The Dresden Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross) is a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
church in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
, Germany. It is the main church and seat of the ''
Landesbischof
A Landesbischof () is the head of some Protestant regional churches in Germany. Based on the principle of '' summus episcopus'' (german: landesherrliches Kirchenregiment), after the Reformation each Lutheran prince assumed the position of supreme ...
'' of the
Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony (''Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Sachsens'') is one of 20 member Churches of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), covering most of the state of Saxony. Its headquarters are in Dresden, and its b ...
, and the largest church building in the
Free State of Saxony. It also is home of the ''
Dresdner Kreuzchor
The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden, Germany. It has a seven-century history and a world-wide reputation. Today, the choir has about 150 members between the ages of 9 and 19, from Dresden and the surroundin ...
'' boys' choir.
History
A
Romanesque basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
dedicated to
Saint Nicholas had existed at the southeastern corner of the Dresden market since the twelfth century.
A Side-chapel of the Cross, named after a
relic bequeathed by the
Meissen margravine
Constance of Babenberg
Constance of Babenberg (german: Konstanze von Österreich; 6 May 1212 – before 5 June 1243), a member of the House of Babenberg, was Margravine of Meissen from 1234 until her death, by her marriage with Margrave Henry the Illustrious.
Life
...
(1212–1243), was first mentioned in 1319. Over the decades, it became the name of the whole church, which was officially dedicated on 10 June 1388 to the Holy Cross.
From 1401 it was rebuilt as a
hall church
A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an archi ...
with a prominent
westwork
A westwork (german: Westwerk), forepart, avant-corps or avancorpo is the monumental, often west-facing entrance section of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior consists of multiple stories between two towers. The interio ...
in the German ''
Sondergotik
Sondergotik (Special Gothic) is the style of Late Gothic architecture prevalent in Austria, Bavaria, Swabia, Saxony and Bohemia between 1350 and 1550. The term was invented by art historian Kurt Gerstenberg in his 1913 work ''Deutsche Sondergotik' ...
'' style. Based on the architectural works by
Peter Parler
Peter Parler (german: Peter von Gemünd, cs, Petr Parléř, la, Petrus de Gemunden in Suevia; 1333 – 13 July 1399) was a German-Bohemian architect and sculptor from the Parler family of master builders. Along with his father, Heinrich Parler, ...
(1330–1399), the construction later served as a model for numerous church buildings in
Upper Saxony {{short description, Historic lands in Central Germany
Upper Saxony (german: Obersachsen) was the name given to the majority of the German lands held by the House of Wettin, in what is now called Central Germany (''Mitteldeutschland'').
Concept ...
such as
St. Anne's Church, Annaberg-Buchholz or
St. Wolfgang's Church, Schneeberg. Finished about 1447/49, the church burned down in 1491, the first of five blazes over the next centuries. The
Wettin electors of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, residing at Dresden since 1464, had the Gothic hall church rebuilt, from 1499 under the architectural direction of
Conrad Pflüger
Conrad or Konrad Pflüger (c. 1450 in Swabia – probably 1506 or 1507 in Leipzig) was one of the leading architects and master builders of the late Gothic period in Germany. In the 1490s he was the highest artistic authority in Albertine Saxony ...
. From 1579 until 1584 the westwork was restored in a
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
style.
The church was heavily damaged by
Prussian
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
cannonade during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (175 ...
, with its Late Gothic choir almost completely destroyed. After the war, the Dresden master builder
Johann George Schmidt
Johann George Schmidt or Johann Georg(e) Schmi(e)d (1707, Fürstenwalde bei Geising - 24 July 1774, Dresden) was a German architect of the Dresden Baroque. He was brother-in-law, student and successor of George Bähr.
Work
He became well know ...
(1707–1774) set up plans for a
Baroque reconstruction, which however were opposed by contemporary architects of the
Neoclassicist
Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...
school following
Zacharias Longuelune
Zacharias Longuelune (1669 — 30 November 1748) was a French architect and master builder who worked in the second half of his life for the royal court in Dresden. His design style was French Baroque and Classicism.
Longuelune was born in Paris. ...
(1669–1748).
Prince Francis Xavier of Saxony backed Schmidt and laid the foundation stone in 1764,
nevertheless, after the preserved westwork collapsed in 1765, Schmidt had to accept the Neoclassicist chief architect
Friedrich August Krubsacius (1718–1789) as adviser. Choir and steeple were accomplished in 1788, the new church was consecrated in 1792 and construction works finished in 1800.
