Regarding St. Bartholomäus, did you know its story involves a tussle with a mother parish and a king? This old Roman Catholic parish church St. Bartholomäus stands in Diedorf. Diedorf is in the district of Augsburg. St. Bartholomäus is a protected historical monument.
Let’s step back in time. In 1961, workers discovered a tuff stone grave. The grave dated back to around 700 or 750 AD. Until 1860, Diedorf was part of the parish of St. Adelgundis in Anhausen. Then Diedorf became its own parish.
In 1264, Diedorf fell into the hands of the Dominican convent of St. Katharina in Augsburg. The convent also had the right to appoint priests. Diedorf had its own church rights. These rights included a cemetery and the right to baptize and marry people. Services occurred irregularly. Disputes with the mother parish in Anhausen arose from this. These disputes have been documented since the 14th century.
A document first mentions the church of Diedorf in 1352. The lowest floors of the tower date back to the late Romanesque period. The upper floors were built around 1450. Inside, remnants of frescoes remain. In 1716, the Katharinenkloster in Augsburg donated a benefice in Diedorf. The beneficiary had to read the early mass on Sundays and holidays. He also had to hold three holy masses weekly. The convent retained the right of presentation.
In the 17th century, the dilapidated church needed several repairs. It suffered severe damage in 1632 during the Thirty Years’ War. Joseph Meitinger from Ustersbach was the builder. In 1736, he built a new choir and a new nave. He also expanded the sacristy. Plus he raised the tower by an octagon. He had already submitted the plans for the new church in 1728. The master carpenter Georg Höck from Deubach helped with the construction. The construction costs amounted to 1500 fl. In 1751, the Augsburg Auxiliary Bishop Franz Xaver Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden reconsecrated the church.
In 1821, the tower dome received a cross from the Katharinenkloster. After secularization, the right to appoint priests went to the Bavarian king. The separation of the Diedorf branch from the Anhausen parish occurred. The sovereign confirmed it on April 3, 1860. The bishop confirmed it on April 3, 1860 too. After the new Herz Mariä parish church was built in 1965 to 1967, the old church closed. Urgent repairs to the church took place in 1974. Today, services are held there on Tuesday evenings during the summer months. This happens from May to September.
The three-bay structure features a groin vault. It also has a choir with a semicircular end. The six-story tower has an octagon with an onion dome. The local painter Johann Georg Kuen created the ceiling frescoes. They are in the choir and nave. Joseph Meitinger created the stucco work in 1736. Johann Konrad Rist created the altars and pulpit in 1736 to 1739. The high altar depicts the Communion of St. Gertrude. It originally came from the altar of the Gertrude Chapel in Augsburg Cathedral. During a redesign of the cathedral interior in 1859 to 1863 it was sold to the parish church of Diedorf. The side altar pictures depict St. Sebastian and St. Joseph.
Willibald Siemann built the organ in 1915. It is opus 334 with pneumatic cone valves. The instrument is still largely in its original condition. It has 13 stops. These stops are distributed over two manuals and pedal.
The ringing of the bells originally consisted of four bells. In 1967, the three largest bells were transferred to the new Herz Mariä parish church. The smallest bell remained in the tower. Below the church is a Lourdes Grotto. It stands in the Bürgerpark Diedorf. It was built in 1907 to 1908. It was built according to a vow. The vow came from the nurse Johann Kraus. His heirs carried out his wish.
So next time you pass St. Bartholomäus remember its long history. It involves convents, kings and a community’s devotion.