WP3 - TARGETED ANALYSIS OF TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Regional Strategy and description of the regional church route Output 3.3.5

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Prepared by:

Name Jana Barth

Region Saxony/Administrative district Meissen/Nordsachsen

Position Project Manager

Address Industriestraße A11, 01612 Glaubitz

Telephone number 0049 35265 51102

Fax number 0049 35265 55845

Email [email protected]

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Content

1. Regional Context...... 4 2. Regional SWOT Analysis ...... 6 2.1 Socio-economic context and entrepreneurship ...... 6 2.2 Routes and locations ...... 7 2.3 Heritage and preservation ...... 11 2.4 Local identity and commitment ...... 13 2.5 Summary of SWOT-Analysis ...... 14 3. Regional Church Route ...... 15 4. Reasons for the development of the regional church route ...... 38 5. Regional Strategy ...... 39 5.1 Vision ...... 39 5.2 Strategic approach ...... 39 5.3 Goals of the strategy ...... 39 5.4 Stakeholders involved in the strategy implementation ...... 42 5.5 Concrete follow-up activities: ...... 43

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1. Regional Context Saxony is one of 16 “federal states”, which are the partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Saxony is divided into 10 districts, whereas mainly the county Meissen and a part of the Nordsachsen district are involved into the THETRIS project.1

In the course of great economic policy efforts over the past ten years, both counties take a leading position among the Saxon district areas. The economic structure is characterized in about equal parts by the manufacturing and processing industries, agriculture and tourism. Agriculture is particularly dominated by the cultivation of fruit and vegetables while the by experts high regarded and largely known wine of the Meissen region grows at the northern hillsides of the Elbe.

1 www.gtai.de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Business-location-germany/general-overview,did=616614.html

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Beside this, both districts offer stunning natural landscape and a culturally unique ensemble of fondly maintained architectural, sacral and natural monuments. In both counties, there are many small distinctive churches, which are an important part of history and culture.

Source: Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland e. V., Rainer Weisflog

The Lutheran Church in Saxony comprises the territory of the former country Saxony with the borders of 1922. With almost 764.000 church members in 770 parishes and joint parishes, it is numerically the third largest church in the East German area.2

2 www.evlks.de/doc/Themenheft3-Kirche-Kunst-Kultur.pdf 5

2. Regional SWOT Analysis

2.1 Socio-economic context and entrepreneurship The region was completely changed with the loss of the existing economic structure after 1989. Thus, although many companies have emerged since the mid -90s of the previous century, but this could not compensate that many people lost their jobs. The proximity to Dresden, but also during major economic policy efforts of past years, the county has a leading position among the Saxon counties. The economic structure is influenced in equal parts by the producing and processing industries, agriculture and viticulture, and tourism. Concentration of trade and industry exist mainly to the five major district towns of Meissen, Riesa, Großenhain, Coswig and Radebeul, but there are also numerous, well-utilized industrial areas emerged.

Saxony’s commercial tradition is based on a market-oriented and innovative domestic agriculture. In the industrial age agricultural companies and -scientists provided for a high level of productivity of Saxon agriculture.

Numerous innovations, plant breeding and agricultural equipment came from Saxony. The portion of value creation in agriculture was and remains significant. The food economy was created by the implementation of technology and the organization of labor in industry, the growth of the population, and the process of urbanization in the 19th century, as well as the culture- and consumer forms connected with the modern industrial society. Its centre was in the farming regions and the large cities. Large mills, breweries, and chocolate factories were added to already extant handicrafts. New branches of the food industry were also formed in Saxony with sugar factories, the dairy industry, and the production of conserves. The establishment of urban slaughter houses can be traced back to the hygiene laws of the late 1900s. Small- and medium- sized firms with tradition and brands preserve this structure till today, and represent an important part of the regional economy. Agriculture is dominated by the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, while the well-known wine of the region is growing on the northern wine yards.

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Source: Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland e. V., Rainer Weisflog

In Saxony most employees are working in the tertiary sector (eg service sector). Within the tertiary Sector, the economic sector "trade, hotels and traffic " owns a share of about 50%. On "financing, leasing and company service providers“40 % and" Public and private service providers "only 10% refer to the overall volume of sales.

2.2 Routes and locations

Parts of the administrative district Meißen (Riesa-Großenhain is a region within that district) benefit directly from highlights like big cities (e.g. Dresden/Leipzig) or geographic specialities (e.g. sandstone mountain ranges, wine yards ...). But parts of it (e.g. region Riesa-Großenhain) and therewith local actors can't benefit from those highlights, because some areas are too far away from them. So it is important to focus especially on these regions. The famous Elbe cycle path connecting Saxon Switzerland with Hamburg leads through a large part of the district. The problem is that this route connects only small towns or villages, which are directly next to the

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river Elbe. Nevertheless, this most popular bicycle route of Germany can be seen as the „source area“for developing the regional church bicycle route.

Rural areas, where e.g. middle age churches offer unused opportunities can be connected with the THETRIS church route. In the district Meißen a very small route “Kirchenradweg” still exists (only few churches are involved in a very small area). On the one hand, it is not sufficiently known and on the other hand, the route is not that attractive because of long ways between the churches. Beside this, there are some more hiking and cycling routes, which can be connected with the THETRIS church route to create a touristic offer and to make aware about the sacral highlights on the routes. Hiking - Saxon Wine hiking trail3 - Pilgrimage route4 Cycling - Parts of the Elbe cycle path5 - Floßkanalroute6 - Gohrischheiderundweg - Lommatzscher Rundweg - Röderradroute7 - Kirchenradweg8 - Rio-Radweg9 - Obstblütenweg - Mühlenroute - Via regia - Hirschsteiner Mühlenradweg Source: Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland e. V., - Mulde-Elbe-Weg Rainer Weisflog - Jahnatalradroute

3 www.saechsischer-weinwanderweg.de/index_over1024.htm; http://cms.elbland.de/opencms/opencms/elbland.de/de/ch_home/ch_radwege/Weinwandern/

4 http://www.deutsche-jakobswege.de/oekumenischer-pilgerweg.html

5 http://www.meiland.de/tourismus/wandern/elberadweg.htm

6 http://cms.elbland.de/opencms/opencms/elbland.de/de/ch_home/ch_radwege/Radwege/Flosskanalradroute/ 7 http://cms.elbland.de/opencms/opencms/elbland.de/de/ch_home/ch_radwege/Radwege/Roederradroute/

8 http://cms.elbland.de/opencms/opencms/elbland.de/de/ch_home/ch_radwege/Radwege/Kirchenradweg/ 9 http://cms.elbland.de/opencms/opencms/elbland.de/de/ch_home/ch_radwege/Radwege/RIO-Radweg/ 8

The connection of them can also be realized by using regularly running ferries, which are along the Elbe as well as use of the bridge connection. Partly, there are well developed and signposted long distance bicycle routes (Elbe bicycle route, FR 5), but only some of them are sign posted.

