Ever noticed the windmill atop Sankt Hedwig? It is quite the unusual addition to a church. Sankt Hedwig im Gut Heuchelhof is a branch church of the parish of St. Sebastian. It is the newest church building within the city.
Sankt Hedwig is part of the Gut Heuchelhof. The church’s creation came during the renovation and conversion of the historic Gutshof in the 1990s. The church space occupies the northern part of the east wing. The elongated room expands at the eastern wall. A niche in the middle makes room for a centered choir area. The entrance is in the gate passage. A vestibule separates it from the main room. The walls mainly show exposed natural stone. The wooden roof structure is open and natural. Instead of a church tower, the windmill is visible on the roof ridge of Sankt Hedwig. It also gives the youth meeting center its name.
But who was St. Hedwig? Hedwig of Andechs was born in 1174. She died in Trebnitz on October 15, 1243. Count Bertold IV was her father. She was the aunt of St. Elisabeth of Thuringia. Hedwig was raised in the Kitzingen Monastery. In 1186, she became the wife of Duke Heinrich of Silesia.
Hedwig founded the Trebnitz Monastery. She led a life of strict asceticism. She selflessly cared for the poor, sick, and needy. The Catholic Church reveres the Duchess of Silesia as a saint. Her feast day is celebrated on October 16.
Inside Sankt Hedwig, the altar and windows came from the Schweinfurt artist Jürgen Wolf. Helmut Baierl served as a pastor here from 2001 to 2003. Alfred Kraus followed from 2004 to 2012. Stefan Michelberger has been the parish administrator since 2023.
Hedwig married Henry I the Bearded at twelve years old. Henry became Duke of Silesia in 1201. Hedwig’s actions supported her husband’s reign. Upon the death of High Duke Władysław III Spindleshanks in 1231, Henry became Duke of Greater Poland.
After her husband’s death in 1238, Hedwig moved into the Trebnitz Abbey. Her daughter Gertrude led this monastery. Hedwig took on the religious habit of a lay sister. She did not take vows. She invited numerous German religious figures and settlers to Silesia. They founded cities, towns, and villages. They cultivated barren lands for agriculture.
Hedwig and Henry lived very pious lives. Hedwig supported her husband in donating to religious institutions. She always helped the poor, widows, and orphans. She founded several hospitals for the sick and lepers. Hedwig donated all her fortune to the Church.
Legend says she went barefoot even in winter. The Bishop of Wrocław urged her to wear shoes. She then carried them in her hands. Hedwig died on October 15, 1243. She was buried in Trebnitz Abbey with her husband. Relics of her are at Andechs Abbey and St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin. Pope Clement IV canonized Hedwig in 1267. She is the patron saint of Silesia and Andechs. Her feast day is on October 16.
So, the next time you see the windmill on Sankt Hedwig, remember the story of St. Hedwig. She was a duchess. She was a saint. She devoted her life to helping others. Her legacy lives on in this unique church.