On a crisp autumn afternoon in 1490, the Andreaskirche in Stuttgart-Uhlbach first opened its doors as a parish church. It wasn’t built from scratch. The church repurposed the choir tower of a late Gothic chapel, dating back to 1386. This chapel served the community until it was elevated to parish church status. This meant villagers no longer had to journey to Cannstatt, Obertürkheim, or even Esslingen for their spiritual needs. The Andreaskirche became the heart of Uhlbach.
Fast forward to the late 19th century. The Andreaskirche underwent a dramatic transformation. Heinrich Dolmetsch, a renowned church architect, spearheaded the project in 1895. His design skillfully blended the old with the new. He retained the historic choir tower but added an octagonal story, complete with balconies on four sides. The remaining four sides housed the bell openings for the church’s five bells. The clock faces nestled within the gables above these openings, topped by an octagonal spire.
Dolmetsch didn’t just focus on the exterior. He completely reimagined the interior. He replaced the flat ceiling of the nave with a high wooden vault. This vault became a canvas for stunning artwork, depicting the apostles, virtues, and zodiac signs against a backdrop of a starry sky. This celestial scene, symbolizing the cosmos, is dominated by a crucifix from around 1500. This crucifix, the only piece preserved from the original church, hangs beneath the high chancel arch, adorned with vines and passionflowers. This imagery charts a path of salvation. It leads from the relief of the Entombment on the left chancel wall to the chancel window, depicting the Resurrection.
The Andreaskirche also houses a unique feature: the Benger family pew. Gottlieb Benger, a Stuttgart textile entrepreneur, was the primary sponsor of the renovation. The pew is a testament to his generosity. It’s a private compartment next to the choir, featuring three armchairs beneath an ornately carved canopy. This extravagance was quite unusual for the time.
The warm tones of the wood paneling create a welcoming ambiance. The elegantly curved railings of the galleries add a touch of grandeur. The church’s interior remained largely untouched in the 20th century, despite a period of architectural “purification” that saw many similar churches stripped of their ornamentation. This makes the Andreaskirche a rare example of Dolmetsch’s original vision. The 1988-1990 restoration returned the interior to its 1895 glory, preserving Dolmetsch’s remarkable transformation of this historic church.