Paulinerkirche, Leipzig

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Paulinerkirche

The Paulinerkirche, the university church of Leipzig, view from

the Augustusplatz, 1948, facade by Arwed Roßbach

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Location Leipzig
 Country Germany

Denomination Lutheran

Previous denomination Catholic

History

Dedication St. Paul

Architecture

Style Gothic

Groundbreaking 1229

Completed 1231

Demolished 30 May 1968

Paulineraltar, the back side

The Paulinerkirche was a church on the Augustusplatz in Leipzig. It was built in 1231

as the Klosterkirche St. Pauli for the Dominican monastery in Leipzig. From the
foundation of the University of Leipzig in 1409, it served as the university church. After
the Protestant Reformation it was donated to the university and was inaugurated in
1545 by Martin Luther as the Universitätskirche St. Pauli (University Church of St
Paul), later also called Unikirche. Johann Sebastian Bach was director of music for
"festal" (holiday) services in 1723−25.
The church survived the war practically unscathed but was dynamited in 1968 during
the communist regime of East Germany. After the reunification of Germany, it was
decided to build a new university church on the site in the shape of the former church.
[1]
 A new building, the Paulinum (formally: "Aula und Universitätskirche St. Pauli", i.e.
"Assembly Hall and University Church St. Paul"), was built on the site beginning in
2007.
 Contents

 1History
o 1.1Dominican Abbey
o 1.2University Church
o 1.319th century
o 1.4Gallery
o 1.5Destruction in 1968
o 1.6Rebuilding debate
o 1.7New university church
 2References
 3External links

History[edit]
Dominican Abbey[edit]
In 1229, friars of the Dominican Order settled in Leipzig and started building the
Paulinerkirche in 1231 as their abbey church, within the city walls close to the gate
"Grimmaisches Tor". It was built in the typical fashion of a church of a Mendicant
order of the 13th century, with a choir and a nave with two aisles in the "Langhaus".
[2]
 The church was consecrated in 1240 by archbishop Wilbrand from Magdeburg to St.
Paul.[3] The church was part of a larger complex of medieval buildings which together
formed the Dominican monastery of Leipzig.
University Church[edit]

The Paulinerkirche in the 17th century, lithograph by Ernst Wilhelm Straßberger, ca. 1839

