The Marienkirche, Würzburg (Saint Mary's Church) is a chapel located in the inner court of

Marienberg Fortress Marienberg Fortress (German: ''Festung Marienberg'') is a prominent landmark on the left bank of the Main river in Würzburg, in the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. It is a symbol of Würzburg and served as a home of the local prince-bi ...

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

. The first Christian church at this location was built in 706 by Duke

Hedan II Heden, Hedan, or Hetan II (died 741), called the Younger, was a Duke of Thuringia, one of the "older" stem duchies (''Stammesherzogtums''), from around 700 until his death. He may have been the Hedan who married Saint Bilihild. One of the chief ...

. The structure of today's building can be traced back to the early 11th century. It is the oldest church in Würzburg and the oldest building in the fortress.

History

Duke Hedan II erected a small church in the year 706, which was dedicated to the

virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. It was the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

and burial site of the Würzburg bishops until the remains of the martyrs

Saint Kilian Kilian, also spelled Cillian or Killian (or alternatively ; , original Gaelic form Ceallach), was an Ireland, Irish missionary bishop and the Apostle of Franconia (now the northern part of Bavaria), where he began his labours in the latter half ...

Saint Colman Colmán or Colman is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Medieval Irish people * Colmán Bec (died ''c''. 585), Irish dynast * Colmán mac Cobthaig (died ''c''. 622), Irish king * Colmán mac Lénéni (died ''c ...

und

Saint Totnan Saint Totnan (7th Century – July 8, 689 AD) was an Irish Franconian apostle. He was born in Ireland and was martyred along with Saint Colman and Saint Kilian in Würzburg in 689. In 686, he travelled to Rome with Kilian, Colman and nine ot ...

were relocated to the new

Würzburg Cathedral Würzburg Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg for hundreds of ye ...

on the other side of the

Main Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name *Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territ ...

river in 788. The Marienkirche was officially transferred to St. Burchard's Abbey in 983. When was bishop, he built a new church at this location in the early 11th century, which potentially used some of the original structure and became a

pilgrimage church A pilgrimage church () is a church to which Christian pilgrimage, pilgrimages are regularly made, or a church along a pilgrimage route, like the Way of St. James, that is visited by pilgrims. Pilgrimage churches are often located by the graves o ...

. During the time of it became the church of the court (''Hofkirche'') of the princes (''

Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German language, German word for a ruler as well as a princely title. ' were, starting in the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ...

en'') of Würzburg in 1200. He made substantial changes to the building, when he increased the height of the cylindrical part and installed larger windows. After a fire in 1600, the building was re-erected by Prince-Bishop

Julius Echter Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (18 March 1545 – 9 September 1617) was Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1573. He was born in Mespelbrunn Castle, Spessart (Lower Franconia) and died in Würzburg. Life Mespelbrunn was born the second so ...

. He extended the presbytery, built a

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

and put a

lantern A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...

on top of the

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...

, which contains the

church bells A church bell is a bell in a church building designed to be heard outside the building. It can be a single bell, or part of a set of bells. Their main function is to call worshippers to the church for a service of worship, but are also rung o ...

. The interior was modernised with

plasterwork Plasterwork is construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior or exterior wall structure, or plaster Molding (decorative), decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called parge ...

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

style.

Description

Portal

The ornamental

portal Portal may refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), a series of video games developed by Valve ** ''Portal'' (video game), a 2007 video game, the first in the series ** '' Portal 2'', the 2011 sequel ** '' Portal Stori ...

was made from red sandstone, when Julius Echter was bishop, as indicated by his coat of arms. It displays figures of the

apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

and

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

, and above them the

annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

and finally the bishops

Kilian Killian or Kilian, as a given name, is an English language, Anglicized version of the Irish language, Irish name . The name was borne by several early Irish saints including missionaries to Artois (France) and Franconia (Germany) and the author ...

und

Burchard of Würzburg Saint Burchard of Würzburg (in German Burkard or Burkhard) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary who became the first Bishop of Würzburg (741–751). Life Burchard was an Anglo-Saxon Benedictine monk possibly of noble birth, and educated at Malmesbur ...

and a

madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

. The design is still Renaissance style but already reflects early Baroque influences. Under Echter's rule, a

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

(known as the ''Echterchor'') was also added to the church.