In both, the county Nordsachsen and also county Meissen, there are many small distinctive churches, which are an important part of history and culture. “Well known not only for its historic old towns, wonders of nature and vintage wines as well as for its role as one of Saxony’s economic and industrial powerhouses, the counties also provide unique cultural and recreational experiences.

The Elbe valley with its vineyards and the forests and lakes of Moritzburg as well as the Lommatzscher Pflege as Saxony’s breadbasket along with the district’s many other scenic attractions are all a part of the natural treasures of the region. “Towering” above the Elbe between Coswig and Meissen you will find the smallest mountain range of Saxony, the scenic Spaargebirge. Source: Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland e. V.

The highest mountain is the Boselspitze, which with its 192 m provides a magnificent view of the Elbe valley. On a clear day you can even see the peaks of the distant mountains of Saxon Switzerland that borders onto the Czech Republic. The Spaargebirge is also the home of a small and lovingly cared for botanical garden. People thirsting for adventure will get their money’s worth at the old limestone mines of Miltiz. In the flooded caverns at depths of up to 60 m and in incredible clear water experienced divers will find a fascinating underwater world with relics of the former mines present everywhere. One of Germany’s last remaining moated castles with its original structure still intact is located in Oberau. The unique ensemble consisting of a Renaissance style castle and park has been preserved as a historic monument since 1937. Here one can still imagine how rulers and knights lived their lives in the days of old and how they held their parties and strolled through the gardens with their ladies.”10

10 www.wirtschaftsregion-meissen.de/ancedis/flippbook/EconomicRegionMeissen2012/files/res/downloads/book.pdf, page 16 9

Following the explanation of the Saxon Tourism Association “Sächsisches Elbland” e.V., there are three aspects, which characterize the Saxon Elbe in part today and which will in the future be stimulated:

 Culture (in the form of rich cultural history, historic buildings, cultural landscapes, events and celebrities)  Enjoyment (the region can be experienced with all senses pleasant, there are no geographical extremes exist, the overall tourist offer encouraged to develop acceleration and enjoyment [eg Saxon wines, regional specialties])  Nature (the region owns attractive heterogeneous landscapes - from the lovely Elbe valley over vast plains in the Riesa and large grove, hilly landscape in the valleys (left side from the Elbe river) to moorland and forest areas around Dresden.)11

Wine and Enjoyment Cultural features Experiences in the country

 Saxon Wine  Historical towns/cities  Towns & Villages  Saxon Wine hike (Dresden, Meissen,  Cycling through the Saxon  Saxon street of Wine Moritzburg, Pirna, Elbland  Holidays at the Winery Radebeul, Torgau)  Hiking trails& Forest  Wine festivals & events  Meissen Porcellain Experiences  Features of the Elbland  Castles, parks and  Unique islands of holidays (Elbe valleys) gardens around hidden castles  Nostalgic transport  Water tourism  Personalities (Karl May, (subitem: Development of a Martin Luther) package "Green Experience Days in Elbe" with the involvement of partners from rural areas, modularity, development of conditions for tour operators)

11 Marketingplan, Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland, http://cms.elbland.de/opencms/export/sites/default/elbland.de/de/Downloads/TV_SE_Marketingplan_2013.pdf, Zugriff 11.10.2013 10

2.3 Heritage and preservation Both counties offer culturally unique ensemble of fondly maintained architectural, sacral monuments.

The preservation of cultural heritage is subject to national law. It is further partly funded by the European Union and state funding. The counties are divided into Leader areas, which focus on different themes- e.g. the rural cultural heritage. Preservation is also funded by the National church of Saxony. Related to the tangible heritage it is also organized in different ways, e.g. in departments which are responsible for monument conservation or within memorial place. To preserve churches of the region the regional and international church route offers the chance to valorize and include them into touristic offers.

Intangible Heritage:

Saxony is well known for his extraordinary church known musical diversity. Church music is one of the "trademarks" of the Saxon church. This is visible by about 1500 organ in Saxon churches and chapels, which are an extremely valuable cultural heritage.

Source: Rainer Grellmann

Furthermore, the basis and source of sacred music is the singing of the congregation in worship and other community events. This singing is in a time when not many people sing, but watch how others sing a high cultural and formative for the spiritual life of the country church property. The musical activities in the local church are broad and include effective quality musical performances. On Sundays, within almost all parishes chorale or figural church music can be heard.

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Traditions: Meissen White gold Augustus der Starke (August the strong) , Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, captured the supposed gold maker from Berlin apothecary's assistant Johann Friedrich Böttger to his residence city of Dresden. At the beginning of the 18th Century he was arrested in the Meissen Albrecht Castle , where he made his first experiments to create gold.

1707 also in Meissen people began to do research to open the secret of porcelain manufacture. Involved were Johann Friedrich Böttger, Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus , the Freiberg Mining Councilor Gottfried Pabst von Ohain and other specialized mining and smelting people . The client was Augustus the Starke, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. Later on, the work led to success. One year later, under the leadership of Johann Friedrich Böttger first time the production of white porcelain started. Europe’s first porcelain was born.

In the summer of 1710 finally became a manufacturing plant in Meissen. Since 1991, the State Porcelain Manufactory Meissen GmbH was founded. In 2010, 300 year anniversary with numerous anniversary exhibitions, festive events and tourist attractions was celebrated. Today visitors can take a look to the exhibition hall, a Museum of Porcelain Manufactory.

