The stained glass windows of the Protestant church
The beautiful and artistically valuable stained glass windows on the sides of the nave of the Protestant church were designed by the renowned Mainz artist Gustel Stein and installed in the church in 1978.
A particularly noteworthy and artistically valuable decorative element of the Protestant church are the 16 stained glass windows installed in 1978 on both sides of the nave. They were created on the basis of the energetic initiative of the then pastor Dr. Georg Wild. For the design he was able to win the renowned Mainz artist Gustel Stein (1922 – 2010), who created numerous concrete and leaded glass windows, murals and mosaics for churches and public buildings throughout Germany, but especially in Mainz and the surrounding area. For example, the Christ and Holy Spirit windows in the west choir of St. Catherine’s Church in Oppenheim were made by him. The stained glass windows in Harxheim were almost all financed by Harxheim individuals, families or groups active in the village; two windows were paid for by the parish. The implementation of the designs was carried out by the company Robert Münch from Groß-Umstadt.
Law: Jacob fights with the angel, Moses delivers the commandments
Protestant parish Harxheim Gau-Bischofsheim, Image: Christian Kuhlmann, 5gaenge.de
Law: The Sacrifice of Isaac, Noah’s Sacrifice
Protestant parish Harxheim Gau-Bischofsheim, Image: Christian Kuhlmann, 5gaenge.de
Incarnation and rebirth: birth of Jesus, Magi
Protestant parish Harxheim Gau-Bischofsheim, Image: Christian Kuhlmann, 5gaenge.de
Incarnation and rebirth: Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus and the Samaritan woman
Protestant parish Harxheim Gau-Bischofsheim, Image: Christian Kuhlmann, 5gaenge.de
The stained glass windows are arranged in pairs, there are four double windows on each side of the nave. Gustel Stein has figuratively rendered 15 scenes from the Old and New Testaments, with the Last Supper occupying a double window in view of its great religious significance. Due to the relatively small size of the window and the limited incident light, the artist chose particularly bright and strong colors. Strong blues, reds, greens and yellows dominate, broken by white and softer browns. The design language is clear and simple.
Grace: Philip baptizes the eunuch, The risen Christ in the circle of his disciples
Protestant parish Harxheim Gau-Bischofsheim, Image: Christian Kuhlmann, 5gaenge.de
Grace: The Prodigal Son, Jesus and the Adulteress
Protestant parish Harxheim Gau-Bischofsheim, Image: Christian Kuhlmann, 5gaenge.de
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper: John the Baptist’s testimony of the Lamb of God, Jesus’ baptism.
Protestant parish Harxheim Gau-Bischofsheim, Image: Christian Kuhlmann, 5gaenge.de
Baptism and Communion: Communion
Protestant parish Harxheim Gau-Bischofsheim, Image: Christian Kuhlmann, 5gaenge.de
The selection of the scenes and their pictorial representation was the subject of many discussions between Gustel Stein and Pastor Wild. Two opposite pairs of windows each are dedicated to a core theological theme. Starting from the church entrance, these are the themes of the Law (left: Jacob wrestling with the angel, Moses handing over the 10 Commandments; right: the sacrifice of Isaac, the sacrifice of Noah), Incarnation and Rebirth (left: Birth of Jesus, Magi; right: Jesus and Nicodemus, Jesus and the Samaritan Woman) and Grace (left: Philip baptizing the eunuch, the risen Christ in the circle of his disciples; right: the prodigal son, Jesus and the adulteress). The foremost windows directly in front of the choir, with the two sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, probably represent the heart of the Protestant faith (left: Testimony of John the Baptist to the Lamb of God, Baptism of Jesus, right: Last Supper).
Tip for those who would like to know more: The Protestant congregation has published a booklet on the stained glass windows in 2019. It is available for 10 € in the Protestant parish office. Further information is also available on the website of the Protestant church in Harxheim.
References:
Harxheim-Gau-Bischofsheim Protestant Church Parish (2019): The stained glass windows of the Protestant Church of Harxheim. Harxheim
on the life and work of Gustel Stein: Gustel Stein, 2022, in Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gustel_Stein&oldid=226277708