After the building was gutted by a fire in 1897, the church interior was reshaped with
Art Nouveau (''Jugendstil'') elements according to plans designed by the Dresden architects
Schilling & Graebner
Schilling & Graebner (or Gräbner) was an architecture firm based in Dresden, Germany, founded by the architects Rudolf Schilling (1859–1933) and Julius Graebner (1858–1917) in 1889. The firm was under their direction from 1889 until Graebner ...
including works by
Hans Hartmann-MacLean. The Church of the Cross was again set on fire during the
bombing of Dresden
The bombing of Dresden was a joint British and American aerial bombing attack on the city of Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony, during World War II. In four raids between 13 and 15 February 1945, 772 heavy bombers of the Roya ...
on 13 February 1945. In its current form with its sober scratch coat interior, it was re-opened in 1955. In the course of the reconstruction of the nearby
Frauenkirche a debate arose over a restoration of the pre-war design, however, from 2000 to 2004, the interior was refurbished in its 1955 condition.
The director of the choir is known as the ''Kreuzkantor''.
Roderich Kreile
Roderich Kreile (born 1956) is a Lutheran church musician, choir director and university teacher. Since 1997, he has been the director of the Dresdner Kreuzchor at the Kreuzkirche, Dresden, as the 28th Kreuzkantor since the Reformation.
Life and ...
is the twenty-eighth Kreuzkantor since the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
.
Kreuzkantors
Since the Reformation:
*1540–1553
Sebaldus Baumann
*1553–1560
Johannes Selner
*1560–1561
Andreas Lando
*1561–1585
Andreas Petermann
*1585–1586
*1586–1589
Basilius Köhler
*1589–1606
Bartholomäus Petermann
*1606–1612
Christoph Lisberger
*1612–1615
Samuel Rüling
*1615–1625
Christoph Neander
*1625–1654
Michael Lohr
*1654–1694
Jacob Beutel
*1694–1713
Basilius Petritz
*1713–1720
Johann Zacharias Grundig
*1720–1755
Theodor Christlieb Reinhold
*1755–1785
Gottfried August Homilius
Gottfried August Homilius (2 February 1714 – 2 June 1785) was a German composer, cantor and organist.Dennis Shrock ''Choral Repertoire'' 2009 -- Page 303 "1714–1785 Homilius was born near Dresden, where he was educated and where he served ...
*1785–1813
Christian Ehregott Weinlig
Christian Ehregott Weinlig (September 30, 1743 – March 14, 1813) was a German composer and cantor of Dresden's Kreuzkirche.
Born in Dresden, Weinlig received his musical training at the city's Kreuzschule from Gottfried August Homilius, and f ...
*10 August – 24 October 1813
Gottlob August Krille
*1814–1817
Christian Theodor Weinlig
*1818–1822
Hermann Uber
*1822–1828
Friedrich Wilhelm Aghte
*1828–1875
Ernst Julius Otto
*1876–1906
Friedrich Oskar Wermann
*1906–1930
Otto Richter
*1930–1971
Rudolf Mauersberger
Rudolf Mauersberger (29 January 1889 – 22 February 1971) was a German choral conductor and composer. His younger brother Erhard was also a conductor and composer.
Career
After positions in Aachen and Eisenach, he became director of the re ...
*1971–1991
Martin Flämig
*1991–1994
Gothart Stier
*1994–1996
Matthias Jung (provisional)
*1997–2022
Roderich Kreile
Roderich Kreile (born 1956) is a Lutheran church musician, choir director and university teacher. Since 1997, he has been the director of the Dresdner Kreuzchor at the Kreuzkirche, Dresden, as the 28th Kreuzkantor since the Reformation.
Life and ...
*2022–
Buried in the church
*
Gregory of Heimburg
Literature
*
Karlheinz Blaschke: ''Dresden, Kreuzkirche, Kreuzschule, Kreuzchor – musikalische und humanistische Tradition in 775 Jahren.'' Gütersloh/München 1991,
*
Dieter Härtwig,
Matthias Herrmann Matthias Herrmann (born 14 October 1955) is a German musicologist and university professor.
Life
Born in Mildenau, Herrmann became a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conducted by Kreuzkantor Rudolf Mauersberger, later Martin Flämig. He then s ...
: ''Der Dresdner Kreuzchor – Geschichte und Gegenwart, Wirkungsstätten und Schule'',
Evangelische Verlagsanstalt
The Evangelische Verlagsanstalt (EVA) is a denominational media company founded in Berlin in 1946. Its shareholders are the and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony. The managing director is Sebastian Knöfel.
Book publisher
The range inc ...
Leipzig 2006,
* Jürgen Helfricht: ''Dresdner Kreuzchor und Kreuzkirche. Eine Chronik von 1206 bis heute.'' Husum 2004,
* Jürgen Helfricht: ''Dresden und seine Kirchen.'' Evangelische Verlagsanstalt Leipzig 2005,
*
Hans John: ''Der Dresdner Kreuzchor und seine Kantoren.'' Berlin 1987,
References
External links
Kreuzkirche DresdenDresdner KreuzchorEvangelisches Kreuzgymnasium
{{Authority control
Peter Parler buildings
Lutheran churches in Dresden
Dresden Cross
Dresden Cross
Dresden Cross
Dresden Cross
Dresden Kreuz
Articles containing video clips