Curious to know which landmark shares a likeness with the Limburger Dom? It’s the Herz-Jesu-Kirche. This Roman Catholic church sits in Freiburg’s Stühlinger district. Herz-Jesu-Kirche’s construction spanned from 1892 to 1897. Max Meckel was the architect. He embraced both the Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romanesque styles.
Imagine Stühlinger in the late 19th century. The area was growing fast. Freiburg’s archdiocese wanted to care for the increasing Catholic population. These residents previously belonged to St. Martin’s parish. A local committee formed in 1884. It focused on site and funding issues for a new church.
After Archbishop Johann Baptist Orbin died in 1886, Christian Roos from Limburg became the new Archbishop. Franz Baer’s initial design didn’t proceed. Baer fell ill and died in 1891. Then, Archbishop Roos appointed Max Meckel. Meckel had experience as the master builder of Limburg Cathedral. He had also constructed the nearby Blue Bridge between 1885 and 1886. The bridge aligns with the Herz-Jesu-Kirche’s double-tower facade.
Meckel completed his plans by January 1892. Groundbreaking occurred on June 10, 1892. The site was near the bridge over the railway tracks. The city provided this land in exchange for another plot. Tower construction began the following April. The Herz-Jesu-Kirche was consecrated on May 2, 1897. The church’s name reflected the popular Sacred Heart devotion of the time.
Herz-Jesu-Kirche is a basilica with a polygonal chancel and transept. It also features a double-tower facade. Meckel preferred Neo-Gothic. Yet, he was instructed to design in the Late Romanesque style. This prevented competition with Freiburg’s Minster. Meckel drew from his Maria-Hilf-Kirche plans in Wiesbaden. There, he also had to adhere to Romanesque style guidelines. His compromise blended Late Romanesque with early Gothic elements. The Limburger Dom influenced him. Meckel’s design shifted away from the romantic historicism. Strict historicism, with accurate medieval forms, took its place. Soon after, the Archbishop appointed Meckel as diocesan architect.
The Herz-Jesu-Kirche’s impact on the cityscape was vital. Its towering facade aligned with urban planning. Mayor Otto Winterer aimed to mark Freiburg’s expansion with prominent towers. Fritz Geiges, a Freiburg glass painter, assisted Meckel. Other contributors included Franz Joseph Simmler and Georg Busch. Also involved were Balthasar Schmitt, Jakob Angermair, Julius Seitz, and Hermann Jeß. A Herz-Jesu figure crowns the main facade. Beneath it sits a bust of Meckel. Georg Busch created the pulpit reliefs. Carl Roth’s factory produced it twice in terracotta. One went to Gengenbach’s former monastery church. The other was displayed at the 1900 Paris Exposition before its installation in Herz-Jesu-Kirche in 1901.
The Royal Air Force bombed Freiburg on November 27, 1944. Herz-Jesu-Kirche sustained heavy damage from the air pressure. On December 17, 1944, fighter-bombers directly hit the church twice. The north transept and sacristy collapsed. Services moved to the nearby St. Klara hall. Archbishop Conrad Gröber appointed Gregor Schroeder to oversee reconstruction in September 1945. The pulpit wasn’t rebuilt due to weather damage. Instead, a small pulpit was added. Professor C. Bauer designed it with a depiction of Jesus washing feet. Hans Baumhauer created the choir window and rosette designs.
Locals donated and helped rebuild the Herz-Jesu-Kirche. They used 20,000 paving stones and 400 square meters of wood. Archbishop Wendelin Rauch reconsecrated the Herz-Jesu-Kirche on April 27, 1952.
Outside stands the Marienbrunnen. Richard Engelmann, a Jewish sculptor, created the Madonna statue. Mayor Wolfgang Hoffmann advocated for the statue’s installation. He had seen a smaller version in 1947.
In 1962, a statue of Mary by Siegfried Fricker was placed on the Mary altar.
Changes from the Second Vatican Council began in 1969. The altar was placed on an artificial stone base and Bruno Knittel added a freestanding altar. The pulpit lost significance. It was removed for visual reasons and now resides in the parish garden. Archbishop Hermann Schäufele consecrated the new altar.
The church has been a protected monument since 1984. For its centenary in 1997, the exterior was restored. The original glazed tiles were replaced on the tower roofs. Post-war reconstruction couldn’t afford such details.
The Herz-Jesu-Kirche’s interior was renovated in 2007 and 2008. The baptismal font was moved forward. Benches were removed from the side aisles.
The Herz-Jesu-Kirche stands as a testament to Freiburg’s resilience. It is a blend of architectural styles. It embodies the community’s spirit.