Wonder how Heiligkreuz became a cornerstone of faith in Würzburg’s Zellerau district? Today, we explore the captivating story of Heilig-Kreuz-Chor. This Catholic parish church stands at the corner of Sedanstraße and Friedrichstraße. Its parish center is in Hartmannstraße.
Heiligkreuz means Holy Cross. Churches with this name are dedicated to the Holy Cross on which Jesus died. These churches often house relics of the cross. According to medieval tradition, an altar had to contain a relic. A verified piece of the cross was required for a church to be dedicated to it. The Patron Saint Day is on September 14. It is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
Michael Niedermeier designed the Pfarrkirche Heiligkreuz. Its foundation stone was laid on August 5 1934. Bishop Matthias Ehrenfried consecrated it on September 15 1935. The church suffered damage during the bombing of Würzburg on March 16 1945. The Kirchendach was destroyed.
The exterior of the church was renovated in 1957 and 1958. Walter Schilling led the redesign of the chancel and the interior renovation in 1967. The last complete restoration took place in 1985.
The Kirchenbau is a three-nave basilica. It features a gable roof and a rectangular tower. The tower has a hipped roof and a high lantern. The exterior is rendered with limestone. The Löwenportal is a notable feature. The main facade showcases a sgraffito image. It depicts the “Exaltation of the Cross by Emperor Constantine.” Willy Jakob created it in 1935. A sculpture of Ecce Homo stands on the southeastern exterior wall. Paulus Michel created it in 1588.
Inside, a bronze sculpture of the Returning Christ with Tabernacle hangs on the choir wall since 1967. Otto Sonnleitner created it. Since 1985, a bronze cast of Madonna with Child has been present. Otto Sonnleitner created it in 1961 for the Bayreuth St Hedwigskirche. A red marble relief by Fried Heuler from 1935 is on the pulpit basket. It shows Christ among the Apostles. The inscription reads: “Go into all the world and teach all nations”. A wooden Madonna by Fried Heuler stands at the rear of the right aisle. It was originally on the right side altar. A wooden Sacred Heart figure is at the rear of the left aisle. It was formerly on the left side altar. Sebastian Putz from Bad Brückenau created the 14 bronze Stations of the Cross. Above the organ gallery, two windows depict Christ’s sentence. Karl Clobes from Tückelhausen designed them. Four more windows by the artist are in the weekday chapel.
The Orgel of the Katholische Pfarrkirche Heiligkreuz was built in 1998. Johannes Klais Orgelbaufirma from Bonn created it as Opus 1764. This company also made the organs in the Würzburg Dom, the Neumünster, and the Augustinerkirche. The Orgel has 35 registers. They are distributed across three manuals and a pedal. Hans-Wolfgang Theobald, an organ builder from the Heiligkreuz parish, designed and constructed the Orgel.
Four bells reside in the tower. Three are from the Czudnochowsky firm in Erding. The smallest is from 1934. It came from the Ulrich foundry in Apolda. The Dreifaltigkeitsglocke strikes eis’. It weighs 1680 kg. The Kreuzglocke strikes e’. It weighs 950 kg. The Muttergottesglocke strikes fis’. It weighs 650 kg. The Josefsglocke strikes a’. It weighs 500 kg.
The Gemeinde forms the Pfarreiengemeinschaft Heiligkreuz und St Elisabeth with the Pfarrei St Elisabeth in der Zellerau.
The Würzburger Kantorei was founded in the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche in autumn 2002. It is an association of children’s and youth choirs of various age groups. Dekanatskantorin Anke Willwohl leads it.
And so, Heilig-Kreuz-Chor stands as a testament to faith. It reflects resilience and artistic expression within Würzburg. Its story woven from historical threads and artistic endeavors enriches the cultural landscape.