Überwasserkirche () is the common name of a Gothic

hall church A hall church is a Church (building), church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height. In England, Flanders and the Netherlands, it is covered by parallel roofs, typically, one for each vessel, whereas in Germany there is often one s ...

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

, Germany. It is a ''Liebfrauenkirche'' (Church of Our Dear Lady), dedicated to

St. Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. Officially St. Marien Überwasser, it is also called Liebfrauen-Überwasser. The name literally means "church beyond the water" and describes the location as on the other side of the Aa river, looking from the

Münster Cathedral Münster Cathedral or St.-Paulus-Dom is the cathedral church of the Catholic Diocese of Münster in Germany, and is dedicated to Saint Paul. It is counted among the most significant church buildings in Münster and, along with the Historical ...

. It was inaugurated as part of an educational

Stift The term (; ) is derived from the verb (to donate) and originally meant 'a donation'. Such donations usually comprised earning assets, originally landed estates with serfs defraying dues (originally often in kind) or with vassal tenants of noble ...

in 1040, which later became the

University of Münster The University of Münster (, until 2023 , WWU) is a public research university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. With more than 43,000 students and over 120 fields of study in 15 departments, it is Germany's ...

. On 20 July 1941, Clemens August Graf von Galen delivered a famous sermon against the Nazi regime at the Überwasserkirche. The church was destroyed in World War II. It underwent a restoration that was completed in 1968 and another in 2016. It features two organs built in 1972 and 1985. It now serves as the parish church of a larger merged parish.

History

The first Überwasserkirche was dedicated on 29 December 1040, at Christmastide, to Mary, "ad Beatam Mariam Virginem sub Titulo Nativitatis" (to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the nativity of Christ). The ceremony took place in the presence of King Heinrich III and several bishops. The church was part of a

for women founded by Bishop which served the education of noble women. The church, which was also the parish church for the neighbourhood, burnt down in 1071. The exact date of a following building is not known, and it was damaged by fire in 1121 when Münster was attacked by Lothair III. The present church, a

with three

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

s, was built from 1340. The

steeple In architecture, a steeple is a tall tower on a building, topped by a spire and often incorporating a belfry and other components. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a relig ...

was built from 1363 to 1374. The steeple spire and also the

baptismal font A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...

were destroyed during the

Münster rebellion The Münster rebellion (, "Anabaptist dominion of Münster") was an attempt by radical Anabaptists to establish a communal sectarian government in the German city of Münster then under the large Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the Holy Rom ...

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism'; , earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...

s in 1534/35. The steeple was restored, but again destroyed by a strong storm in 1704. In 1773, the Stift was dissolved, and a seminary was founded which remained until 2005. It was the origin of the

, which still shows the "liebe Frau von Überwasser" in its seal. The church was the burial place of members of the family and of the Baroque builder Johann Conrad Schlaun in 1773. The grave of

Bernhard Heinrich Overberg Bernhard Heinrich Overberg (1 May 1754 – November 8, 1826) was a German Roman Catholic ecclesiastic, educator and author. As an instructor of the teachers he shaped the educational level in Münster and Westphalia. Youth Overberg was born o ...

, who was dean and pastor here, is located in the choir. Franz Friedrich Wilhelm von Furstenberg was buried at the Überwasserfriedhof; since 21 October 1929 his grave has been in the cemetery of the canons of St. Paul's Cathedral in Münster. On 20 July 1941, Clemens August Graf von Galen, then bishop of Münster, delivered the second of his three famous sermons against the Nazi regime in the Überwasserkirche, titled "We are the anvil, not the hammer" ("Wir sind der Amboss, nicht der Hammer"). The church was badly damaged during bombings in World War II. Its restoration was completed in 1968, and it received a main organ in 1972. The windows were created by

Valentin Peter Feuerstein Valentin Peter Feuerstein (1917–1999), also known as Peter Valentin Feuerstein, was a German painter and stained-glass artist who created windows for major churches in Germany, including the Ulmer Münster, the Freiburger Münster and the Üb ...

. The church was closed for restoration again from 11 January 2016 until 11 November 2016.''Westfälische Nachrichten'' 18 November 2016
''Die neue Überwasserkirche. Offen, weit und viel Licht''
retrieved 19 December 2016. Since 9 March 2014, the church has been the parish church of a merged parish, including St. Theresia (Sentruper Höhe), St. Sebastian (

Nienberge Nienberge is a German community. It was independent until 1975 and has been part of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, since, located in the north-west of the town. It houses around 7,000 people. The independent community became part of Münster on ...

) and St. Michael (Gievenbeck).

Organs

The Überwasserkirche has two organs, a small one in the choir, built in 1985 by , and a main organ built in 1972 by Seifert from

Kevelaer Kevelaer (; Low Rhenish: ''Käwela'') is a town in the district of Kleve, in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is the largest Catholic pilgrimage location within north-western Europe. Over one million Marian devotees, mostly from Germany and ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Munster Uberwasserkirche Buildings and structures completed in 1340 Churches completed in the 1340s Überwasser Gothic architecture in Germany Hall churches Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor