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The Unionskirche (Union Church) is the active Protestant parish church of
Idstein Idstein () is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt (Old Town) it is part of the ''Deutsche Fachwerkstraße'' ...
, a town in the Rheingau-Taunus district in the German state of
Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...
. Idstein was a residence of the
counts of Nassau Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
. The church building in the center of the historic ''Altstadt'' (old town) dates back to the 14th century when it was built as a
collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by ...
. It became
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
during 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 ...
. Its interior was adapted in the 17th century to become a Lutheran ''Predigt- und Hofkirche'' (sermon and court church). The most prominent decoration in the church is the series of 38 paintings by the Flemish painter Michael Angelo Immenraedt, an exponent of
Flemish Baroque painting Flemish Baroque painting refers to the art produced in the Southern Netherlands during Spanish control in the 16th and 17th centuries. The period roughly begins when the Dutch Republic was split from the Habsburg Spain regions to the south with ...
, and others. They follow a program of biblical scenes. The church was named Unionskirche in 1917 to commemorate the union of Lutheran and Reformed Protestants in the
Duchy of Nassau The Duchy of Nassau (German: ''Herzogtum Nassau'') was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what is now the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a member of the Confederation of the Rhine and later of the G ...
in August 1817, the first of its kind (before the Prussian Union in September of the same year). The Unionskirche is a recognized monument under the Hague Convention. It is used by the Protestant congregation, and it is open to other institutions as a concert venue, including concerts of the Rheingau Musik Festival. It features an organ built in 1912 by
Walcker Orgelbau Walcker Orgelbau (also known as E. F. Walcker & Cie.) of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is a builder of pipe organs. It was founded in Cannstatt, a suburb of Stuttgart in 1780 by . His son Eberhard Friedrich Walcker moved the business t ...
and retaining the historic case dating back to 1783. The church was restored from 2012 to 2017, completed for 500 years since the Reformation and 200 years since the Union. The restoration was awarded the ''Hessischer Denkmalschutzpreis'' (Hessian monument preservation prize).


History


Collegiate church of St. Martin

Remnants in the tower, which lies north of the
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
, show that a Romanesque church existed before 1287 at the same location. The present edifice was built from 1330 to 1350 under Gerlach, Count of Nassau, as a
collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by ...
for a college of six canons, founded in 1333. The college and church were dedicated to St. Martin.


Protestant church

Idstein became Lutheran during 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 ...
. After the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...
, the church was transformed to a representative
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...
''Predigt- und Hofkirche'' (sermon and court church) by Count Johann of Nassau-Idstein. The restructuring lasted from 1665 to 1677. While the nave was retained, the church was expanded to the west, and the walls were raised, resulting in flatter roofs. Most of the pillars were removed, oval windows were installed in the
clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
, and portals were rounded. Arnold Harnisch (Mainz) and Hans Martin Sattler (Idstein) removed the vaults and built ''Marmorarkaden'' (marble arcades). Galleries were installed on three sides in 1675. There were reserved chairs for certain senior members of society in royal government, municipal government, administration, jurisprudence, presiding roles, and the citizenry (''Herrschafts-, Rats-, Sekretär-, Gerichts-, Vorsteher-, Bürgerstuhl''). Plaques on the respective balustrades show biblical quotations relevant to the position. In 1714, the tower was heightened, and in 1830 an octagonal spire with gables was added. In 1725, dormer windows were added to provide better lighting for the gallery.