Regional working groups: Lace making, Traditional pottery making

Harvest festival (Erntedank)- Every year, the festival will be celebrated in Saxony. The harvest festival is older than Christianity, and was originally celebrated with a sacrifice of peace offerings to the harvest - not only in Germany. Today, however, it is often celebrated in the Church. Since the festival is usually associated with decorations from crops, etc. and "thanks for a good harvest" for children can be easily detected, the harvest festival is also often celebrated in primary schools or kindergarten.

Wine: The wine-growing can look back on a 850-year history…” The wine yards of Saxony are one of the smallest and easternmost wine region of Germany, defined in § 3 paragraph 1 No. 12 wine law. It is located almost exclusively in the metropolitan area in the valley of the Elbe. The wine yards are located in Saxony. Known wine village is also Meissen, which is eponymous for the main area. The growing area is presented by an elected annually Saxon Wine Queen.

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2.4 Local identity and commitment On the hiking and bicycle routes voluntary personnel is taking care. Furthermore, three regional management institutions are responsible, too. Also politics’ have been working for some time on the reward for volunteers – so they acknowledge their potential and effort. Partly, there are very committed inhabitants (eg pastors, senior,..) in the region which do much more for the community than their working time allows.

In recent years the system's efforts were concentrated to fight against religion. Because of this history (GDR), the local identity and the connection to the Evangelical Lutheran Church are heavily debilitated. Also due to demographic changes, the number of believers drops considerably, which also has a direct influence on the structure of the Church. In some regions pastors are missing and therefore, intended for wide-ranging possible services, in future, more than 200 volunteers with theological training and authority for preaching services and 220 pastors in voluntary work, acting in other professions, are needed.

So pastors have to supervise several churches, thus can only take care of citizen issues and the preservation of the church building in a limited manner. They further can´t implement ideas because of lack of time and for financial reasons.

Furthermore, there is hard to interest “new” people in these activities. Voluntary activities that are connected with the municipalities rarely get implemented targeted since there is no money for new offers (e.g. hiking signs ...). Most important and principal task from the Lutheran church in Saxony: Social life changes faster and faster and becomes increasingly differentiated. Also, there is a lack of qualified new people in the communities. If voluntary seniors are not getting accepted into the program in which they receive a compensation for their expenses (gas, entrance fees, etc.), the honorary office will be extinct since the retirement payments of future pensioners will be much lower.

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2.5 Summary of SWOT-Analysis Strengths

 Great infrastructure (connection to 4 supraregional railroad tracks, federal highways, port on the Elbe)  Attractions and a multiplicity of well-preserved churches and historic buildings  Unique monuments of cultural heritage (monasteries, cathedrals, etc.)  Attractive living and recreation areas, close to economic sites in rural areas left and right of the river Elbe Weaknesses

 Tourism is not developed for inhabitants and tourists in rural areas  Promotion is focused on well known routes and sights  Difficult accessibility to rural areas (long distances, lack of information)  Foreign-language/ multilingual information is completely lacking  Lack of sign posting monuments and churches (no guidance system)

Opportunities

 Build up of networking to connect already existing structures and strengthen the link between religious and touristic concepts  Enhanced communication of regional cultural heritage  Use of the high frequented Elbe bicycle route to channel visitors into rural areas and to promote “juwels” of the region  Potential for the development of offers for daily and multiday tourism  Strengthen awareness for faith and churches and close knowledge gaps  Emphasize the preservation and revival of church buildings Threats

 Demographic changes (ageing society)  Migration of youth leads to obsolescence of the population structure and therefore to a one-sided development  Deficient perspectives or insufficient offers of „soft locations“(culture, education, leisure offers, etc.)

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3. Regional Church Route The regional church route involves 23 Lutheran churches (there from are 5 part of the international THETRIS church route) & about 50 local actors. It further connects two administrative districts and three regional management areas.

Source: Digitaler Kartographischer Service, Doris Kordisch

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Lutheran church St. Wenzel Lommatzsch

Around 1180, a Romanesque church dedicated to St Wenceslaus was built at the centre of the Lommatzscher Pflege. Construction on the new church began in 1540. Peter Ulrich von Pirna was the master builder. The original plan of a three-naved hall church was never executed, and so a single nave hall with a wood ceiling and an adjacent Gothic chancel with a sacristy and singers’ box. The Romanesque west tower overbuilt in the Gothic style with three spires. In 1539, a group of ecclesiastical visitors launched the Reformation with Justus Jonas and Georg Spalatin in Lommatzsch.

Source: Katharina Grübler

The pulpit stems from 1619; the late Baroque ascension altar, a piece by Dresden’s court sculptor Paul Heermann, from 1714. During the Seven Years’ War, Prussian troops removed the pews and used the church as a grain silo. From 1763 to 1765, the three-sided all round gallery was added to the church. It houses the prayer room of the councillors, and the choir with the organ is on the second gallery. The present-day organ, which was made by the Kayser organ builders in Dresden, was inaugurated in 1814. Between 1900 and 1901, the architect Theodor Quentin from Pirna redesigned the church. A neo-Romanesque portal with a large flight of stairs was built into the west tower. The wooden coffered ceiling in the nave was removed and replaced with neo-Gothic ribbed vaulting. An extensive biblical image made of stained leaded glass was created in the Gothic church windows by the Franke Company from Naumburg. The Renaissance-style baptismal font was made by Heinrich Schneider, a sculptor from Pirna. The steeple, too, underwent extensive changes. A new steel belfry bore three new bronze bells and abat-sons were incorporated into the façade and adorned with neo-Gothic tracery. In 1942, the bells were donated to the war economy for their metal. It wasn’t until 1959 that the new cast iron bells from the bell foundry in Apolda could be inaugurated. The choir society was founded in 1560. It is the fourth oldest in Saxony. In 1688, quintuplets were born in Lommatzsch, and this birth was recorded in the church register. The “Lommatzsch Quintuplet Stone” is a reminder of the life of the Kühns and is located in the bridal hall. Tombstones from mayors, city councillors and pastors are indicators that this church is a municipal church.

