Predigerkirche (Erfurt)
Encyclopedia
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
church in Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is a monastic church to the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
friary, Predigerkloster, adjacent to the church. Predigerkirche was originally built by the Dominican Order in the 13th century, when the mystic Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart
Eckhart von Hochheim O.P. , commonly known as Meister Eckhart, was a German theologian, philosopher and mystic, born near Gotha, in the Landgraviate of Thuringia in the Holy Roman Empire. Meister is German for "Master", referring to the academic title Magister in theologia he obtained in Paris...
was prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
here. The church only became a Protestant church after 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...
. The original building was modified in 1340–50, and the bell tower was built between 1447 and 1488. Around 1806 Predigerkirche was used as a POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp, which led to damage to the interior and the equipment. Repairs were made around 1826.
The first organ of Predigerkirche was installed in 1567, built by Heinrich Compenius der Ältere. His grandson Ludwig Compenius built a new, Baroque style organ by 1650; it was the largest and most expensive organ in the city. Today, Predigerkirche uses a Schuke organ built in 1978. Organists who worked at Predigerkirche include the following:
- 1636-1673: Johannes BachJohannes BachJohann or Johannes Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque. He was the father of the so-called "Erfurt line" of Bach family musicians....
- 1673-1678: Johann Effler
- 1678-1690: Johann PachelbelJohann PachelbelJohann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
- 1690-1691: Nicolaus VetterNicolaus VetterAndreas Nicolaus Vetter was a German organist and composer.He was born in Herschdorf, Thuringia. He first studied music with G.K. Wecker in Nuremberg and was a student at the Rudolstadt Gymnasium from 1683 to 1688...
- 1691-1727: Johann Heinrich ButtstettJohann Heinrich ButtstettJohann Heinrich Buttstett was a German Baroque organist and composer...
- 1727-1762: Jakob AdlungJakob AdlungJakob Adlung, or Adelung, was a German organist, teacher, instrument maker, music historian, and music theorist.-Biography:...
- 1762-1809: Johann Christian KittelJohann Christian KittelJohann Christian Kittel was a German organist, composer, and teacher. He was one of the last students of Johann Sebastian Bach.-Biography:...
- 1809-????: Michael Gottard Fischer