Graves

Twenty grave plates remain in the centre of the church, which show

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

s of the Würzburg bishops. The church was the traditional burial place for the prince-bishops' entrails. Their bodies were typically buried at the cathedral and their hearts at

Ebrach Abbey Ebrach Abbey () is a former Cistercian monastery in Ebrach in Oberfranken, Bavaria, Germany, and the site of a young offenders' institution. History Abbey The abbey, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Nicholas, ...

. Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 04.JPG, Albrecht II. von Hohenlohe
died 1372 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 09.JPG, Gerhard von Schwarzburg
1440–1443 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 17.JPG,

Anselm Franz von Ingelheim Anselm may refer to: People Saints * Anselm, Duke of Friuli (s), Benedictine monk and abbot Nonantula * Anselm of Canterbury ( 1033–1109), philosopher, Abbot of Bec, and Archbishop of Canterbury * Anselm of Lucca (1036–1086), better known as ...

1746–1749 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 15.JPG, Rudolf II. von Scherenberg
1466–1495 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 16.JPG,

Lorenz von Bibra Lorenz von Bibra, Duke in Franconia (1459, Mellrichstadt – 6 February 1519, Würzburg) was Prince-Bishop of the Bishopric of Würzburg from 1495 to 1519. His life paralleled that of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I (1459– ...

1495–1519 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 18.JPG, Konrad II. von Thüngen
1519–1540 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 08.JPG, Konrad III. von Bibra
1540–1544 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 12.JPG,

Friedrich von Wirsberg Friedrich von Wirsberg (16 November 1507 – 12 November 1573) was the Bishopric of Würzburg, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1558 to 1573. Friedrich von Wirsberg was born in Glashütten, Bavaria on November 16, 1507.:de:Friedrich von Wirsberg ...

1558–1573 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 13.JPG, Peter Philipp von Dernbach gen. Graul
1675–1683 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 11.JPG,

Johann Gottfried von Guttenberg Johann Gottfried von Guttenberg (6 November 164514 December 1698) was a German clergyman who served as Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg, Prince and Roman Catholic Diocese of Würzburg, Bishop of Würzburg from 1684, until his death in 1698. Biogr ...

1684–1698 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 01.JPG,

Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (18 March 1545 – 9 September 1617) was Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1573. He was born in Mespelbrunn Castle, Spessart (Lower Franconia) and died in Würzburg. Life Mespelbrunn was born the second so ...

1573–1617 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 03.JPG,

Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt (1502–1558) was the Bishopric of Würzburg, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1544 to 1558. Melchior Zobel von Giebelstadt was born in 1502, the son of Georg Zobel and his wife Dorothea Rüdt von Callenberg. As ...

1544–1558 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 14.JPG,

Johann Hartmann von Rosenbach Johann Hartmann von Rosenbach (September 15, 1609 – April 19, 1675) was the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1673 to 1675. Johann Hartmann von Rosenbach was born in Stammheim, Florstadt on 15 September 1609 to Johann Dietrich von Rosenbach ( ...

1609–1675 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 20.JPG,

Konrad Wilhelm von Wernau Konrad Wilhelm von Wernau (6 or 7 August 16385 September 1684) was a German clergyman who served as Prince and Bishop of Würzburg from his election on 31 May 1683 until his death in 1684. Konrad Wilhelm von Wernau was born in (part of modern ...

1683–1684 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 06.JPG,

Johann Philipp von Greifenclau zu Vollraths Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...

1699–1719 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 05.JPG,

Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn (1673–1724) was the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1719 to 1724. His principal claim to fame is his commissioning of the Würzburg Residence, a major work of Baroque architecture. Life Johann Philipp Franz v ...

1719–1724 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 19.JPG, Christoph Franz von Hutten
1724–1729 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 07.JPG, Karl Philipp von Greiffenclau zu Vollraths
1749–1754 Würzburg, Festung Marienberg, Marienkirche, Grablege 02.JPG,

Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim Adam Friedrich Graf von Seinsheim (1708–1779) was the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg from 1755 to 1779 and Prince-Bishop of Bamberg from 1757 to 1779. Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim was born in Regensburg on 16 February 1708, the son of Maximilian ...

1755–1779

Bibliography

* Max Hermann von Freeden: ''Die Festung Marienberg.'' Würzburg 1982. * Flachenecker/Götschmann/Kummer (ed.): ''Burg. Schloss. Festung. Der Marienberg im Wandel.'' Mainfränkische Studien 78. Echter, Würzburg 2009. p. 168 * ''Festung Marienberg. Burgführer mit 41 Farbaufnahmen.'' Würzburg 2004.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marienkirche, Wurzburg Wurzburg Marys Marys Wurzburg Marys