St. Blasius

In 1824, a new church arose in Zähringen, a village then independent of Freiburg. This was St. Blasius. It replaced an older church on the present-day Zähringen cemetery grounds. The new St. Blasius Church, designed by Christoph Arnold, showcased the popular Weinbrenner style. Master mason Alois Meißburger from Kenzingen brought Arnold’s vision to life. The inauguration on March 21, 1824, was a significant event for the village. However, it was only a provisional consecration by Joseph Biechele, the Freiburg dean and pastor of St. Martin. The newly established Archdiocese of Freiburg didn’t have a bishop yet. The official, episcopal consecration of St. Blasius didn’t happen until much later, on June 23, 1991, by Archbishop Oskar Saier. This followed extensive renovations. St. Blasius is a simple, five-aisled hall church. Its east end features a rectangular choir, separated from the nave by a triumphal arch. Large arched windows with antique glazing illuminate the interior. The tower, nestled into the west facade, divides it symmetrically. The sequence of portal, window, and arched window emphasizes the verticality of the structure. An ambulatory separates the tower shaft from its peak. The tower peak houses the church bells and is covered by a bent hipped roof. Inside St. Blasius, the baroque altars, including the main and two side altars, come from former Freiburg monasteries. A statue of St. Blasius, dating back to the 18th century, was preserved from the old church. The ceiling painting by Paul Meyerspeer, a local Zähringen artist, is a striking feature. Created in 1924, it depicts the heavenly Jerusalem opening to the sky. This illusionistic artwork counteracts the somewhat low ceiling height of just nine meters. Paul’s brother, Walther Meyerspeer, created the poignant Stations of the Cross. The 2013 organ, built by Claudius Winterhalter, sits unusually at the parapet of the gallery. This placement addresses the low ceiling while optimizing the sound. It has 17 registers on two manuals and a pedal. The five bronze bells, cast in 1954 by Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling from Heidelberg, fill the tower with their harmonious sound. Their predecessors met a common fate during the world wars, confiscated and melted down for their metal.