St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Wissembourg
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St. Peter and St. Paul's Church of Wissembourg
is frequently, but incorrectly, referred to as the second largest Gothic church of Alsace
after Strasbourg Cathedral
. However, the building, with its interior ground surface area of 1320 m² (60 x 22 m) most probably is the second largest Gothic church in Bas-Rhin
which is one of the two departments of the Alsace region. The former abbey
church (abbatiale) of Wissembourg's famous Benedictine abbey now serves as the main Roman Catholic parish church
of the town.
The church displays a Romanesque bell tower, the sole remain of the church built in the 11th century under the direction of abbot
Samuel, and is thus a station on the Route Romane d'Alsace
. The major part of the currently visible church is the work of builders under the command of abbot Edelin, in the late 13th century. During the 14th and 15th century, the church was richly decorated with stained glass
, sculptures and mural paintings but only parts of the former abundance of works have survive the desecration during the French Revolution
; of the surviving stained glass, what is not seen in the church itself can be found in Strasbourg
's Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame
. The 6 m (19.7 ft) wide Romanesque crown chandelier
representing the celestial Jerusalem
and for which Wissembourg had been famous was also lost during that period; the currently visible chandelier is a 19th century work.
The church contains a fresco representing Saint Christopher
: with its height of 11 m (36.1 ft), it is the largest painted human figure on French territory.
Among the church's remaining treasures features a pipe organ
of 1766 in one of the largest baroque organ cases in Alsace, the instrument however is barely playable nowadays. Another organ, in the transept, was installed in 1953 in a design typical of its time.
An spacious and ornate but unfinished 15th century cloister
in Late Gothic style and an adjacent Romanesque Chapter house
(12th century) now serving as a lateral chapel are the only other remains of the monastery
where Otfrid of Weissenburg
once studied and taught.
Wissembourg
Wissembourg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in northeastern France.It is situated on the little River Lauter close to the border between France and Germany approximately north of Strasbourg and west of Karlsruhe. Wissembourg is a sub-prefecture of the department...
is frequently, but incorrectly, referred to as the second largest Gothic church of Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
after Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely consideredSusan Bernstein: , The Johns Hopkins University Press to be among the finest...
. However, the building, with its interior ground surface area of 1320 m² (60 x 22 m) most probably is the second largest Gothic church in Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
which is one of the two departments of the Alsace region. The former abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
church (abbatiale) of Wissembourg's famous Benedictine abbey now serves as the main Roman Catholic parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of the town.
The church displays a Romanesque bell tower, the sole remain of the church built in the 11th century under the direction of abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
Samuel, and is thus a station on the Route Romane d'Alsace
Route Romane d'Alsace
The Route Romane d'Alsace is a touristic itinerary designed by the Association Voix et Route Romane to link both the well-known and the more secret examples of Romanesque architecture of Alsace, in an itinerary of 19 stages, linking churches, abbeys and fortresses, that range from the first...
. The major part of the currently visible church is the work of builders under the command of abbot Edelin, in the late 13th century. During the 14th and 15th century, the church was richly decorated with stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, sculptures and mural paintings but only parts of the former abundance of works have survive the desecration during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
; of the surviving stained glass, what is not seen in the church itself can be found in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
's Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame
Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame
The Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame is the city of Strasbourg's museum for Upper Rhenish fine and decorative arts from the early Middle Ages until 1681...
. The 6 m (19.7 ft) wide Romanesque crown chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
representing the celestial Jerusalem
New Jerusalem
In the book of Ezekiel, the Prophecy of New Jerusalem is Ezekiel's prophetic vision of a city to be established to the south of the Temple Mount that will be inhabited by the twelve tribes of Israel in the...
and for which Wissembourg had been famous was also lost during that period; the currently visible chandelier is a 19th century work.
The church contains a fresco representing Saint Christopher
Saint Christopher
.Saint Christopher is a saint venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, listed as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd century Roman Emperor Decius or alternatively under the Roman Emperor Maximinus II Dacian...
: with its height of 11 m (36.1 ft), it is the largest painted human figure on French territory.
Among the church's remaining treasures features a pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
of 1766 in one of the largest baroque organ cases in Alsace, the instrument however is barely playable nowadays. Another organ, in the transept, was installed in 1953 in a design typical of its time.
An spacious and ornate but unfinished 15th century cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
in Late Gothic style and an adjacent Romanesque Chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
(12th century) now serving as a lateral chapel are the only other remains of the monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
where Otfrid of Weissenburg
Otfrid of Weissenburg
Otfrid of Weissenburg was a monk at the abbey of Weissenburg and the author of a gospel harmony in rhyming couplets now called the Evangelienbuch. It is written in the South Rhine Franconian dialect of Old High German. The poem is thought to have been completed between 863 and 871...
once studied and taught.