The or (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

for "castle church" or "palace church") was a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

within

Königsberg Castle The Königsberg Castle (german: Königsberger Schloss, russian: Кёнигсбергский замок, Konigsbergskiy zamok) was a castle in Königsberg, Germany (since 1946 Kaliningrad, Russia), and was one of the landmarks of the East Prussi ...

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

History

left, Anointing of King Frederick I Construction of the

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 ...

chapel along the western side of the castle's southern wing began in 1584 under the direction of Blasius Berwart of Stuttgart. Located on the second floor, the single-naved church featured a hall with wooden vaults, stucco, and Dutch-influenced scrollwork. The massive Moskowitersaal (Muscovite Hall) spanned the floor above. In 1594 the church was dedicated by Sebastian Artomedes, pastor of

Königsberg Cathedral , infobox_width = , image = Kaliningrad 05-2017 img04 Kant Island.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Front (west side) of the cathedral , map_type = , map_ ...

.Mühlpfordt ''Königsberg'', p. 128 Wood rot was discovered in the cellar, however, and from 1602 to 1608 the original wooden base was replaced with a doubly reinforced lierne or stellar vaulting with granite pillars by Hans Wissmar and Timotheus Just, building master of Elbing. After the renovations were completed the now double-naved church contained slim granite pillars and a stellar vault. The first

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

sermons in the now double-naved church were held in 1641. Coronation of King William I by Adolph Menzel On 17 January 1701, Elector Frederick III founded the

Order of the Black Eagle The Order of the Black Eagle (german: Hoher Orden vom Schwarzen Adler) was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I, King ...

. The following day he crowned himself Frederick I,

King in Prussia King ''in'' Prussia (German: ''König in Preußen'') was a title used by the Prussian kings (also in personal union Electors of Brandenburg) from 1701 to 1772. Subsequently, they used the title King ''of'' Prussia (''König von Preußen''). Th ...

, in the castle's Albrechtsbau wing, followed by his anointing in the Schlosskirche. The church was decorated in gold and scarlet cloth, two thrones were placed before the altar, and the Swiss Guards and court officials were finely attired. Benjamin Ursinus represented the

clergy while Bernhard von Sanden represented the Lutherans. Approximately 4,000 guests were in attendance for the anointing. From 1705 to 1710 Joachim Ludwig Schultheiß von Unfriedt decorated the church with galleries, a royal box, and high altar. An

obsequy A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...

for Queen Louise of Prussia was held at the church on 11 September 1810. Oberbürgermeister August Wilhelm Heidemann gave the eulogy, Mozart's Requiem and Handel's ''

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

'' were performed, and 2,500 candles were burned. In 1816 the also began serving as a garrison church ('). On 18 October 1861

William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

crowned himself king within the church, the first Prussian king to do so in Königsberg since Frederick I. A coronation march written specifically by Giacomo Meyerbeer to commemorate the occasion was performed in the . Wilhelm Taubert replaced the ill Meyerbeer in directing a celebratory concert by the Hofkapelle. As part of Königsberg Castle, the was devastated by the 1944

Bombing of Königsberg A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanic ...

and 1945

Battle of Königsberg The Battle of Königsberg, also known as the Königsberg offensive, was one of the last operations of the East Prussian offensive during World War II. In four days of urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussia ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The remnants were demolished in 1968, by which time the city was known as

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

Decoration

Alexander Krause designed images of Fides,

Spes In ancient Roman religion, Spes (pronounced ) was the goddess of hope. Multiple temples to Spes are known, and inscriptions indicate that she received private devotion as well as state cult. Republican Hope During the Republic, a temple to "anc ...

, Caritas, and

Justitia Lady Justice ( la, Iustitia) is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia. Lady Justice originates from the ...

on the pillars' ornamental consoles in 1606. The stellar vault contained stucco by Hans Windrauch from 1589, while the ceiling stucco was by Matthias Poertzel from 1706 to 1708. The church's Baroque high altar, one of the first in East Prussia, was decorated with wooden sculptures, possibly by Poertzel in 1710. The organ was designed by G. H. Trost and Adam Gottlob Casparini in 1732.Mühlpfordt ''Königsberger'', p. 226 The church was also decorated with the arms of the Order of the Black Eagle.

Gallery

image:Königsberg Castle courtyard.jpg, Courtyard of Königsberg Castle with the Schlosskirche image:ID003831 B262 SchlosskircheInnen.jpg, Church interior image:KbgSchlosskircheInnen.jpg, Church interior image:ID003832 B263 SchlosskircheInnen.jpg, Church interior

Notes

References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Schlosskirche (Konigsberg) 1584 establishments in Europe 1944 disestablishments in Germany 16th-century Lutheran churches in Germany Baroque architecture in Germany Buildings and structures in Germany destroyed during World War II Destroyed churches in Germany Former churches in Königsberg Lutheran churches in Königsberg Religious organizations established in the 1580s