Did you notice the inscription above the west portal? It says: “KOMMT, LASST UNS ANBETEN UND KNIEEN VOR DEM HERRN”. Welcome to St. Matthäus in Chemnitz-Altendorf. This Lutheran parish church has a rich history. It is a testament to faith and community.
St. Matthäus stands as a protected monument. Its adjacent Matthäusfriedhof is also protected. It includes the cemetery chapel and its gravestones. Before the Reformation, Altendorf belonged to the Bergkloster Chemnitz. A chapel or church existed but was abandoned before the Thirty Years’ War.
Altendorf was part of the Nikolaikirche parish since 1539. It grew significantly. The old church became too small and dilapidated. In 1882, it closed due to the tower’s danger. Plans began for a larger church.
Altendorf wanted its own church. On January 1, 1884, the Altendorf parish was founded. The first sod was turned in 1884. The church was consecrated on September 27, 1885. After Chemnitz annexed Altendorf in 1900, it became St. Matthäus.
A renovation occurred in 1911. The main portal was repaired in 2007. From 2008 to 2009, the steel bell frame was replaced with oak. The sound louvres were renewed.
Architect Christian Friedrich Arnold designed St. Matthäus. It shows restrained Neo-Renaissance forms. The hall is not exactly oriented east. It is oriented east-northeast. It is made of light natural stone. It consists of a hall, a west tower and a chancel. The chancel has a five-eighths closure.
The hall has three large arched niche fields. These are between buttresses. Above the cornice are arched windows. Below are three small arched windows. The church has a slate-covered gable roof. Inside, a large arch opens the chancel to the nave. The interior has a ribbed vault.
The slender west tower has four triangular gables. The clock faces are there. Below are three arched sound openings. They house the bronze three-part bells. The octagonal spire is slated. Two small polygonal stair towers flank the tower.
The wooden interior was designed by Christian Friedrich Arnold. The gallery has dark brown panels. The west gallery houses the organ. Two round columns support the organ. Simple pews leave a central aisle.
The wooden block altar stands before the east window. It has pilasters and profiled panels. It holds a two-meter-high painting. It is called “The Blessing Christ” by Erhard Ludewig Winterstein. Above the altar is a Bible verse. It is from Matthew: “SEE, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE”.
The polygonal pulpit stands on a fluted column. It is on the south chancel arch. The pulpit panels show the four evangelists.
The octagonal baptismal font rests on four fluted columns. It is made of wood and decorated with paintings.
The Jehmlich Orgelbau Dresden workshop built the organ in 1886. Restorations took place in 1956 and 2006. The prospect has three arched fields. The middle one is taller. The instrument has 25 registers.
The church is surrounded by a small park. It contains two war memorials. One is for the fallen of World War I. The older one commemorates the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71. St. Matthäus is a protected cultural monument.
A memorial stone was dedicated in 2015. It commemorates victims of displacement after World War II. The Matthäusfriedhof is also a cultural monument. It lies among old trees. The cemetery chapel was built in 1911. It was restored according to historical models.
The park-like cemetery invites you to linger. More than half of its area is green space. There are old family tombs. A statue of Christ resembles Thorvaldsen’s in Copenhagen.
The St. Matthäus parish is vibrant. It offers spiritual groups, music and social engagement. Benefizkonzerte fill the small church with new life. They support the church’s preservation. So remember St. Matthäus. It is more than a building. It is a living testament.