Since the foundation of the University of Leipzig in 1409, the church was closely related
to the university.[2] A tradition of "Universitätsgottesdienst" (university service) started
then,[3] with preachers appointed by the university since 1419. [4] The altar from the 15th
century is now in the Thomaskirche.[5] Several faculty members of the university and
their relatives were buried in the church, commemorated on epitaphs of artistic value,
people such as Johann Christoph Marci (law), Christian Friedrich Franckenstein
(historian) and Benedikt Carpzov (1595-1666, law), whose epitaph was restored in
2011.[6] Johann Tetzel, a Dominican preacher famous for selling indulgences, was buried
in 1519.[2]
After the Protestant Reformation the order was dissolved, and on 22 April 1544 Moritz
von Sachsen signed the donation of the former monastery (i.e. the church and the
adjunct monastery buildings) to the university.[7] The Paulinerkirche was inaugurated as
a Protestant university church by Martin Luther on 12 August 1545.[2] Luther's sermon on
this occasion is extant in his handwriting, the so-called Zerbster Handschrift ("Eine
predigt || D. Martini || Lutheri, newlich zu Leip= || tzig gethan. || Wittemberg. || Durch
Hans Lufft. || 1545."),[8] printed in Nuremberg in 1545 ("Ein nütze Lehr, unnd || schöne
vermanung, || Wie Gott durch das H. Euangeli= || on uns heimgesuchet, unnd wir || uns
dagegen halten sollen. || Gepredigt zu Leipzig, || durch || D. M. Luther || M.D.XLV. ...
Gedruckt zu Nürm= berg durch Johan vom Berg, || und Ulrich Newber, wonhafft auff
dem Newen= || baw bey der Kalckhütten. Anno 1545.), [9] and printed in Leipzig in 1817
when the church was reopened after the Battle of Leipzig.[10]
The church was used for services and, from 1543 to 1768, also as Aula, an auditorium
for academic functions.[3] Samuel Rüling was music director in Leipzig, also for the
Paulinerkirche, from 1610 to 1612, when he moved on to the Kreuzkirche in Dresden.
Werner Fabricius was the first "Director musices Paulini" (director of music of St Paul)
from 1656 to 1679. He was succeeded by Johann Schelle (1679–1701) and Johann
Kuhnau (1701–1722).[11] An organ at the western wall was first heard on 2 November
1679. In 1717 the new organ by Johann Scheibe was inspected by Johann Sebastian
Bach in his function as an organ consultant. Johann Gottlieb Görner was the organist
from 1717. His comment was: "nicht gnugsam rühmen und loben können, sonderlich
deren Raren Register" ([he could] not praise enough, especially its unusual stops). [3]
When Bach was cantor in Leipzig from 1723, he also performed "festal" (holiday)
services at the Paulinerkirche in 1723-25, while Görner was director for regular Sunday
services. Possibly Bach performed a new cantata already for Pentecost, Wer mich
liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59, on 16 May 1723, before he began his tenure
as cantor at the Thomaskirche and the Nikolaikirche two weeks later, Sunday
after Trinity.[12] On 17 October 1727 Bach performed the funeral ode Laß, Fürstin, laß
noch einen Strahl, BWV 198, requested by the university to mark the death
of Christiane Eberhardine, the wife of August II the Strong. Bach performed his
motet Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226, first on 21 October 1729 in a
memorial service for Johann Heinrich Ernesti (1652-1729), rector of the Thomasschule.
[3]
 Probably in 1733, Bach performed his cantatas Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen,
BWV 213 (Hercules at the Crossroads), for the birthday of the heir to the throne of the
elector, and Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten! BWV 214, for the birthday of the
queen, a cantata which he used as a model for parts of his Christmas Oratorio, namely
its opening chorus.[2] Probably in 1735 Bach performed the homage cantata Die Freude
reget sich, BWV 36b, to Johann Florens Rivinius on his appointment to
the Rectorship of the university in October 1735.
In 1778 Johann Adam Hiller was appointed music director and served until 1785. [11]
19th century[edit]
During the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, the church served as a camp for hostages and a
military hospital. In the 19th century most of the remaining buildings of the monastery
were demolished and replaced by the Augusteum, built from 1831 to 1836. The church
had originally faced the city walls, which were torn down in 1785. The church faced the
new representative square, later called Augustusplatz. Therefore Albert
Geutebrück erected in 1836 a Neoclassical facade, replaced by a Neo-Gothic facade
of Arwed Roßbach in 1897.[2]
Felix Mendelssohn conducted his oratorio on the church's patron saint, Paulus, in the
first performance in Leipzig on 16 March 1837.[2][13] The composer's funeral was held in
the church on 7 November 1847.[3] In 1907 Max Reger was appointed music director of
the university.[3]
Gallery[edit]


University and its church, c. 1800

 

From the east before 1830

 

c. 1890, with the Augusteum on the left

 
 

From the west, 1951

Destruction in 1968[edit]

Plaque on the site of the church, noting its destruction [14]