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Castle Church Seußlitz

Seußlitz was first mentioned as a manor house in 1205. In 1268, Margrave Henry the Illustrious endowed a Clarist convent with his country estate. The convent was dissolved in 1542 and the sprawling estate changed hands several times over the centuries. In 1724, Georg Bähr, a well-known master city carpenter from Dresden, was commissioned to build a castle by Count Heinrich von Bünau, the owner of the estate at the time and a chancellor at the Saxon court. The construction of the Baroque castle church on the existing Gothic foundation walls of the convent church from 1268 was also directed by Bähr. Three galleries were added to the interior of the church, one of which was removed after the Second World War for structural reasons. Source: Elbe Röder Dreieck e.V.

The eastern gable end is dominated by a pulpit altar, which is complemented with the organ (1911). On 9 May 1993, the extensive renovations of the castle church, which had started in 1986, were completed. The church could be consecrated again. The church hosts many concerts in addition to regular religious services.

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Lutheran church Skassa

The church in Skassa war built in the rococo style between 1759 and 1758. Colonel George Rudolph Heßler, a manor lord, played a significant role in the erection of the church, paying for the tower, the grand prayer room, the organ and the majority of the altar out of his own pocket.

Source: Pfarramt Skassa

Material from the previous church was used as well during construction; construction costs were kept low through unpaid manual work and unpaid horse and cart work by the parishioners. The pulpit and the altar are made of sandstone from Cotta, and given a marble-like look by means of a layer of plaster. The unrest during the Seven Years’ War made it difficult to build and complete the church. Hence the tower remained incomplete and could only be finished one hundred years later. The entire interior of the church is still in the original today.

The altar is a simple stone table behind which the altarpiece is located. On the altarpiece, the Lord’s Supper is shown as slightly elevated in stone and then gilded. The pulpit was incorporated into the altarpiece, and looms above the altar. A twisted pillar stands on each side of the altar. A sun, whose rays break through the clouds, is visible above the pulpit. In the middle of the sun, a triangle is shown from which the rays emerge. It is a symbol for the triune god. Angels hover on both sides of the sun. The grand prayer room is adjacent to the north side of the altar. Its windows are retractable so that the lords could listen to the sermons. A large, golden sun, which was inscribed with the crossed over signature of Jesus, shines onto the parish from the ceiling of the church nave.

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Lutheran church Wildenhain

The current church is built on the foundations of a pre-Reformation Church whose walls date back to 1860/1861. Neo-Roman and neo-Gothic style elements can be seen throughout the church. The floor plan of the church is a rectangle. It demarcates the steeple room, the nave and the choir in three parts. The start of the roof, supported by twelve pillars, is shaped like a cylinder. Its transition to the arches gives the building the character of a Gothic hall church. The steeple is 39 metre high and contains three steel bells.

The interior underwent profound changes during the renovation of the church in 1961 and 1962. Where the original wooden altar used to stand, there is now a stone altar with a large wooden cross in the apse. Source: fototraumND

The historical colour scheme was painted over. The main image of the risen Christ (Alfred Diethe, 1861) is preserved above the old altar. Along the north and south side of the chancel, there are prayer and confession rooms. The pulpit and the baptismal font are reminders of the original neo-Roman décor. They are made of sandstone from Posta.

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Lutheran church Walda

The church in Walda has existed since 1494. It was built by the patron lords of Walda. It underwent changes in 1633, when the mighty ridge turret was installed. The ridge turret also houses the bells. The last extensive renovations were carried out in 1968. In 2010, the roof and the roof truss were renewed.

The church features a rectangular nave, a rectangular chancel, a vestry, a stair turret, a ridge Source: Steffen Hruska turret and a small atrium on the south side.

The former lordly prayer room is located above the vestry, whose front side shows the remaining outline of a crest. The currently inaccessible crypt of the patron lords of the Walda manor is located beneath the vestry.

All noteworthy ornamental paintings on the ceiling and in the galleries are gone. The winged altarpiece, including a late Gothic carving from the 16th century, survived. It is completed by an illustrated attachment from the Renaissance (around 1637), as well as by a centrally-arranged attachment from 1683. This depicts the resurrection of Christ. Maria with baby Jesus dominates the main altar of the winged altarpiece from 1520. Two crowned female saints stand beside it. Six apostles arranged in two rows are in each of the side wings. Furthermore, there is a ciborium in the vestry. This wall niche that is home to the Eucharist from the pre-Reformation period indicates the early time of origin of the vestry (probably before the 16th century). The church’s original oak doors still feature the hand-forged Gothic metal mounts, which are wrought in a herring bone pattern, as well as the original locks. The trunk of an oak can be seen in the cemetery.

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St. George’s Church Zabeltitz

The church was built on the site of a smaller church mentioned in 1495. The latter church was completed in 1581 and served the inhabitants of Zabeltitz, Treugeböhla and Stroga as a place of worship. It was built by the knight Nickel Pflugk (1526‒1580) and his wife Elisabeth Pflugk, née von Schönberg (1536‒1585). The church can be ascribed to the late Gothic style and is in the same structural state as it was when it was built.

The altar depicts the coronation of the Lord’s Supper, the crucifixion of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus and the Trinity of God. In the choir, there is a baptismal font. It was made of sandstone by Christopher Walther II in 1580. Source: Silvio Dittrich

The wooden pulpit dates back to 1581. It shows Moses with the Tablets of the Law, as well as carvings of the four evangelists with their iconographic creeds. Moses’ Tablets of the Law depict 11 creeds, contrary to the historical tradition of Ten Commandments. The church organ was installed in 1898. The church bears the name of George the Knight, the patron saint of soldiers, chivalry and horsemen. Eight members of the Pflugk family are entombed in the crypt below the choir, which is currently inaccessible.

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Lutheran church Frauenhain

The Frauenhain church was built at the end of the 14th century and is one of the oldest churches in the church district of Großenhain. Until the end of the 19th century, it was the main place of worship in what was once the largest rural parish in the Großenhainer Land. The oldest parts of the building apparently stem from the 13th century, as Frauenhain was first mentioned in 1228. A manor house of the Bishop of Naumburg stood here in 1284. It served as his occasional residence and temporary lodgings. This is why the church is nobler in style than a nave church, and today consists of a main nave and a nave on the northern side.

