Paulinerkirche, Leipzig
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The Paulinerkirche was a church on the Augustusplatz in
Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
. It was built in 1231 as the Klosterkirche for the Dominican monastery in
Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
. From the foundation of the
University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...
in 1409, it served as the university church. After the
Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
it was donated to the university and was inaugurated in 1545 by
Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
as the Universitätskirche (University Church of ), later also called Unikirche.
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
was director of music for "festal" (holiday) services in 1723−25. The church survived the war practically unscathed but was dynamited in 1968 during the communist regime of
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
. After the reunification of Germany, it was decided to build a new university church on the site in the shape of the former church. A new building, the Paulinum (formally: "Aula und Universitätskirche St. Pauli", i.e. "Assembly Hall and University Church St. Paul"), was built on the site beginning in 2007.


History


Dominican Abbey

In 1229, friars of the
Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...
settled in Leipzig and started building the Paulinerkirche in 1231 as their abbey church, within the city walls close to the Grimma Gate. It was built in the typical fashion of a church of a Mendicant order of the 13th century, with a choir and a nave with two aisles in the "Langhaus".Chronik
paulinerkirche.org
The church was consecrated in 1240 by archbishop Wilbrand from Magdeburg to St. Paul.Geschichte der Universitätskirche St. Pauli und des Universitätsgottesdienstes
University of Leipzig 2011
The church was part of a larger complex of medieval buildings which together formed the Dominican monastery of Leipzig.


University Church

Since the foundation of the
University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...
in 1409, the church was closely related to the university. A tradition of "Universitätsgottesdienst" (university service) started then, with preachers appointed by the university since 1419.Worship in the University Church of Leipzig
Foundation "University Church of St Paul, Leipzig"
The altar from the 15th century is now in the Thomaskirche. Several faculty members of the university and their relatives were buried in the church, commemorated on
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 ...
s of artistic value, people such as Johann Christoph Marci (law), Christian Friedrich Franckenstein (historian) and Benedikt Carpzov (1595-1666, law), whose epitaph was restored in 2011. Johann Tetzel, a Dominican
preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who Open-air preaching, preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach com ...
famous for selling
indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission bef ...
s, was buried in 1519. After the
Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
the order was dissolved, and on 22 April 1544 Moritz von Sachsen signed the donation of the former monastery (i.e. the church and the adjunct monastery buildings) to the university. The Paulinerkirche was inaugurated as a Protestant university church by
Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...
on 12 August 1545. Luther's sermon on this occasion is extant in his handwriting, the so-called Zerbster Handschrift ("Eine predigt , , D. Martini , , Lutheri, newlich zu Leip= , , tzig gethan. , , Wittemberg. , , Durch Hans Lufft. , , 1545."), printed in
Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
in 1545 ("Ein nütze Lehr, unnd , , schöne vermanung, , , Wie Gott durch das H. Euangeli= , , on uns heimgesuchet, unnd wir , , uns dagegen halten sollen. , , Gepredigt zu Leipzig, , , durch , , D. M. Luther , , M.D.XLV. ... Gedruckt zu Nürm= berg durch Johan vom Berg, , , und Ulrich Newber, wonhafft auff dem Newen= , , baw bey der Kalckhütten. Anno 1545.), and printed in Leipzig in 1817 when the church was reopened after the
Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...
. The church was used for services and, from 1543 to 1768, also as Aula, an auditorium for academic functions. Samuel Rüling was music director in Leipzig, also for the Paulinerkirche, from 1610 to 1612, when he moved on to the Kreuzkirche in Dresden. Werner Fabricius was the first "Director musices Paulini" (director of music of St Paul) from 1656 to 1679. He was succeeded by
Johann Schelle Johann Schelle (6 September 1648 – 10 March 1701) was a German Baroque composer. Biography Schnelle was born on 6 September 1648 in Geising, Saxony. From 1655 to 1657 he was a choirboy in Dresden and pupil of Heinrich Schütz. From 1657 to 1664 ...
(1679–1701) and Johann Kuhnau (1701–1722).Leipziger Universitätsmusik / Große Tradition - Vielfältige Gegenwart
uni-leipzig.de 2011
An organ at the western wall was first heard on 2 November 1679. In 1717 the new organ by Johann Scheibe was inspected by
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...
in his function as an organ consultant. Johann Gottlieb Görner was the organist from 1717. His comment was: "nicht gnugsam rühmen und loben können, sonderlich deren Raren Register" ( e couldnot praise enough, especially its unusual stops). When Bach was
cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...
in Leipzig from 1723, he also performed "festal" (holiday) services at the Paulinerkirche in 1723-25, while Görner was director for regular Sunday services. Bach possibly performed a new
cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...
already for Pentecost, '' Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59'', on 16 May 1723, before he began his tenure as cantor at the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche two weeks later, Sunday after
Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
. On 17 October 1727 Bach performed the funeral ode '' Laß, Fürstin, laß noch einen Strahl, BWV 198'', requested by the university to mark the death of Christiane Eberhardine, the wife of August II the Strong. Bach performed his motet '' Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226'', first on 21 October 1729 in a memorial service for Johann Heinrich Ernesti (1652-1729), rector of the Thomasschule. Probably in 1733, Bach performed his cantatas '' Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen, BWV 213'' (Hercules at the Crossroads), for the birthday of the heir to the throne of the elector, and '' Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten! BWV 214'', for the birthday of the queen, a cantata which he used as a model for parts of his ''
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 in a churc ...
'', namely its opening chorus. Probably in 1735 Bach performed the homage cantata '' Die Freude reget sich, BWV 36b'', to Johann Florens Rivinius on his appointment to the Rectorship of the university in October 1735. In 1778
Johann Adam Hiller Johann Adam Hiller (25 December 1728 – 16 June 1804) was a German composer, conducting, conductor and writer on music, regarded as the creator of the Singspiel, an early form of German opera. In many of these operas he collaborated with the poet ...
was appointed music director and served until 1785.


