The new publication “Die Friedensgebete in der Leipziger Nikolaikirche – Gottesdienst im Alltag der Welt”, published by the Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirchgemeinde St. Nikolai zu Leipzig (Leipzig 2017), is the first to address the restoration of the south chapel with its rare murals.
published by the Evangelical Lutheran parish of St. Nikolai in Leipzig (Leipzig 2017).
Cover of the new publication "Die Friedensgebete in der Leipziger Nikolaikirche - Gottesdienst im Alltag der Welt", published by the Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirchgemeinde St. Nikolai zu Leipzig (Leipzig 2017).
View into the south chapel of the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig. Photo: Andreas H. Birkigt.
The work in the Nikolaikirche - a restoration highlight
The 850-year history of the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig is remarkable in itself. But now an equally remarkable accompanying book to the permanent exhibition in the south chapel of the church has been published and was presented in Leipzig at the end of March: “The prayers for peace in Leipzig’s St. Nicholas Church – worship in the everyday life of the world” not only takes up the history of the church and tells what the prayers for peace are all about, but also goes into the restoration measures of the south chapel with its rare murals for the first time. The chapel was restored from 2011 to 2015. It was a complex task, as the future functions had to be taken into account and the architectural history had to be taken into account.
Restorer Volker Wiesner – the chapel restoration was his last major project – enthuses: “The work in the Nikolaikirche was a highlight in my 40 years of work.” He was particularly enthusiastic about the fact that the church interior, with its restored details, provides insights into almost every era like no other: “You can show an outline of history, because something has been preserved from every era.”
The brickwork of the room visible to us today rises on a predecessor building from the middle of the 14th century. The late Gothic chapel was probably built around 1470. Wiesner emphasizes that he deliberately preserved the character of the late Gothic room. The book describes that “the original coloring of the late Gothic room with red ribs, window frames and the spandrel painting (…) could be uncovered manually layer by layer under multiple layers of paint.”
Floral paintings on the vaulted ceiling
The state of preservation of the floral paintings on the vaulted ceiling varied greatly: Some could be restored, others first had to be found under UV light. Today, the late Gothic colors predominate. The so-called scribe’s panel by Johann Logau is attached to the west wall and is the only work from the Baroque period on display in the church that deserves special attention. “As this is an exhibition space, we are able to present some beautiful findings directly on site. They are now in the room as historical windows, so to speak,” says Wiesner.
The book, which was edited by Matthias Hinkel, Stefan Oehme, Prof. Dr. Andrea Nikolaizig and Prof. Dr. Rainer Vor, allows the reader to visit the permanent exhibition in the south chapel and to follow and experience the restoration and the discoveries that went with it. Interested readers are invited on a journey through architectural history.
Book information:
“The prayers for peace in Leipzig’s Nikolaikirche – worship in the everyday life of the world”
Published by
Evangelical-Lutheran parish of St. Nikolai in Leipzig
Editors
Matthias Hinkel, Stefan Oehme, Prof. Dr. Andrea Nikolaizig, Prof. Dr. Rainer Vor
FRITSCH Druck GmbH, Leipzig
© Evangelical-Lutheran parish of St. Nikolai in Leipzig 2017
ISBN 978-3-00-055762-0
9,98 Euro