Paintings

A unique feature of the church are 38
oil painting Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on wood panel or canvas for several centuries, spreading from Europe to the rest ...
s, which completely cover the ceiling of the nave and the upper part of the walls. This use of paintings as an architectural feature is unusual for a Protestant church. The paintings, exclusively on biblical topics, were created from 1673 to 1678 by Michael Angelo Immenraedt from Antwerp and his assistant Johannes Melchior Bencard. Three paintings are based on designs by Joachim von Sandrart, and five were executed by his nephew Johann von Sandrart. Several paintings are based on well-known works by Rubens. For example, ''The Wedding at Cana'' on the south wall shows similarity to Rubens's painting ''The Feast of Herod'', which hangs today in the
Scottish National Gallery The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by W ...
in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. The sequence of paintings aims to tell biblical stories to a partly illiterate congregation. The biblical figures are depicted in courtly Baroque garments. The painting ''Heimsuchung'' ( Visitation) shows
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
arriving with a servant who carries her baggage on his head. Her cousin Elizabeth lives in a residence with a
formal garden A formal garden is a garden with a clear structure, geometric shapes and in most cases a symmetrical layout. Its origin goes back to the gardens which are located in the desert areas of Western Asia and are protected by walls. The style of a forma ...
in the background. Johann of Nassau-Idstein had a formal garden at the Idstein residential palace, which was begun in 1646. The topics of the paintings in the center row of the ceiling are, from the altar to the back: ''Verklärung Christi am Tabor'' ( Transfiguration), ''Kreuzaufrichtung'' (Elevation of the cross), ''Auferstehung'' (
Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...
), ''Kreuzabnahme'' (
Descent from the Cross The Descent from the Cross ( el, Ἀποκαθήλωσις, ''Apokathelosis''), or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after hi ...
), ''Himmelfahrt'' ( Ascension), and ''Johannes auf Patmos sieht den Himmel offen und die Engel mit dem Evangelium'' ( Vision of St. John on Patmos, literally: John on Patmos sees heaven open and the angels with the Gospel). Paintings before restoration: Michael Angelo Immenraet - The Visitation.jpg, '' Visitation'' Michael Angelo Immenraet - The Adoration of the Magi.jpg, ''
The Adoration of the Magi The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having found Jesus by following a star ...
'' Michael Angelo Immenraet - Jesus and the Woman of Canaan.jpg, '' Jesus and the Woman of Canaan''
Paintings after restoration, 2017: Idstein, Unytsjerke. It reinigjen fan de timpel (Michael Angelo Immenraet).jpg, '' Cleansing of the Temple'' Idstein, Unytsjerke. Ecce Homo (Michael Angelo Immenraet).jpg, '' Ecce homo'' Idstein, Unytsjerke. It oprjochtsjen fan it krús (Michael Angelo Immenraet).jpg, ''
Descent from the Cross The Descent from the Cross ( el, Ἀποκαθήλωσις, ''Apokathelosis''), or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after hi ...
''


Fittings and furniture

The marble altar was built in 1676 by Arnold Harnisch. It shows a painting of the
Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
from the end of the 17th century. The marble pulpit was erected in 1673 by Christian Gaßmann and the baptismal font, also of marble, in 1675 by Martin Sattler. Count Johann, infamous for his persecution of witches (Hexenverfolgung) as late as 1676, died shortly before the reconstruction of the church was completed. constructed an
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
for Georg August Samuel von Nassau-Idstein, his wife Henriette Dorothea and their children, who are buried there. It was designed by Maximilian von Welsch and placed to the left of the altar. A 1725
fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plast ...
above the altar by Maximilan Pronner (Gießen) depicts a vision from the
Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of ...
as described by St. John ().
George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...
set the same biblical passage to music as '' Worthy is the Lamb'', to conclude his oratorio ''
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 ...
''. In 1726, decorative wooden pillars in the shape of palm trees were installed. The lattice separating the elevated chancel was made by Johann Urban Zais. Two crystal
chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent ...
s hang above the main aisle. They date from the early 19th century and were originally installed in the old
Kurhaus Wiesbaden The Kurhaus ("cure house", ) is the spa house in Wiesbaden, the capital of Hesse, Germany. It serves as the city's convention centre, and the social center of the spa town. In addition to a large and a smaller hall, it houses a restaurant and t ...
.


Church union

The Protestant church was simply called the ''Stadtkirche'' (town church). The few remaining Catholics of Idstein were not permitted to hold services until 1806. They were then granted the right to use the ''Schlosskapelle'' (Palace Chapel) until 1888, when they moved to their own church. The Stadtkirche was renamed as the Unionskirche in 1917 to commemorate the centennial of the union of
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
and Reformed Protestants in the
Duchy of Nassau The Duchy of Nassau (German: ''Herzogtum Nassau'') was an independent state between 1806 and 1866, located in what is now the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse. It was a member of the Confederation of the Rhine and later of the G ...
in 1817 in the so-called "Nassauische Union", to form the Evangelische Kirche in Nassau ( Protestant Church in Nassau). It was the first such union in Germany, 300 years after the Reformation.


