St. Lorenz, Nuremberg

Contents

St. Lorenz (St. Lawrence) is a medieval church of the former free imperial city of Nuremberg in southern Germany. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence. The church was badly damaged during the Second World War and later restored. It is one of the most prominent churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.

Architecture

The present church was built on the site of an earlier chapel dedicated to Saint Lawrence, first mentioned in 1235. Construction of St. Lorenz Church began around 1250, initially as a three-aisled Gothic basilica. The nave of the church was completed by around 1400.[1] In 1439, work began on the choir in the form of a hall church in the late German Sondergotik style. The choir was largely completed by 1477 by Konrad Roriczer,[2] although Jakob Grimm completed the intricate vaults.

The building and furnishing of the church was cared for by the city council and wealthy citizens of Nuremberg, who funded numerous chapels, altars, and works of art. In the choir one can find the carving of the Angelic Salutation by Veit Stoss, and the monumental tabernacle by Adam Kraft, which includes a prominent figure of the sculptor himself.

During the Reformation, St. Lorenz became one of the first churches in Germany to adopt Lutheranism in 1525. However, unlike many churches affected by iconoclasm, its medieval artworks were largely preserved because the city's wealthy citizens opposed removing works donated by their ancestors and wished to maintain the church's artistic heritage.

During the Second World War, St. Lorenz Church suffered severe damage from Allied bombing raids. The first major attack occurred on 10–11 August 1943, damaging the choir, vaults, roof, and windows. Further destruction followed during the bombing of Nuremberg on 2 January 1945, when much of the nave, roof, and interior furnishings were destroyed. Many of the church's artworks had been removed and stored in safe locations before the attacks, allowing a significant portion of its treasures to survive.[1]

Reconstruction began after the war, supported by donations and restoration efforts. The church was reopened for services in 1952, although conservation work has continued in subsequent decades to preserve its architecture, sculptures, stained glass, and furnishings.[1]

The west facade is richly articulated, reflecting the wealth of the Nuremberg citizens. The facade is dominated by the two towers, mirroring St. Sebald and indirectly Bamberg Cathedral, with a sharply rising west portal and an indented rose window measuring 9 metres in diameter.

Renovations

The renovation plans for St. Lorenz Church were developed from 2018 and included relocating the entrance from the south portal to the historic west portal. A three-story internal structure with an elevator to be installed in the western part of the church to provide storage, offices, and visitor facilities.[3] Estimated at around €4.5 million, the project sparked criticism due to concerns about its impact on the church's Gothic interior.[4] Subsequent restoration efforts focused mainly on preserving the historic fabric of the church, including repairs to the choir, nave, towers, and organ, with major conservation work continuing into the late 2020s.[5]

Organs

The church has three organs.

  • Main organ. Steinmeyer, Oettingen, 1937 rebuilt by Klais Orgelbau, Bonn, 2003. 5 manuals
  • Stephans Organ. Steinmeyer op. 34 from 1862 formerly in the Evangelical Lutherin Church, Hersbruck, Restored in 2002 by Klais Orgelbau, Bonn. 2 manual
  • Laurentius Organ. Klais Orgelbau, Bonn 2005. 3 manual.

49°27′04″N 11°04′41″E / 49.451°N 11.0780555556°E / 49.451; 11.0780555556

Organists of St. Lorenz

The church has employed organists for over 500 years, many of them prominent musicians within Bavaria. Amongst the famous names are the following:

  • Nicholas Pair (Bayer) ca. 1448
  • Hans Seber 1510–1517
  • Hans Feller 1517–1525
  • Interregnum from 1525
  • Georg Nötteleins until 1565
  • Paulus Lautensack 1565–1571
  • Wilhelm Ende 1571–1581
  • Kasper Hassler 1587–1616
  • Johann Staaten 1611–1618[6]
  • Valentin Dretzel 1618–1634
  • Sigmund Theophil Staden 1634–1655
  • Albrect Martin Lunßdörffer 1688–1694
  • Johann Löhner 1694–1705[7]
  • Wolfgang Förtsch 1705–1743
  • Cornelius Heinrich Dretzel 1743–1764
  • Johann Siebenkees 1764–1772
  • Johann Gottlieb Frör 1814–1823
  • Georg Friedrich Herrscher 1843–1870
  • Carl Christian Mattäus 1871–1914
  • Carl Böhm 1913–1917
  • Walther Körner 1918–1962

References

  1. 1.[1.2][1.3]Giessner, Paul (12 December 2019). "St. Lorenz Kirche in Nürnberg". Bayern-online (in German).
  2. 2.Frankl, 1960, p. 149.
  3. 3.Voigt, Hartmut (22 January 2021). "Heftige Kritik an Umbauplänen für Nürnberger Lorenzkirche: Stadtheimatpflegerin reagiert entsetzt: "Der Raumeindruck wird zerstört"". Nordbayern (Nürnberger Nachrichten) (in German).
  4. 4.Trinks, Stefan (11 February 2021). "St. Lorenz Nürnberg mit Einbau: Mit dem Aufzug durch die Spätgotik". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
  5. 5."Sanierungsarbeiten in St. Lorenz". Lorenzkirche Nürnberg (in German). 25 April 2024.
  6. 6.The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music. Don Michael Randel. Harvard University Press.
  7. 7.Companion to Baroque Music. Julie Anne Sadie. University of California Press. 1998