Consider the tale of three architectural styles converging in one sacred space: St. Peter und Paul. This is no ordinary church. It is a testament to centuries of faith and evolving design.
St. Peter und Paul stands in Feudenheim. This Catholic church boasts a unique blend of Gothic, Baroque, and contemporary elements. Its history stretches back to the 9th century. A basilica once stood here under the ownership of the Weißenburg Monastery.
In 1496, the Wormser Synodale described the parish church. It was dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul. The church mirrored the religious shifts of the Kurpfalz. It finally became Catholic in 1707 after the Palatinate Church Partition. For many years, the Feudenheim pastors cared for Catholics in other towns. These included Käfertal until 1849 and Wallstadt until 1904. Their churches had gone to the Reformists.
As the 18th century neared its end, the population grew. People wanted a larger church. The old east-facing structure was torn down. From 1786, Oberleutnant J. Hertling from Mainz planned and oversaw its enlargement. The tower was raised. A new nave was erected. It ran north to south. Also a new choir was added. In 1787, Bishop Stephan Alexander Würdtwein consecrated the church.
Ludwig Maier renovated St. Peter und Paul between 1898 and 1902. The facade was redesigned. Inside, the altar was embellished and a ceiling painting was added. However, the planned raising of the church tower did not happen.
World War II damaged St. Peter und Paul. The roof and several windows suffered. After the war, Feudenheim welcomed many bombed-out residents from Mannheim’s city center. A large residential area was developed. The church became too small again.
By 1956, Hans Rolli extended the nave. It gained a new roof. A transept was added. The old organ and side altars were moved to the Spitalkirche. The old entrance portal at the church tower was walled up. Heinz Heß renovated and redesigned the church from 1982 to 1983. The work continued until 1985. After a fire in February 2012, the church required renovation. The old church’s altar figures were re-integrated. They were placed to the left of the main portal.
In 1827, the church joined the Archdiocese of Freiburg. In 1910, it became part of the Mannheim city deanery. Previously, it belonged to the Weinheim chapter. Since 2005, the Feudenheim parish has formed a pastoral care unit. It includes Christ-König-Kirche and St. Peter. Since 2015, the parish in Feudenheim is part of the pastoral care unit Maria Magdalena.
The church is located in the center of Feudenheim on the main street. The Gothic west tower rises above a square plan. It is topped by an octagonal copper tent roof. A string course divides the tower into two sections. The rib vault has been preserved on the ground floor. Risalits divide the Baroque nave’s front facade into three bays.
The figure niche above the arch-topped portal dates back to around 1900. The transept, added in 1956, features gridded windows and a recessed apse. The window walls depict themes. These are “Sowing and Harvesting”, “Peter and Paul”, and more. They are the work of Emil Wachter.
Margot Raumer’s two-lane silk painting once adorned the south side of the transept. A statue of Mary, attributed to Johann Michael Düchert, stood nearby. In February 2012, the silk painting caught fire and was destroyed. The fire also damaged the Madonna statue. This prompted a thorough cleaning and renovation of St. Peter und Paul.
To the right of the apse is the Baroque sandstone baptismal font. Above this, at ceiling height, hang the wooden figures of Peter and Paul. Frido Lehr created the ambo and mensa. The altar and organ were consecrated in 1985.
After the redesign in 1982-83, a new organ with 1867 pipes was installed. It sits on a platform near the entrance. Organbau Vier built it in 1985. The organ has 28 registers.
The church has five bells. After the “metal donation” in World War II, Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling recast them. One of the discarded bells was placed at the main entrance of St. Peter und Paul in 2006.