The Survival of Medieval Furnishings in Lutheran Churches Notes Towards a Comparison Between Germany and Scandinavia
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The Survival of Medieval Furnishings in Lutheran Churches Notes towards a Comparison between Germany and Scandinavia Justin Kroesen Abstract Perhaps paradoxically, of all medieval churches in Europe, those that became Lutheran during the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation possess the greatest wealth of medieval inte- rior elements. Compared to Puritan Britain and the Calvinist Low Countries, Lutheran churches were not as thoroughly stripped of their medieval furnishings, while on the other hand Baroque re- newals were much less far-reaching here than in Catholic regions. Although Lutheranism in general exerted a preserving effect on medieval church interiors, there are important differences between re- gions, both within Germany and between Germany and Scandinavia (here to be understood as “the Nordic countries”, i.e. including Finland and Iceland). This article makes a first attempt towards a comparison of the survival rates of medieval church furnishings in Lutheran Germany and the Eu- ropean North. Both regions are more or less on a par with regard to several specific elements includ- ing high altars and their decorations, triumphal arch crosses and baptismal fonts. However, other el- ements, such as tabernacles, choir stalls, chancel screens, pulpits and side altars are much more of- ten preserved in Germany than in Scandinavia. It may be concluded, therefore, that the Reforma- tion generally had further-reaching implications on the material culture of Nordic church buildings than on German ones. Keywords Medieval art, Church Furnishings, Lutheran Reformation, Germany, Scandinavia Author Professor of Cultural History at the University Museum of Bergen, Norway Email [email protected] Iconographisk Post Nordisk tidskrift för bildtolkning • Nordic Review of Iconography Nr 3 /4, 2018, pp. 4–39. issn 2323-5586 Introduction In German art-historical scholarship, the Other than what has traditionally been past decades have seen a growing acknowl- maintained, the Lutheran Reformation Fig. 1. Doberan (Germany), former abbey church, interior looking east with furnish- ings mainly from the 14th century. Photo Justin Kroesen & Regnerus Steensma. edgement of what may be described as “the not only brought about sweeping changes paradox of the preserving Reformation”. to church interiors, including the removal nordic review of iconography 5 justin kroesen The Survival of Medieval Furnishings in Lutheran Churches or destruction of medieval furnishings and via, generally took a much milder stance The best medieval cathedral interior is no regions that remained faithful to Rome works of art, but at the same time it result- towards the religious past in that they ac- doubt found in Halberstadt (Saxony-An- was hardly better ensured. Partly in reac- ed in manifold continuities of tradition- cepted much of its traditional ritual and halt), where a rood loft, Calvary group, tion to the success of the Protestant Refor- al rituals, church furnishings, and imag- material culture.5 Outbursts of Icono- choir stalls, a tabernacle, a number of side mation, the Roman Catholic Church set es. The “preserving power of Lutheranism” clasm did occur here and there, but it nev- altars, lecterns, candleholders, a baptismal out on a large-scale Counter- or Catholic (“Die bewahrende Kraft des Luthertums”) er gained a systematic character because font and many statues have remained in situ Reformation, starting with the Council of has meanwhile even become something Martin Luther himself strongly opposed (fig. 11). In addition, the adjacent cathedral Trent (1545–1563), which had far-reaching of a motto – although not uncontested any form of image-breaking.6 After the treasury (Domschatz) is among the great- consequences for the interior appearance – in German scholarship.1 Whatever the transition, many interior elements were est of its kind in Europe.9 The most com- of church buildings.14 In Southern Ger- precise balance between continuity and left intact, from altars to baptismal fonts plete surviving town parish church interi- many and neighboring Austria, as well as change may have been in thousands of and from choir stalls to tabernacles. Most or is undoubtedly St Laurence’s in Nurem- in Italy, Spain and Portugal, and in most specific cases, it is a fact that Europe’s best of these objects continued to serve in the berg (Bavaria). Here, besides the famous parts of eastern Central Europe renew- preserved medieval interior ensembles are Protestant cult, such as altars and fonts. Sacrament tower by Adam Krafft and the als in the Renaissance and Baroque styles found in churches that were taken over by Other elements were maintained because hanging Englische Gruß by Veit Stoss (fig. have resulted in medieval interior ensem- Lutheran Protestants during the sixteenth they were given a different function, or 6), no less than ten side altars survive in- bles being scarce today.15 In France, the century. This contribution makes a first -at survived even though they had