19th century

During the
Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...
in 1813, the church served as a camp for hostages and a military hospital. In the 19th century most of the remaining buildings of the monastery were demolished and replaced by the Augusteum, built from 1831 to 1836. The church had originally faced the city walls, which were torn down in 1785. The church faced the new representative square, later called Augustusplatz. Therefore Albert Geutebrück erected in 1836 a Neoclassical facade, replaced by a Neo-Gothic facade of Arwed Roßbach in 1897.
Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...
conducted his oratorio on the church's
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
, '' Paulus'', in the first performance in Leipzig on 16 March 1837. The composer's funeral was held in the church on 7 November 1847. In 1907 Max Reger was appointed music director of the university.


Gallery

File:Paulinerkirche Leipzig um 1800.JPG, University and its church, c. 1800 File:Paulinerkirche Leipzig.jpg, From the east before 1830 File:Augusteum Leipzig um 1890.jpg, c. 1890, with the Augusteum on the left File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006205 009 Blick auf die Universitätskirche St. Pauli am Ka.jpg, From the west, 1951


Destruction in 1968

The church survived the war practically unscathed, unlike the ''Augusteum'' next to it. On 4 April 1968 the Leipziger Universitätschor performed Bach's ''
St Matthew Passion The ''St Matthew Passion'' (), BWV 244, is a '' Passion'', a sacred oratorio written by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727 for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra, with libretto by Picander. It sets the 26th and 27th chapters of th ...
'', conducted by Hans-Joachim Rotzsch. On 30 May 1968, under the communist regime, and after a decision by the SED-led city administration and the university administration, the Paulinerkirche was dynamited to make way for a redevelopment of the university, eventually carried out between 1973 and 1978. Protestors against the blasting operation were arrested. A plaque at the site was unveiled 25 years later, on 30 May 1993. An A-frame sculpture in the dimensions and at the location of the former facade at the Augustusplatz was a memorial.Perils of Paulinerkirche / Leipzig Debates Bid to Rebuild Church Razed by Communists
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
22 June 2003
The ''Paulineraltar'', the Gothic altar, was rescued and temporarily installed at the Thomaskirche. It was moved to the new church (see below) in 2014.


Rebuilding debate

Since the 1990s the rebuilding of the church had been discussed. Among the people demanding a rebuilding was Nobel Prize-winning biologist Günter Blobel, arguing:
This is much more than a church — this is a shrine of German cultural history, connected to the most important names in German cultural history.


New university church

The new buildings at the university's main campus are inspired by the form and shape of the old church. The newly built heart of the university includes a room for common prayer and regular religious services, located exactly at the place of the former church. The whole complex has a double function as a church (using the historical name ''Universitätskirche St. Pauli'' - University Church St. Paul) and as an assembly hall (Aula). The short name for the whole building with both functions is Paulinum. The first service in the new church was held on 6 December 2009 (the second Sunday in
Advent Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Chri ...
), and it included a performance of Bach's cantata ''Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland'', BWV 61. Martin Petzoldt
Chronicle of the University Church of St Paul (1240 - 1968)
2009


References


External links

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stiftung-universitaetskirche.com
Leipzig braucht die Universitätskirche / zum Wiederaufbau der 1968 gesprengten Paulinerkirche
paulinerkirche.de 2011 {{Use dmy dates, date=May 2025 Buildings and structures demolished in 1968 Churches in Leipzig Leipzig Pauliner Leipzig Pauliner Leipzig Pauliner Destroyed churches in Germany Buildings and structures completed in 1231 Churches completed in the 1230s 13th-century churches in Germany