Source: fototraumND

Around 1580, the west pediment was built and most probably the northern nave as well. The expansion of the roof can be seen from outside, but is even more pronounced when viewed from within the attic. The Gothic curved trusses in their former form with nail holes in them are still intact above the side where the altar is. The winged altar, which was created by an unknown artist around 1510, is carved, gold-plated and painted. In the middle of the altar is a statue of Mary on a moon sickle holding baby Jesus, who has a globe in his hands.

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Village Church Koselitz

Until 1923, Koselitz was an independent parish. During the Thirty Years’ War, the church burned down, and the church registry only started again in 1661. There are records from 1840 of an undated church fire. The church burned down again in 1854 and was rebuilt in its entirety in 1892. It has a massive tower that turns octagonal at the top. You enter the church through the entrance portal of the tower.

The rectangular church interior is surrounded on three sides by wooden galleries. The presbytery is shaped like half an octagon, and is home to a seemingly oversized altar. Above the altar, between massive columns, hangs a 2.40-m-wide altar piece – the oil on canvas of “The three Marys at the Easter

Tomb”. Source: fototraumND

This major work of Johann Karl Roesler, a college professor who died in Dresden in 1845, is signed “C Roesler Roma 1800”. It is noteworthy that the Angel of Annunciation standing at the tomb of the risen Christ resembles a woman.

The organ was consecrated as the church organ in Koselitz on 19 July 1998 during a festive service. It is the first organ to be built by Hermann Lahmann from Leipzig, who built the organ in 1957 as a practice organ at the University of Music and Theatre.

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Lutheran church Görzig The small village church in Görzig was built in 1554. The year 1564, the year the church was consecrated, is etched into the baptismal font. In 1837, the church was completed restored, and further expanded in 1890. The most recent renovations were in 1964. The church features a rectangular chancel, a somewhat wider nave and a west steeple. Source: Pfarrer Harald Pepel The main decorative elements are the remains of a Gothic winged altarpiece. It was donated in 1520 to the former wooden church in Zabeltitz. The altar was relocated to Görzig when the church was being renovated (1835-1839), and was built into a partition wall with a pulpit. The image in the centre of the altar is located to the left of the pulpit nowadays, and depicts George the Knight as a dragon slayer in the middle. George is the patron saint of the church in Zabeltitz. St. Christopher with baby Jesus is to the left of St. George. To the right, St. Roch is shown with buboes. To the right of the pulpit the two side altars of the carved altarpiece can be seen. They show St. Sebastian and a crowned female saint, whose name is unknown.

A small organ with a beautiful sound adorns the western wall of the steeple. It was built in Großenhain by the Nagel Company in 1847, and was restored in 1992.

Two cast steel bells hang in the steeple. They were cast in 1921 and fitted in January 1922. Both of the original bronze bells were confiscated during World War I. The church has a varied history. It lived to see the village without its residents during the 30-Year War, as they had fled into the forests from the plague, looting and pillages. It was only years later that the village was settled anew.

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Palace chapel Tiefenau with a Silbermann organ The chapel of the former castle in Tiefenau is a small treasure of Saxon court architecture. It is also referred to as the “gem of Tiefenau”. Over the past three hundred years, a jewel of Italian- French baroque has been retained in almost its original state here.

Source: Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland e. V., Rainer Weisflog In 1710, August the Strong’s lord marshal, Count August Ferdinand von Pflugk, had the castle complex, of which there are only remains of the agricultural building, the park with its four pavilions and the fountain left nowadays, built. After his death, his widow Countess von Pflugk (née Stubenberg) had the palace chapel built in 1716, most probably according to the designs of Georg Bähr. Master builders from the court in Dresden were also involved in the construction. In the summer of 1718, this church was consecrated by the then senior court chaplain Pipping. The pulpit altar is particularly worth mentioning in regards to its features. It is flanked by two imitation pillars. The female figurines symbolise belief (with the cross) and hope (with the anchor). They, along with the design of the stuccoed ceiling, the altar and the column capitals, stem from Balthasar Permoser’s group. A special feature is the three-part patronage box. In 1945, the entire property was expropriated. The palace chapel was transformed into the Tiefenau castle church. In 1948, the castle was blown up. At present, only the graves of the von Pflugk family along the south side of the chapel are still preserved. In the years following, the building was left to deteriorate. The first preservation measures were undertaken on the chapel in 1945, and renovations with a limited number of supplies began in 1962. It was only in 1989/1990 that restorations and renovations started thanks to the generous support of Hildegard Seyffert Foundation, as well as state and church funds. The carvings and colours are still the originals from the 18th century; the parts that were destroyed were carefully restored and renewed. The organ, which stems from the workshop of Gottfried Silbermann, is mounted in the corner to the left of the gallery. In order to retain the symmetry, a second “silent” organ was placed opposite. It features just as many valuable tin pipes as the “real” organ. In the years of 1996 and 1997 the organ was reconstructed and restored based on the pipes that were saved by the Kristian Wegscheider organ building company in Dresden. 25

Lutheran Church “St James” Jacobsthal

There are no records regarding the year of construction of the first church. The present-day village church was built on the site of the old church, and was consecrated on 29 September 1782. It received the name “St James” due to its location on the Hohen Straße, a route from Kiev that connects with the Camino de Santiago trail. The church’s interior is very spacious. The large lodge to the left of the chancel was the former lodge of the barons with a prayer room. Since 1995, it serves as the winter church. The small lodge to the right of the chancel used to be a confessional box. In the past, the church was heated with the 100-year old cast iron Source: Schrift und Design Gerwien stove.

The pulpit altar with its coupled Ionic pillars stems from around 1729. The wooden baptismal font was crafted in 1779. At one time, the large windows in the choir featured stained glass. These were completely destroyed in 1954 due to a detonation on the military training grounds in Zeithain, and through a further explosion in 1991. They have since been replaced with ordinary glass. The organ was built in the workshop of the Eule company, and was installed in the church in 1899. In the “New Saxon Church Gallery” from 1901, it is said that “a wooden, iron-shod beam is in the hall of St Jacobsthal, on which the children, who were brought St James were weighed against wax, flax and similar goods … There is another tradition in addition to this one. On the village’s north side there is an area in the field that is almost always moist, and which is still referred to as the “holy spring” or the “holy well” today. An old, dignified man ... told the author of this report that people continued to be drawn to the holy spring, in order to drink the water from it or to wash themselves with the water or all sorts of things ... to heal. In return, the church received numerous gifts, and herein lies the secret to the origins of Jacobsthal’s church property.”