Present day

The church is used by the ''Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Idstein'' (Protestant Congregation of Idstein), a member of the Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau. It is located in today's pedestrian area of the town. The congregation has been on good
ecumenical Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
terms with the Catholic parish St. Martin. Regular ''ökumenische Gottesdienste'' (ecumenical services) are held on the first Sunday in Advent (St. Martin) and Pentecost Monday (Unionskirche). The congregation has participated in the civic partnership between Idstein and
Moshi, Kilimanjaro Moshi is a municipality and the capital of Kilimanjaro region in the north eastern Tanzania. As of 2017, the municipality has an estimated population of 201,150 and a population density of 3,409 persons per km2 .Werner Schuster.


Restoration

The church underwent restoration from 2012 to 2017, when it celebrated 500 years since the Reformation and 200 years since the Union. The restoration included the paintings. In 2017, the parish was awarded the ''Hessischer Denkmalschutzpreis'' (Hessian monument preservation prize) from the Landesamt für Denkmalpflege.


Historical assessment

The ''Landesamt für Denkmalpflege in Hessen'', which cares for historic monuments in the state of Hesse, notes about the interior of the Unionskirche that firstly it follows the principles of a Protestant concept of church design, as they were first exemplified in the ''Hofkirche zu
Torgau Torgau () is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen. Outside Germany, the town is best known as where on 25 April 1945, the United States and Soviet Armies forces fi ...
'' in 1544, with Martin Luther's approval. Secondly, the paintings are a distinct part of the architecture, as a rare and comparatively late example of ''evangelische Laiendogmatik'' (Protestant lay teaching) by painting. It is the first and heralding independent church-based creative structure ("erste und bedeutende eigenständige kirchliche Bauschöpfung") in Nassau after the Thirty Years' War.


Music


Church music

The organ, built in 1783 by , was replaced in 1912 by an instrument from Walcker, but retaining the historic case (Prospekt). The church choir, conducted by Edwin Müller, was named
Idsteiner Kantorei Idsteiner Kantorei (Idstein chorale) is a mixed choir in Idstein, Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis, Germany. The group performs regularly in the Protestant Unionskirche in services and concerts, also in smaller churches of the region and internationally. Th ...
in 1972 and started to perform two major concerts a year, in addition to services and concerts in smaller churches of the region. Müller was succeeded in 2003 by Carsten Koch, who also lectured at the
Musikhochschule Frankfurt The Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts (german: Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main, italic=no, link=no, HfMDK) is a state Hochschule for music, theatre and dance in Frankfurt and is the only one of its ...
. Other musical groups at the Unionskirche are the Kinderkantorei (children's chorale), Jugendkantorei (youth chorale), Gospelchor (gospel choir), Flötenensemble (recorder ensemble) and Posaunenchor (trombone choir).


Concerts

The Unionskirche has been a venue of the Rheingau Musik Festival, especially for vocal music, such as a recital of Elizabeth Parcells and concerts of the vocal ensembles Chanticleer,
ensemble amarcord amarcord is a German male classical vocal ensemble based in Leipzig, founded in 1992 by five former members of the Thomanerchor. They primarily perform Medieval music, Renaissance music as well as collaborating with contemporary composers. Until ...
and
Die Singphoniker is a German male classical vocal ensemble based in Munich, founded in 1980 by six students of the , after the model of the Comedian Harmonists. They sing a broad repertory, from Gregorian chant to contemporary music, including Volkslieder, Chris ...
. In 2000 the Idsteiner Bachtage were held as an ecumenical collaboration of the Unionskirche and St. Martin. Concerts at the Unionskirche included the
Brandenburg Concertos The ''Brandenburg Concertos'' by Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 1046–1051), are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, MacDonogh, Giles. ''Frederick the Great: A Life in De ...
,
cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning o ...
BWV 34 (O eternal fire, o source of love), 34 (BWV34.1), is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed it in Leipzig for Pentecost Sunday, and it was the basis for a later wedding cantata, BWV 34a, beginning with the same line. Bach led th ...
and the Missa in A. Carsten Koch established a series of symphony concerts for the annual
Tag des offenen Denkmals The Tag des offenen Denkmals (Day of Open Monuments) is an annual event all over Germany. The day of action has been coordinated by the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz since 1993. Historic monuments are open to the public free of charge. It takes ...
( European Heritage Day), beginning in 2004 a cycle of the symphonies of
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
. It was completed in 2012 with the Ninth Symphony. This concert on 9 September, during a "Jubiläumswoche der Kirchenmusik" (anniversary week of church music), was also part of the celebration of anniversaries marking 100 years with the Walcker organ and 40 years with the Idsteiner Kantorei. In addition to the standard choral repertoire, Koch has selected rarely performed works such as
Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
's ''Missa sacra'' on 9 November 2008. In 2011 the choir performed Mendelssohn's ''
Lobgesang ''Lobgesang'' (''Hymn of Praise''), Op. 52 ( MWV A 18), is an 11-movement "Symphony-Cantata on Words of the Holy Bible for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra" by Felix Mendelssohn. After the composer's death it was published as his Symphony No. 2 i ...
''. In 2017, the first concert after restoration was dedicated to contemporary music including Ola Gjeilo's ''Sunrise Mass'' and
Eric Whitacre Eric Edward Whitacre (born January2, 1970) is an American composer, conductor, and speaker best known for his choral music. In March2016, he was appointed as Los Angeles Master Chorale's first artist-in-residence at the Walt Disney Concert Hall ...
's ''Five Hebrew Love Songs''. In 2018, Bach's complete ''
Christmas Oratorio The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of ...
'' was performed in two concerts in ecumenical collaboration.


