Deutschhauskirche

Whispers of history echo within the Deutschhauskirche. This magnificent Gothic structure stands before you, a testament to 700 years of stories. The Deutschhauskirche began its life as the church of the Teutonic Order in Würzburg. Bishop Otto von Lobdeburg gifted one of his houses to the order in 1219. This house, located at Schottenanger, was formerly part of the Staufer royal court. Construction of the Deutschhauskirche started around 1270. A dispute over right-of-way and access to Schottenanger delayed the project for years. King Rudolf von Habsburg mediated a compromise in 1296. The path to Schottenanger was overbuilt with an archway, ensuring public access. The first service was finally held in the Deutschhauskirche in 1320. The Deutschhauskirche is a prime example of early High Gothic architecture in Mainfranken. It remains remarkably preserved in its near-original state. Its capitals, consoles, and keystones are of significant art historical importance. The lower level of the tower houses a late-Romanesque chapel. This chapel, first mentioned in 1226 during the Staufer era, was restored and reopened in 2005. Another unique feature is the “Büßerzelle,” or penance cell, located in the sacristy’s vestibule. This open space has a window facing the nave. Brothers of the Teutonic Order who committed offenses had to observe the mass from this cell. Napoleon’s troops later confiscated the Deutschhauskirche. The Bavarian state seized all possessions of the Würzburg Teutonic Order Commandery in 1805. The church served as a military magazine for almost 120 years. Magazine floors divided the high hall church into three stories. This caused irreparable damage to two of the beautifully decorated consoles. Most of the windows were boarded up. In the autumn of 1922, the Bavarian administration handed the Deutschhauskirche over to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor Bernhard Koch took on the immense task of restoring the desolate space for worship. The first Christmas service in 1922 took place in freezing temperatures. The congregation sat on borrowed tavern chairs and planks placed over stone blocks. Renovations in 1923 coincided with a period of extreme inflation. Pastor Koch had to collect donations of crops, storing them until building invoices were due. The Deutschhausgemeinde received a baptismal font from 1569 and a late Renaissance pulpit as gifts from the Herrnberchtheim community. An organ with four registers was purchased for eight billion Reichsmark. By comparison, a new organ with 25 registers cost 70,000 Deutschmarks in 1970. After extensive renovations, the Deutschhauskirche was re-consecrated on the first Advent of 1923. In Easter 1924, a donation of 12,000 gold marks funded the artistic stained-glass windows in the choir. Elisabeth Cöster created these windows in 1924 and 1925. Pastor Dietrich Schmerl had them removed and stored in 1944 to protect them from bomb damage. The crucifixion group is a work by Würzburg sculptor Heinz Schiestl, created in 1929/30. The figures of Mary and John are copies of Tilman Riemenschneider’s crucifixion group in Aub. The Deutschhauskirche holds within it a multitude of stories. It stands as a symbol of resilience, adaptation, and the enduring power of faith.