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St. Catherine’s church Kreinitz

Until the second half of the 17th century, the Krenitz church was situated at the southern end of the village close to the Elbe fort. It was often affected when the Elbe River flooded, which is why the decision to change its location to the eastern side of the village was made. The foundation stone was laid in 1667, and the church was consecrated in 1670. Only 60 years later, the place of worship had to be torn down again, since the tower was on the brink of collapse. In 1894, construction of a neo-Gothic church began. It was consecrated on 11 November 1895 as the “Holy Trinity” church. Today, it is called St Catherine’s. Source: Schrift und Design Gerwien The church could no longer be used since the end of the 1960s, but in the autumn of 1983, the exterior and tower were renovated under the leadership of Pastor Staub. Lots of love, labour and many hardworking helpers made it possible for religious services to resume at the church as of 2 October 1994. St Catherine’s Church has a “sister” church in Sao Paolo, Brazil, which was consecrated on 15 November 1911. The church is made with facing brink from the Borsdorf factory. Both of the large bells were melted down during the Second World War. The current bells could be inaugurated on 22 September 1957. Through the repair of the tower clock in 1998, both the chiming mechanism and one of the three bells were equipped with an electric drive. The interior has room for 300 believers. The crucifixion group and the two figurines on the altar are part of the old winged altar from 1895, which has been removed. The crucifix above the door to the vestry dates back to the 15th century. The wooden pulpit and the plastic baptism angel were created in 1895. The altar windows were originally adorned with colourful stained glass panes, yet these were destroyed in 1961. Only the middle window with the image of “Jesus blessing the children” was able to be restored in 1997 thanks to a generous donation. The in 1710 crafted crest of the Pflugk family (Strehla/ Tiefenau) hangs above the former patronage box. The organ was built in 1895 by the Eule company in Bautzen, and features cone chests and a mechanical action.

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“St Lawrence Church” in Lorenzkirch

A pilgrimage church had stood on the site of the present church before 1200 AD. A church was mentioned in a document of the Naumburg cathedral chapter in 1238. The 33m high tower is accessed through an ashlar Renaissance gate, which has the year MDXCVI (1596) inscribed on the headstone. The sandstone pulpit stems from 1624; the baptismal font was made in 1968. The brick altar features an altar arrangement carved from lime wood. A peasant woman with a sheaf of grains and a boatman with a paddle are shown kneeling in front of the crucifix, and symbolise two typical worshippers of St Lawrence’s Church. The winged altar dates back to 1575.

Source: Schrift und Design Gerwien The bronze baptism angel was donated by Prof. Dr T. Paul when his son was born in 1909. The history of the organ begins in 1859 as Opus No. 7 of Dresden’s court organ builder, C. E. Jehmlich. It is one of the few preserved early pieces made by the company. The organ was still operated using bellows until the electric fans were installed in 1959. In 1999 the instrument was renovated true to the original.

The stained glass windows that used to be in the galleries, including a window depicting St Lawrence, were severely damaged during the war in 1945. This is why they were removed during the restoration in 1952.

The church is located along the Via Regia (Hohe Straße, which is also called the “Old Salt Road” in colloquial speech). Many commercial travellers used the Elbe ford. When the river flooded, they had to rest and sold their wares. The Lawrence Market, a medieval market, developed. At the time, “St Lawrence” was considered the patron saint of commercial travellers, and was the name giver for the St Lawrence Church and the village of “Lorenzkirch”.

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Lutheran church „Corporis Christi” Strehla

The church "Corporis Christi" consists of a three- nave late Gothic hall church with an elongated choir house and a mighty tower base between the nave and choir. A first mention of the church is recorded for the year 1209. This year should have been on a bell that was melted down in the 19th century. In 1875 the present bell was cast, of which, however, the average bell was lost in World War 2, which could be re-cast in 1995. The construction of the present church was possibly in the 12th century with the occupation of the site. One special feature of the church is the clay pulpit, which shows the unique work of art and was made by a medieval German craftsmanship of the 16th century.

Source: Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland e. V., Rainer Weisflog

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Village church Terpitz

The church was built in 1711/ 1712 in the baroque style on the site of predecessor building, and was consecrated on the first Advent in 1712. It consists of a nave which, instead of the steeple, supports a roof girder. The sacristy is situated behind the pulpit altar, which is typical for this period and which characterises the church.

Source: Pfarramt Borna

The oldest part of the Terpitz church is the sandstone baptismal font from the 14th century. The two galleries that increase the number of seats in the relatively small church are a special feature. The church was restored in 1874. During this period, it is assumed that the loge as well as the entrance porch was built during this time. The loge was removed in 2011. The roof and the electrical wiring were replaced in 1989. Since then, a chandelier has adorned the interior. The bells received electrical bell ringing systems, and the church clock was fitted with an electrical movement and a new face. In 2011, desperately needed renovations to the tower crown, the ridge turret, the roof construction and the exterior rendering began. The foundation for the upkeep of ecclesiastical heritage buildings in Germany (KiBa) supported these measures. Through these restorations, the church’s exterior was newly painted to closely reflect the original colour. The ridge turret is complete with a tower crown as well.

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Lutheran church “St. Aegidi” Oschatz

After a fire the present church was built and named after the holy St. Giles in the 12th century. There were times of devastation and destruction-e.g. the Hussite devastation in 1429 was followed by a devastating fire in 1616.

Source: Katharina Georgie During the 30 year war the church lost precious service equipment in 1632. Predatory burglary and fire troubles threatened the house of God. In September 1842 there was only a smoking ruin after a fire in the house of God. Until that fateful day, the church was constantly rebuilt and expanded. After long lasting negotiations, it was then decided to restore the church. The Nuremberg architect Professor Karl Heideloff convinced around Easter 1846 with his designs, in which former style and history of the church were taken into account. Precisely for this reason he insisted on the two towers that were changed after the fire in 1616 into just one. In the summer of 1849 the building was completed.