Burials

Several members of the court were buried in the church: *
Walram IV, Count of Nassau-Idstein Count Walram IV of Nassau-Idstein (1354 – 7 November 1393) was a younger son of Count Adolph I of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein and his wife Margaret of Nuremberg. He inherited Nassau-Idstein when his father died in 1370. When his brother G ...
*
Philip I, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein Philip I, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (1490 in Cologne – 16 June 1558) was member of the House of Nassau who ruled the County of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein. Early life He was born as the only son of Count Adolph III and his wife, ...
*
John, Count of Nassau-Idstein Count John of Nassau-Idstein (born 24 November 1603 in Saarbrücken; died: 23 May 1677 in Idstein) was Count of Nassau and Protestant Regent of Idstein. Life His parents were Louis II, Count of Nassau-Weilburg (1565–1627) and his wife, Landgr ...
* George August, Count of Nassau-Idstein * Charles Louis, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken *
Adolph II, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein Adolph II, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (1386 – 16 July 1426) was a son of Walram IV, Count of Nassau-Idstein his wife, Bertha of Westerburg. He married in 1418 with Margaret (1404–1442), a daughter of Bernard I, Margrave of Baden-B ...
*
Balthasar, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein Balthasar of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (1520 – 11 January 1568) was the youngest son of Count Philip I of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein and his wife, Adriana of Glymes of Bergen, the daughter of John III of Bergen op Zoom. In 1566, Balthasar su ...
DI 51: Wiesbaden (2000)
inschriften.net
*
John Louis I, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein John Louis I, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (10 April 1567 – 10 June 1596) was the son of Count Balthasar of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein and his wife Margaret of Isenburg-Bierstein. He succeeded his father in 1568 as Count of Nassau-Wiesb ...


Literature

* Göbel, Karl G.: Die Bildzyklen in der Idsteiner Stadtkirche (Unionskirche) und ihre Bedeutung, in: NassA 118 (2007), p.341–384 * Schmidt, Karl Heinz: Grüfte und Sarkophage in der Unionskirche zu Idstein, in: NassA 107 (1996), p.79 * Pons, Rouven: Für Kunst und Glauben. Die Ausmalung der Martinskirche in Idstein unter Graf Johannes von Nassau-Idstein (1603-1677), Wiesbaden 2012 (Veröffentlichtungen der Historischen Kommission für Nassau 83).


References


External links

* * *
Ausflüge Taunus III Hintertaunus und Lahn
(in German)
Idstein, Unionskirche (Protestant Church)
flickr.com

nassau-info.de (in German)
Unionskirche Idstein
macholz-kummer.de {{DEFAULTSORT:Idstein, Unionskirche Churches completed in 1350 14th-century churches in Germany Churches completed in 1677 17th-century Protestant churches Protestant churches in Hesse Former collegiate churches in Germany Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis Burial sites of the House of Nassau 1677 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire