The Protestant Church in Harxheim
The Protestant church in Harxheim dates back to 1873. However, many centuries before that, a Christian church stood on this spot and became a witness to contemporary history. In particular, political and war events and the Reformation have affected the fortunes of the church building and the parish.
The church is listed in the monument register of the Mainz-Bingen district.
Evangelical church, still unplastered (picture taken before 1948)
Image source: Unknown
Year of construction 1484 of the predecessor church, the half 8 denotes a 4
Bildquelle: Birgit Korte
The Lutheran church in Harxheim was built in 1873. Only the lower part of the tower is older and comes from a late Gothic predecessor. The date 1484 is still preserved on the east side of the tower. However, even well before 1484, there was probably already a church in this place. Even before the end of the 8th century and the first documented mentions of Harxheim in this period, there might have been a Frankish settlement here. This is suggested by a Frankish burial ground discovered east of the church in 1953, which dates back to the 6. – 7th century was dated. From when on the hill stood a Christian church is not precisely documented. However, according to the house book Friedrich 1) on December 25 in the year 800 it was documented that the priest Hadurich donated a farmstead and the church in Harahesheim to the monastery in Fulda.
Destruction due to wars
The church, built in 1484, was subsequently severely damaged several times during acts of war. During the Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648) the Swedes came to Harxheim in 1632. In the course of the clashes, the church burned down. The Swedish invasion was connected with an event of greater historical significance: in 1630 the legendary Swedish King Gustav II Adolf intervened in the Thirty Years’ War. In December 1631 he crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim and entered Mainz on December 24. This crossing of the Rhine is considered one of the outstanding military achievements in the Thirty Years’ War. The Swedes did not leave Mainz until the end of 1635. 2)
During the War of the Palatinate Succession (1688 – 1697), in which the French King Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, wanted to secure territorial expansion to the east, Rheinhessen was also affected by massive devastation and destruction by French troops. In 1691, a French corps with a strength of 15,000 men lay near Nieder-Olm. In Harxheim – as in other surrounding towns – the church bells were taken away and the church damaged.
After the French Revolution in 1789, the following years saw armed conflicts between France on the one side and Prussia and Austria on the other. In 1794 French revolutionary soldiers came to Harxheim, robbed the church and burned down the nave.3) It had to be demolished and was not rebuilt until 1803.
Church becomes Lutheran in the course of the Reformation
In addition to wars, the history of the Protestant Church was also marked by the Reformation, the beginning of which is usually dated to the posting of the theses by Martin Luther in 1517. At that time Harxheim belonged to the county of Falkenstein. The Count of Falkenstein converted to the Lutheran doctrine in 1548. Since the Augsburg Religious Peace of 1555 empowered the sovereign to determine the faith of his subjects, Harxheim and its church also subsequently became Lutheran.
It is not clear whether Harxheim became Lutheran as early as the sixteenth century, in accordance with the sovereign’s instructions. According to the manuscript of H. P. Friedrich about the historical origin of the place name Harxheim, the text of which is in large parts identical with the text of the house book Friedrich, the Lutherans should have got the upper hand in Harxheim only actually between 1612 and 1624. 4)
In the Reformation period, other currents of faith emerged alongside the Lutheran one. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were efforts to unite them. In our region this was implemented in 1824, the Lutheran church became the Protestant church in Harxheim. 5)
Simultaneum in Harxheim
After Harxheim officially became Lutheran, the majority of the population converted to the new faith. However, a part of the villagers remained Catholic in the following period. These believers now had no church and claimed to also have property rights or at least joint use rights to the now Lutheran church. In 1667, the county of Falkenstein and thus also Harxheim finally fell to the Catholic Duke of Lorraine. Harxheim nevertheless remained Lutheran. However, the new ruling circumstances made it easier for the Catholics to finally be granted a right of joint use of the church in 1698. Harxheim thus had a Simultaneum since that time. In practice, the Lutherans celebrated their services in the nave, the Catholics in the choir room. However, the joint use was not without problems and led to ongoing disputes and also legal disputes.
The Simultaneum lasted until 1869. The Catholic side had been granted co-ownership of the church shortly before. In exchange for compensation, it renounced it and in 1870 built its own church directly opposite the Protestant church.
New building in 1873
The Protestant church in Harxheim on a postcard from 1915
Image source: J. Lemke
The Protestant church with the nave rebuilt in 1803 was in a very poor structural condition around 1870, and in 1872 it was even closed by the Mainz District Building Authority because of dilapidation. With the eager help of the 380 parishioners at that time, the old church was demolished in 1873, except for the lower part of the tower, which still dated from 1484, and the new building was begun.
The Mainz architect and contractor Philipp Elbert was responsible for the design and construction management. After completion of the shell, a foundation stone was laid under the altar, containing, among other things, documents, coins and a bottle of 1873 wine. The consecration of the new church took place on June 7, 1874.
The new church – a single-nave brick building – was built in the round-arched style typical of the period, which can be attributed to historicism. The church’s simple and strictly ordered façade structure and the round-arched windows on the two side walls of the nave are characteristic of this. In the lower zone they appear as biforiums, i.e. divided in two with a central pillar, and in the upper zone as simple round-arched windows. The entrance portal on the west side is in Romanesque style.
View of the Protestant church around 1955
Image source: Friedrich Ruckel
Tower from 1873 with pointed downward spur of the predecessor tower
Bildquelle: Birgit Korte
The church also received a new tower, as the existing tower was obviously disproportionate in size to the rest of the building. The new tower was designed octagonal and with a pointed top. Unfortunately, there is no known account of what the church and tower looked like before the new construction of 1873. On the street side, however, the two copper-roofed spurs of the predecessor tower, located below the octagonal tower and tapering towards the bottom, are conspicuous. In 1955 the tower received a new bell ringing.
The brick building was plastered only after the 2nd World War. Initially, only the tower received plaster. Since 1961 the church has been completely plastered and thus got its present appearance.
The two-winged gallery inside the church and the pulpit were built during the period of the new construction. A large window in the choir with the crucifixion scene dates from around 1900. Worthy of special mention are the impressive stained glass windows by the Mainz artist Gustel Stein on the two side walls of the nave. To the left of the choir arch is an elaborate tomb for the priest Johann Emich (to be dated around 1750). In 1985 the church received a new organ built by the Oberlinger brothers from Windesheim.
References:
Brilmayer, Karl Johann (1905): Rheinhessen in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. Casting
Krienke, Dieter (2011): Verbandsgemeinden Bodenheim, Guntersblum and Nieder-Olm. In: Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe Rheinland-Pfalz, Direktion Landesdenkmalpflege 18, Kreis Mainz-Bingen (Hrsg.): Kulturdenkmäler in Rheinland-Pfalz. Worms.
Rick, Josef (1967): Weinbaugemeinde Harxheim. In: Gemeinde Harxheim (Hrsg.): Festschrift. 1200 Jahre Weinbaugemeinde Harxheim.
Spang, Franz Joseph (1967): Harxheims Weg durch die Jahrhunderte. In: Gemeinde Harxheim (Hrsg.): Festschrift. 1200 Jahre Weinbaugemeinde Harxheim.
Sunnus, Stefan (2017): The Protestant Church Community. In: Ortgemeinde Harxheim (Hrsg.): Festbuch 2017. Harxheim. Eintausendzweihundertfünfzig. Selzen. S. 56 – 61.
Walter, Ralf (2017): Die katholische Kirchengemeinde. In: Ortgemeinde Harxheim (Hrsg.): Festbuch 2017. Harxheim. Eintausendzweihundertfünfzig. Selzen. S. 62 – 67.
Winhart, Karl (1955): 1200 Jahre Bodenheimer Ortsgeschichte. 1200 years of viticulture. Bodenheim on the Rhine.
Brochure on the consecration of the bells of the Protestant church in Harxheim on May 17, 1911
1) Friedrich family: From the chronicle about Harxheim. Collection of various lore from the descendants of the Harxheim Lambinet family. (“Hausbuch Friedrich“).
2) Rettinger, Elmar (2005). The Mainz-Bingen district in history. https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/fileadmin/Superportal/Bibliothek/RettMainzBingen2005.pdf
3) Walter, Ralf (2017): The Catholic Parish. In: Ortgemeinde Harxheim (Hrsg.): Festbuch 2017. Harxheim. Eintausendzweihundertfünfzig. Selzen. S. 63.
4) Friedrich, H. P. (undated): Geschichtliche Entstehung des Ortsnamens Harxheim. Manuscript. Archive of the local municipality of Harxheim. S. 8-9.
5) Sunnus, Stefan (2017): The Protestant Church Community. In: Ortgemeinde Harxheim (Hrsg.): Festbuch 2017. Harxheim. Eintausendzweihundertfünfzig. Selzen. S. 58.
