Round church

The round church is a kirchenbauhistorische particularity in the interior, in contrast to Longitudinalbau or cruciform church has a substantially circular plan.

The round church is a form of central simple construction. She formerly served as baptismal, grave or fortified church. Any attachments ( in Denmark the Karnhaus ) are not part of the actual church interior.

  • 2.1 rotundas
  • 2.2 octagons
  • 2.3 Other forms of
  • 3.1 The Early Christian Period
  • 3.2 Middle Ages 3.2.1 Germany
  • 3.2.2 Austria
  • 3.2.3 Italy
  • 3.2.4 Scandinavia
  • 3.2.5 Hungary
  • 3.2.6 England

Prehistory and history

Europe and the Levant

The oldest round buildings are open neolithic temple, as they are known from Gobekli Tepe and were found in Jerf el Ahmar in the Levant; also Stonehenge, its wooden predecessor, and other megalithic stone circles ( cromlechs ) are circular buildings. However, the idea of ​​the round temple kept disappearing for a while, then for example as Clava Cairn or Tholos reappear. Often, only foundations to find out how. Agrigento in Sicily and Sardinia and the Balearic Islands From the Bronze Age remains are somewhat more extensive. Round buildings such as the Irish or the Scottish Wheel Duns Houses occupy the continuation of the idea as well as the Sardinian Nuraghe. During the Iron Age the Beehive huts and the Swedish Fornburgen added. In Rome, the Temple of Vesta arose on the Tiber.

It is assumed that the idea of the round church as a formal takeover pre-Christian cult designs such as the tholoi and Monopteroi arose. Especially in the early Christian period and the Middle Ages, this design could occasionally stand up to the Christian cross basilica. The oldest Christian church is supposed to be round the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (ca. 335 AD). In the following period occurred Christian round churches mainly in the form of land, baptism, military and churches grave or castle chapels.

Georgia and Armenia

There are in the medieval Georgian and Armenian church architecture some outstanding examples of Vierkonchenbauten and Sechskonchenbauten, where the appropriate number of semicircular apses are arranged around a central domed hall. Outer surrounds a circular dealing. Retain in ruins remained the Armenian Cathedral of Zvartnots from the 7th century and the Georgian, built around 900 round church of Bana. Armenian round churches in Ani date from the 10th and 11th centuries.

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia has since the 16th century, the round church prevailed and today is the characteristic shape of the church building. Outwardly, these churches are like large Tukuls ( classic round huts ), inside they are often divided into three areas: The Kene Mahalet, the Mäkdas and Kedus Kedusan.

The Kene Mahalet is a tour in the outer region, which is separated by a wall from the two inner sections. It can be accessed by anyone, the floor is carpeted and in the entrance area there are chairs for the elderly and children ( the Ethiopian Orthodox church is standing celebrated ). In the second area, the Mäkdas only the priests are allowed to enter through doors. There the church drums ( kebero ) and Sistren be kept for worship. The floor is also carpeted. The Kedus Kedusan is the Holy of Holies. It is rectangular and contains the altar and the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of wood. All the walls are painted with ornaments and pictures of saints.

Demarcation

Rotundas

The rotunda is not a type of church, but an architectural element. It is available either alone ( central building with a circular ground plan ) or is part of a non-circular overall concept ( St. Peter's ) or is even completely separated from the actual religious building ( bell towers Irish monasteries ). The particular significance obtained by Rotundas sometimes even very large domes. Great, especially baroque central buildings not referred to as a round churches because they are not of the type are baptismal, grave or fortified church. Also can be circular fountain not call in parks like this, but probably as a fountain rotunda. At least this has so naturalized in the tourism literature, even if it occurs not as good as in the actual architecture lexicons.

Octagons

Octagons high level of awareness (such as the Aachen Cathedral ) are rarely wrong: round churches. However, if - as in the case of a fortified church - the geometric system is perceived almost circular in a small area, then the assignment can be made. Constantine I begins in the year 327 AD in Antioch to build the first octagonal church, the "Domus Aurea ". There are architecture encyclopedias, which is labeled " round church " in these cases - already naturalized firmly in tourist parlance - expressly authorize. Examples:

  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in Seiffen / Erzgebirge
  • Prince of Peace Church to Klingenthal

Other forms of

Due to the type of the following churches in the tradition of the round church, though its layout is not circular:

  • Trinity Church in Kappl forest Assen ( epiphany on triangular floor plan )
  • Reformed Church of Chêne- Pâquier in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland ( oval outline )
  • Chapel of Reconciliation on the former Berlin ' death strip " on Bernauer Straße ( oval outline )
  • Drüggelter Chapel, Soest, district Delecke, Sauerland, twelve-sided building from the 12th century
  • Santa María de Eunate, at Puente la Reina, Navarra on the Spanish Camino de Santiago
  • La Vera Cruz in Segovia, twelve-sided building from the 13th century three- apse choir

Round churches in the strict sense

The Early Christian Period

  • Santo Stefano Rotondo (5th century), Rome
  • San Michele Arcangelo (5th / 6th century ), Perugia

Middle Ages

Germany

  • Chapel of Grace ( Altötting ); Octagon from the 8th or 10th century; Late Gothic nave
  • Würzburg, St. Mary's Church on the Marienberg; Rotunda from the 8th or 10th century; Chancel subsequently
  • Oeversee (Schleswig )
  • Farms in Hesse 8/9 century
  • Marienberg ( Burghausen)
  • Round chapel Altenfurt
  • Round chapel Eisenharz
  • Round church Untersuhl

Austria

  • Round chapel Petronell

Frequently medieval fortified churches are preserved only as ruins:

  • Foundations of the round church in the Carolingian courts of Dreihausen, Hesse
  • Round chapel in the Wiprechtsburg Groitzsch ( around 1080 )
  • St. Michaelis in Schleswig crashed in 1870 during restoration work a

Italy

Italy has a variety of round churches (→ weblink)

  • Rome, Pantheon; originated around 125 AD to 610 to the church consecrated ( Sanctae Mariae Martyrs )
  • Rotonda di San Lorenzo, Mantua, 11-12. Century, reconstruction 1908-1911
  • Rotonda di San Tomé, