The Church of Our Lady, Oberwesel

Even from a distance, the Church of Our Lady, which is in a slightly elevated location at the southern end of Oberwesel, defines the appearance of the town. It is one of the very important high Gothic churches in Germany.

Formerly a collegiate church, the present construction was started in 1308, consecrated in 1331 and completed up to the base of the polygonal tower in 1351. Besides the fine structures of its components, the church’s architectonic quality is first and foremost revealed in its proportions. The flat surfaces of the structure were made possible by locating the buttresses inside the church. The rhythm of the exterior wall arises solely from the regularly spaced rows of slender, trefoil windows.

An exceptionally large stock of furnishings, dating back to the time of construction, has been preserved in the Church of Our Lady. Among other things, the furnishings include: the high altar, the choir screen, the tabernacle, the choir stalls, the preserved remains of stained glass and the bells. The bells were all cast upon or shortly after the completion of the church, during the course of the 14th up to the beginning of the 15th century.

The nave’s pillars are decorated with numerous paintings, most of them dating back to the early 16th century, that show saints and the churches consecrated to them in the Middle Rhine region. The filigreed choir screen is a perfect, extraordinarily elegant seven-bay arched construction with figure decorations and tracery. It divides the choir from the nave. Nevertheless, it acts more like a veil than a barrier. The highlight of the Gothic furnishings is the golden altar, a 2.45m high and 6m wide altar shrine with decorative figures in tracery niches.

Information:

Pfarrei Liebfrauen

Martinsberg 1

D-55430 Oberwesel

Phone: +49 (0) 6744 94077

E-Mail: pfarrei-oberwesel(at)t-online.de

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