lost their tact with their corresponding altarpieces, largest wave of destruction would follow tempt to draw a comparison between the function (sometimes displaced and stored even though these had lost their function during the French Revolution, while the preserving Reformations in Germany and away). At a conference organized in Dres- with the arrival of Lutheranism.10 And fi- two world wars of the twentieth century the Nordic countries. As will be shown, den in 1995 by the Catholic (!) Görres Ge- nally, a large number of Europe’s best pre- have caused massive losses across the con- developments in both areas show many sellschaft, entitled “Die bewahrende Kraft served medieval country church interiors tinent, particularly in Northern France, similarities, but at the same time there are des Luthertums” (“the preserving power are found all over Germany, from Meck- Belgium and Germany.16 Interestingly, the important differences. The article makes of Lutheranism”), Frank Schmidt, head of lenburg on the Baltic coast to Franconia special position of Lutheranism is con- a tour through an imaginary medieval heritage at the regional Lutheran church in in Bavaria.11 It is only in this last category firmed once again by two regions outside church interior calling at the most impor- Saxony, cogently described these three op- that Lutheran Germany is rivaled on the Germany and Scandinavia that are rela- tant common elements, from the high al- tions as Weiternutzung (“continued use”), Scandinavian side by parts of Denmark, tively rich in medieval church furnishings, tar in the chancel to the baptismal font at Umnutzung (“altered use”) and Nichtnut- Scania and – particularly – the Swedish is- namely the Slovak Spiš region and Roma- the west end of the nave.2 The limited size zung (“non-use”).7 land of Gotland.12 nian Transylvania: both became Lutheran of this study and the vast extension of the Anyone who is searching for the best- In other countries of Europe, medieval during the sixteenth century. area under scrutiny obviously only allows preserved medieval church interiors in Eu- church interiors have generally survived to for a comparison in broad outlines.3 rope will end up in the Lutheran parts of a lesser extent, due to a variety of reasons. Chancel furnishings In articles published in 2005 and 2017, Germany. Moreover, this is true of church- In England and the Low Countries, as Lutheran churches in Germany possess I have tried to set the relative wealth of es of all sorts, from cathedrals to modest well as in large parts of France and Switzer- hundreds of high altars, many still with medieval survivals in Lutheran churches country churches. The best-preserved mo- land, Calvinist tendencies led to the large- their original altarpieces or “retables”. In in a European perspective.4 Contrary to nastic church interior is the former mon- scale destruction of medieval church fur- their first Germany-wide survey of the late the Calvinists in the Netherlands and the astery at Doberan near Rostock (Meck- nishings during the iconoclastic fury of nineteenth century, Ernst Franz Münzen- Puritans in England, the Lutherans, who lenburg-Vorpommern), where almost all the mid-sixteenth century.13 Contrary to berger and Stephan Beissel counted gained the upper hand in the Reformation original church furnishings from the four- what may perhaps be expected, the surviv- around 2000 medieval altarpieces.17 It is in large parts of Germany and Scandina- teenth century survive to date (fig. 1).8 al of medieval furnishings in countries and a cautious estimate that about two thirds 6 iconographisk post nr 3/4, 2018 nordic review of iconography 7 justin kroesen The Survival of Medieval Furnishings in Lutheran Churches of these adorn high altars in now Luther- largely concentrate on Christological and an churches or stem from such contexts. Mariological motifs, and less on the saints. Medieval altarpieces in German Lutheran Therefore, it can be concluded that reta- churches reflect the entire spectrum from bles containing statues of saints or scenes Romanesque models, for example in the from their Vitae were removed here more former abbey church at Loccum (Lower thoroughly than in Germany, especially Saxony), to the monumental splendor of the South.20 Moreover, changes made to the late Gothic style, in the former abbey medieval retables after the Reformation church of Blaubeuren (Baden-Württem- were more common in Scandinavia than berg) (fig. 2). It can even be maintained in Germany, particularly in Denmark.21 that the entire typological and icono- However, some aspects of the surviving graphical development of medieval altar- medieval high altars in Scandinavia stand pieces could be written on the basis of out. Firstly, the Nordic countries possess surviving examples in Lutheran Germa- far more altar frontals than have been pre- ny alone. It is no coincidence, for exam- served in Germany. This form of altar dec- ple, that in Norbert Wolf ’s study of four- oration especially flourished before the teenth-century winged altarpieces from rise of the (winged) altarpiece, between 2002 entitled Deutsche Schnitzretabel des the twelfth and fourteenth centuries.