The church survived the war practically unscathed, unlike the Augusteum next to it. On
4 April 1968 the Leipziger Universitätschor performed Bach's St Matthew Passion,
conducted by Hans-Joachim Rotzsch.[3]
On 30 May 1968, under the communist regime, and after a decision by the SED-led city
administration and the university administration, [2][3] the Paulinerkirche was dynamited to
make way for a redevelopment of the university, eventually carried out between 1973
and 1978. Protestors against the blasting operation were arrested.
A plaque at the site was unveiled 25 years later, on 30 May 1993. [3][14] An A-frame
sculpture in the dimensions and at the location of the former facade at the
Augustusplatz was a memorial.[15]
The Paulineraltar, the Gothic altar, was rescued and temporarily installed at
the Thomaskirche. It was moved to the new church (see below) in 2014. [4]
Rebuilding debate[edit]
Since the 1990s the rebuilding of the church had been discussed. Among the people
demanding a rebuilding was Nobel Prize-winning biologist Günter Blobel, arguing:
This is much more than a church — this is a shrine of German cultural history,
connected to the most important names in German cultural history. [15]

New university church[edit]

Construction of the new Paulinum, 2009

Paulinum in 2012

View of the prayer room, with historical figures and objects, on the day of the inauguration, 3 December 2017

View from the choir to the assembly hall

The new buildings at the university's main campus are inspired by the form and shape
of the old church. The newly built heart of the university includes a room for common
prayer and regular religious services, located exactly at the place of the former church.
[3]
 The whole complex has a double function as a church (using the historical
name Universitätskirche St. Pauli - University Church St. Paul) and as an assembly hall
(Aula). The short name for the whole building with both functions is Paulinum. The first
service in the new church was held on 6 December 2009 (the second Sunday
in Advent), and it included a performance of Bach's cantata Nun komm, der Heiden
Heiland, BWV 61.[16]
References[edit]
0. ^ "'Black day' as Leipzig rector resigns in church protest".  Times Higher Education. 2003.
Retrieved October 29, 2012.
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h Chronik paulinerkirche.org (in German)
2. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k Geschichte der Universitätskirche St. Pauli und des
Universitätsgottesdienstes University of Leipzig 2011 (in German)
3. ^ Jump up to:a b Worship in the University Church of Leipzig Foundation "University Church of
St Paul, Leipzig"
4. ^ Die Thomas Kirche und das Bachdenkmal leipzig-sachsen.de 2011 (in German)
5. ^ Gerettete Kunstwerke aus der Unikirche werden restauriert Mitteldeutsche Zeitung 31
March 2011 (in German)
6. ^ Haupturkunde, die Schenkung des Paulinums nebst Zugehör an die Universität Leipzig
betreffend, datirt Weissensee, am 22. April 1544 paulinerkirche.org (in German)
7. ^ Eynn predigtt D. Martini Lutheri, zcu Leipczigk am zcehendenn Taghe Augusti geschehenn
sc paulinerkirche.org
8. ^ Eine predigt D. Mart. Luthers gethan zu Leiptzig, am 12. Augusti 1545. paulinerkirche.org
9. ^ D. Martin Luthers / Einweihungspredigt, / die er zu Leipzig in der renovirten Paulinerkirche
am 12. Aug. 1545 gehalten. / Nebst einer kurzen Nachricht von dieser
Kirche. paulinerkirche.org
10. ^ Jump up to:a b Leipziger Universitätsmusik / Große Tradition - Vielfältige Gegenwart uni-
leipzig.de 2011
11. ^ John Eliot Gardiner (2006).  "Cantatas for Whit Sunday / Holy Trinity, Long Melford"  (PDF).
monteverdiproductions.co.uk. Archived from the original  (PDF) on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 1
June  2011.
12. ^ Paulus Oratorium 2011 Archived 2011-08-24 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 16 June
2011 (in German)
13. ^ Jump up to:a b Translation: On 30 May 1968 the university church was blown up. This
arbitrary act was not prevented by municipal councillors or by the Leipzig University. They did
not resist the pressure of a dictatorial regime.
14. ^ Jump up to:a b Perils of Paulinerkirche / Leipzig Debates Bid to Rebuild Church Razed by
Communists National Public Radio 22 June 2003
15. ^ Martin Petzoldt: Chronicle of the University Church of St Paul (1240 - 1968) 2009