Lost in time the Speyrer Kirche stands silent. It whispers tales of bishops and borders. This unassuming church in Ditzingen holds centuries within its walls. Built near the end of the 15th century the Speyrer Kirche is a late Gothic masterpiece. It once served as a parish church for the western half of Ditzingen. This area belonged to the Diocese of Speyer. The Speyrer Kirche’s history is intricately linked to the river Glems. The Glems divided Ditzingen creating two distinct parishes. One aligned with the Diocese of Speyer the other with Konstanz.
The Speyrer Kirche is older than its counterpart the Konstanzer Kirche. Scholars believe a Frankish landowner constructed it around the 8th century. Its parish initially encompassed the Herrenhof the heart of Ditzingen’s settlement. In 1347 Speyer’s Bishop Gerhard von Ehrenberg incorporated the Speyrer Kirche into the Dominican convent in Pforzheim. The convent retained the right to appoint parish priests until 1524-29. Ditzingen was the most distant parish under the convent’s jurisdiction. The Dominicans may have assumed the older rights of Hirsau Abbey. Hirsau provided the Pforzheim convent with land and resources. A Hirsau document from 1375 mentions both the Speyrer and Konstanzer churches.
The church’s reconstruction in late Gothic style happened at the end of the 15th century. The exact construction dates and consecration day remain unknown. Friedrich von Nippenburg a respected nobleman and provost of Speyer’s Holy Trinity Church might have initiated the project. He was Archdeacon for the Grüngningen chapter. Several names have been put forward as the master builders. Hieronymus Mager from Schwäbisch Gmünd was initially considered. Later Albrecht Georg and Peter von Koblenz were suggested. Recent research attributes the construction to the Master of Schwieberdingen possibly a relative of Heidelberg’s court builder Caspar Lechler. The Master of Schwieberdingen’s mark first appeared in 1463. His work is evident on the pillars of the Alexander Church in Marbach am Neckar. He later worked with Aberlin Jörg a Stuttgart master on the Cannstatt town church and Stuttgart’s hospital church. Hans von Urach a collaborator with Aberlin Jörg was involved in the Speyrer Kirche.
The Speyrer Kirche ceased being an independent parish shortly after its completion. The Reformation’s arrival in Württemberg and the disappearance of diocesan borders rendered a second parish unnecessary. Peter Knöpfler was one of the last priests. He was embroiled in a murder trial. After his departure the Konstanzer Kirche’s priest oversaw the Speyrer Kirche. The Speyrer Church’s parsonage was sold in 1540. The proceeds were split between the Pforzheim authorities and the priest. By 1552 the church was ultimately abandoned by the Pforzheim Dominicans. The Speyrer Kirche was secularized. It served as a barn storage area and laundry drying space for Ditzingen’s farmers.
In 1656 the Württemberg state acquired the church. It was transferred to Ditzingen’s charitable foundation. Later it went to the Ditzingen community. The Speyrer Kirche mainly served as an outbuilding for funerals. In 1924 it received landmark protection status. The Speyrer Kirche’s history demonstrates Ditzingen’s religious and social life over several centuries. It continues to serve the community as a funeral chapel and space for church music. The Speyrer Kirche offers a glimpse into the past a testament to enduring faith and community resilience.