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Monastic church in Oschatz

Around 1228, the Franciscan monks were granted permission to establish their monastery within the walls of the sheltered town. On the Sunday before St. John’s Eve in 1248, the church was ceremoniously consecrated “in honour of the Virgin Mary”. This is why the church was called “the Church of our Lady” or “St Mary’s Church“. Source: Oschatz Information

The monks, also referred to as Minorites or Little Brothers, belonged to the Franciscan Order. According to surviving records, 12-16 monks and several lay bothers lived at the monastery in Oschatz. The most famous guardian (prior) was the scholar Karl Jakob Voigt. He had accompanied the elector Frederick the Wise on a trip to the Promised Land in 1493, and subsequently became the guardian of the monastery. The prince elected him as his father confessor, and Luther called him a friend. The church was expanded between 1407 and 1428. Reconstruction was completed in 1484, after it had been destroyed by the Hussites in 1429. The vaulting in the church and the addition of St Anne’s chapel took place from 1502 to 1517. After the Reformation was inducted in 1539 and the monastery was secularised, the main part of the church was predominantly used for ecclesial purposes. It was spared from the city fires. The monastic buildings deteriorated over the course of the years, and they were torn down in 1839/1840. Although the church had been repaired numerous times after the Reformation, it had usually served completely different purposes: hay storage, military hospital (1812/1813) as well as storage room and riding hall for the Uhlan regiment (1885-1892). It had been abandoned to gradual deterioration. In 1924, the choir was changed because the triumphal arch was bricked up. A false ceiling was built in. Between 1978 and 1982, it was possible to renovate the truss, secure the tower and retain the gables. The upper church hall is furnished in a simple and appropriated manner. Religious services and concerts take place here. The lower rooms are rustic in character and serve as a meeting area and community hall.

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Village church Borna

The village church in Borna is smaller and seems more compact, yet visitors are treated to unexpected treasures in the interior. Of note is the artfully constructed sandstone altar with marble and alabaster elements of the highest quality, the large baptismal font as well as the pulpit, both of which are made of sandstone as well. Source: Pfarramt Borna The pulpit dates back to around 1550 and is thereby one of the oldest Protestant pulpits in Saxony. Its iconography with the 12-year old Jesus in the temple is based on the pulpit of the nearby palace church in Torgau, which was consecrated as the first Protestant church by Martin Luther in 1545. An even older piece of art from the Romanesque period is situated in the sacristy: Jesus as the man of sorrows. The church’s present-day appearance dates back to an expansion realised between 1606 and 1611, as well as radical repairs done in 1769. A special feature adorns the box of the Bornitz manor: half of an iron shackle. Otto von Schönberg decreed that it would be mounted after his death in remembrance of his captivity during the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).

The extremely active parish is thankful that important measures, such as renovations to the exterior during the 1980s, renovations to the interior in 2006/ 2007 and the construction of a new, wooden belfry as well as three new cast bronze bells in 2009, were able to be carried out over the past decades.

Since 2011, Borna has been the centre of the rural Protestant Lutheran Liebschützberg parish. The new “Herrmann Kühn” community centre opened in May 2013 (“Kulturscheune Borna”).

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Lutheran church Riesa-Gröba

It was firstly written in a certificate of March 1168, that “...the church ‘zu Groben’ with all possessions... belong to the monastery Riezowe.” The today’s church was built on the old northern- and southern walls of the Romaic predecessor-building. In 1734 the tower and the interior were finished. In the height of the altar room there are the prayer rooms of the Gröba Nobles at the south side and the prayer rooms of Bobersen and Merzdorf at the north side. In 1862 the prayer rooms at the north side were increased and therewith special places for the high positioned employees of the hermit hammer factory were created. Characteristic for the church Gröba are its Source: RIESAINFORMATION pulpit altar and the wood gallery.

The beautiful wood carving on the altar and the prayer room’s prospects were made by the carver Johann Christoph Ludwig Lücke from Dresden. In 1996 and 1999 the restaurateurs from Dresden Peter Taubert, Hans Riedel and Hilke Frach-Renner returned the baroque color version to the inner of the church. During the flood-related floor renovation in summer 2004 six good preserved memorial slabs of the noble family from Nischwitz of the 16th and early 17th century were discovered in front of the rests of the Romaic chorus. Therefore you can visit a documentation of the State office for archaeology of Saxony in the church. Open churches: The church Gröba is opened every day from 9:00 to 18:00 o’ clock from April until October. We invite you to a visit, a moment of silence and consciousness.12

12 http://www.tourismus-riesa.de/detpage.php?id=21&actmenu=1 34

Monastic church Riesa

The monastery church next to the Town Hall is Riesa’s oldest church. The as St. Marien set up building with two towers probably burned down in 1430, together with all of the other monastery buildings. It was rebuilt, which is proofed by the bells which are signed with the year 1433. In the 16th century the chorus room was built. The today’s tower was firstly built in 1745. In the crypt under the altar of the monastery church you will discover something very special. There were found 50 coffins, when the crypt under the altar was opened in 1828. In many of them the corpses weren’t decayed. Responsible for that was a permanently fresh wind, which blew through the crypt. Even clothes of the dead people and grave goods, like flowers, jewelry, books and candles Source: were RIESAINFORMATION good preserved.

In the crypt the former owners of the Riesa manor and their families were buried. The oldest mummified corpse belonged to a dead little girl of the year 1636. 13

13 http://www.tourismus-riesa.de/detpage.php?id=21&actmenu=1 35

Lutheran church “Trinity” Riesa

With its mighty, 75 meters high tower the trinity church is characterizing the silhouette of our city and can be seen from all different directions. Though there where many extensions the monastery church wasn’t enough because of the fast growing population of Riesa, so the trinity church was built between 1895 and 1897. After making a Germany far announcement, the jury decided for the design of the Berlin architect Jürgen Kröger, who suggested a neoromantic central-building. If you want to visit it, just tell the priest’s office. Evangelic worships take place in the trinity church between Easter and Reformation at Sundays 9:30 o’ clock and in winter at the same time.14

Source: RIESAINFORMATION

14 http://www.tourismus-riesa.de/detpage.php?id=50&actmenu=1 36

Church Jahnishausen

The palace chapel, which was built from 1663 to 1666 on this site close to the manor, was torn down after a blaze and rebuilt on the same location between 1970 and 1972. In 1824, the subsequent king, Johann of Saxony, acquired the manor, castle and church. In 1936, the House of Wettin donated the building to the Protestant Lutheran church in the municipality of Pausitz. In 1979, the building was abandoned due to a lack of funds and deteriorated rapidly. The bells, organ, church clock and pieces of the altar were removed. The inscribed year of 1992 on the weathervane refers to when the tower was finished complete with a new schistose cover, the golden steeple top and the restored sandstone relief above the entrance portal. Source: Rainer Grellmann The architectural gem of a church, which is situated in a romantic park, has been a charming attraction since the 17th century. King Johann of Saxony chose Jahnishausen as a refuge where he could devote himself to his studies of Dante.

