The St. Marien church to Rügenwalde in Pommern

From Rügenwalder building and art monuments by Karl Rosenow

St. marien church

The Marien church proves in its forms as gotic north Germans building of bricks, as a three-columned Basilika with polygonal choir and a 60 meters high west tower from the the beginning of the 14. Century, which shows large similarity with the churches of the same name in its design in Belgard, Köslin, Schlawe and Stolp. It was destroyed five times by conflagrations, so that only the outside walls strengthened by prop columns and the tower up-rise up into the oldest time. To the sides of the tower are medieval outbuilding, as extension of the side ships. Also the Schütten chapel on the south side and the vestry on the north side belong still to the Middle Ages. Beautiful stellar vaults cover church and outbuildings: high elbow windows with glass painting let an absorbed light fall only. In the year 1897 it was submitted of a thorough repair. The painting took over professor Seeliger, who solved its task in exemplary way.

The altar

Due to this renovation also an inestimable work of art from the Renaissance time got, under the name "Rügenwalder silver altar" in the history of art well-known, a new, the view more accessible place. Duke Philipp II. gave the order to the "gold smith and silver driver" Johannes Körver from Brunswick to represent the passion Christi on silver plates to it after copper passes of Hendrick Soltzius in Haarlem (1558-1617). Soltzius leaned in its passes against Duerers large passion. The plates are partly manufactured by Körver in Stettin themselves, partly from Caspar Lencker in Augsburg. Körver had completed eight plates of the passion, when he died 1607. The actual structure is from ebony and shows tasteful baroque forms. In this 3 meters of high and 1.50 meters spread ebony framework are 27 driven silver plates.

Total view of the silver altar

In the center of the base we see the baptism Christi and at the sides the eleven faithful Apostel and the triumph Christ. The main field shows the holy three kings as center piece, around whom on twelve boards passion history groups itself. In the gable we see heavently music explained; King David with the harp and the holy Caecilie. The framework carved Esias Hepp 1636.

Originally the whole was inserted in a wing altar, which is now in the county local history museum. The wings show the virgin and holy Elizabeth in finely implemented painting on the inside, on the exterior the evangelism and birth Christi and the four Apostel. 1806 came by cabinet order the silver altar from the castle church into the Marien chruch, where he stood only freely with the wings on the pre altar; 1853 it was inserted without wing the high altar and 1897 received it its present place at the side panel in a steel safe deposit. The main field of the high altar today by a painting "Christ created by professor Hansmann satisfies the storm" taken. The small Jesus painting in the gable comes just like two paintings of the younger Cranach: Luther and Melanchthon representing, from the castle church.

Behind the high altar the prince tomb from Rügenwalde is shown, surrounded by a wrought-iron lattice. Originally a close narrow tomb before the altar, was shifted 1888 on suggestion of emperor Friedrich, who was interested lively in this things, behind the altar. The prince tomp contains, over the earth, the coffins of king Erich and the two duchesses Elizabeth and Hedwig. The Sarkophag from French limestone in the center contains the bones of the union king and pomeranian duke Erich I. and shows the coats of arms of Sweden, Denmark and Norway and the pomeranian Griffin , framed from latin a transcription. On the sides the duchess Elizabeth, the wife of the last pomeranian duke, and Hedwig, benefactress of Neustettin, the wife of the duke Ulrich rest in tin coffins. Both coffins are pieces of splendour of tin caster art, particularly the one of the duchess Hedwig with its lion figures.

The pulpit

Of the numerous other pieces of equipment are here only the pulpit, in rich baroque and in form of a hanseatic Kogge with sound cover. Secondly before it the beautiful 24arm brass crown of 1629 with a lion head down and a bearded figure above. Thirdly the organ in the Renaissance style. Fourth the beautifully carved calibration tightness chairs from that 17. Century and fifts the medieval grave plates in the Schütten chapel and in the cultivation of the tower.

From: Rügenwalde an der Ostsee,
1929, P.15 f f.