-Coburg, the Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Alsace-Lorraine Alsace-Lorraine. At Saxe-Coburg is to say of course that for the lottery Lead Bankhaus Shepherd after some wrangling with the Coburgern when finally a Was present authorization for 3000 lots, explained that one is on the Coburg lots no longer rely. It hence no lots were sent to Coburg, the large window was the homage Saxony Coburgische Arms were however already taken, even if not a single item purchased in Coburg could be. And one final curiosity: Under the Bavarian coat of arms below, in a making music train, King David with the sounds in the guise of the German Order of the Grand Master, what now though may pass as an allusion to the German Order of the past Jakob church, but a in a sense too German dealing with biblical history is.

A small reminder of the founders of the window goes under the large number of arms of the West choir windows almost unetr. In the middle window is at the bottom of the right half-Bahn "Hans Heinrich Maier 1910 ", next to a small coat of arms with lilies of the valley, the speaking arms of the founding family, relying as well as Music Director Schmidt, the gratitude of the parish and the city has earned. Dietrich Wünsch in 2011, after the window now 100 years are in our church Sources: primarily the records of Ernst Schmidt in the log book of the Association for the Restoration of St. Jacob's Church (St. Jakob 6.1.1.15b Pfarrarchiv)

Measures:

Creator:

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Comments:

Copyright all photos by Peter Bach jr.

Source/Links:

BACH über BACH
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Contributor: Peter Bach (June 2015, August 2015)