The oval-shaped floor plan of the castle chapel, which can presumably be traced back to Italian influences, is unusual for the 17th century. This shape was retained during the reconstruction of the church in the 18th century. In the interior, this egg-shaped oval conveys a feeling of unity and protection, and is reminiscent of a scarabaues with its rounded apse to the east and the tower in front to the west.

Although the church was almost in ruins, it survived the political turnaround in 1989 because funds for demolition were not available. In 1990, dedicated citizens founded an association that took over the safeguarding and reconstruction of the church in stages on a voluntary basis. The association received support from the German Foundation for Monument Protection, the City of Riesa (the title bearer since 1994), additional funding sources and private benefactors. Today the church is a popular cultural meeting point that hosts events and exhibitions of the castle church association.

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4. Reasons for the development of the regional church route During the regional working group meetings churches of the international and regional church route have been selected according to the following reasons:

- Commitment of church members and priests to be part of the church route (in order to make sure that the route is sustainable) - Participating churches have to offer a unique special feature - Churches should be located in rural regions, but also on good passable routes - Churches which are open or will provide at least information (even if they are not open for fix times) - Churches in the administrative districts Meissen and Nordsachsen

For the dissemination of the church route and the churches on it, a map as well a brochure has been developed.

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5. Regional Strategy

5.1 Vision Strengthen the awareness of cultural heritage and preserve it by the involvement of local residents and different actors in order to create a supporting and sustainable environment (=network).

5.2 Strategic approach Our region owns a lot of potential related to its culture (History, Architecture,..), enjoyment (Way of “Slow down”, regional specialties,..) and nature (Nature reserves,..). The strategy will integrate and built up on these three unique selling points.

This means that cultural heritage (churches) will be the connecting element, which is surrounded by natural landscape and enjoyment of e.g. local specialties.

The project THETRIS offers further the great possibility to create the link between local actors from church and tourism and to connect two sides of the river Elbe, instead of dividing the districts. Each church offers some uniqueness, special features that can be used as points of interest. Furthermore, routes which are occupied with maximum two further themes and which are suitable to bike on them can be used for the route development. No new routes have been developed. Existing routes for hiking and cycling can be connected and the church route will connect all and is the heart of them all in the administrative districts.

5.3 Goals of the strategy

- To preserve cultural heritage by involvement of locals local actors, members of church & tourism (local identity) - To open churches for tourism and to link church with tourism institutions as well as to create a common working basis - To gain awareness (church members) for the chances of linking motives of churches and tourism to inspire more people - Stimulate interest (from inhabitants and tourists) for the sacral heritage of the region -> Open churches for visitors, which:

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- follow religious motives - would like to “feel” the church as a place of spirit, silence and meaningful effects - are interested into its history, art and further specialities of the churches (tangible/intangible cultural heritage) - To strengthen the touristic section economy (eg offer an incentive to tourists, to stay longer than one night in this area)-> the whole route (about 130 km) is divided into various stages - Extension of the touristic infrastructure

This will be realized as follows:

1. Build up a network, which integrates local actors from church and tourism

This will be realized by the implementation of regional working group meetings. Furthermore, meetings in person will follow to clarify specific issues. Networking members will be involved from the very beginning into all processes to create and promote the church route as well as to ensure the sustainability of it. To stimulate the cooperation of the different actors some working group meetings will be realized in form of workshops or with brain storming sessions.

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2. Make people aware about the cultural heritage and preserve it

By the establishment of a network which connects church and tourism as well as local resident’s awareness for historical and cultural heritage should be strengthened and created.

As the main element the church route has to be created as an emotional experience

4. Strengthen tourism in rural areas

To solve the problem that most of the tourists stay no longer than one night, an attractive touristic offer will be packed. A map and stamp system will be implemented with different incentives for tourists to stay longer and to residents.

5. Promote the route

Results of the project will be promoted via press releases&articles and via using virtual platforms of partners and integrate the result (map+stamp system) into the concept of the tourism association “Sächsisches Elbland”.

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5.4 Stakeholders involved in the strategy implementation

- Priests and their parishes and associations (altogether: 23 churches are involved/5 are part of the international church route) - Saxon National church, - Regional management institutions, - Representatives from municipalities, communes, counties - Tourist information’s and associations, - Museums, regional service provider

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5.5 Concrete follow-up activities: Action Target Timeframe Budget/Financial Possible sources of foreseen group Sources funding

Sign posting Local 2015-2016 10.000 € - Budget from of further parts residents, municipalities of the church tourists route

(Municipality Riesa and district Nordsachsen)

Updating Broad 2015-2016 No extra money Regional management information on public needed institutions, tourism websites, association integration into new publications (brochures of the region,etc.)

Updating Locals, 2015-2018 No extra money Tourism association information on priests, needed “Sächsisches Elbland” the church church route and members, upload to tourists further bicycle online portals

Follow up- Students, Apply for funds: Ca. 200.000 € ZTS GmbH, Lutheran project: local August 2014 Church Saxony, (national funds) residents, Technical University APP which is Implementation: tourists, Dresden orientated to

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the Austrian all age 2015-2018 THETRIS groups partners

Extension of Locals, 2015-2017 Lutheran church parishes/ sign posting of priests, Regional management new churches church “Lommatzscher Pflege” members, tourists

Common Locals, 2015-2016 5.000 € Lutheran church parishes/ activities priests, regional managements (photo church competition, members, “Start of the tourists cycle season”- event,…)

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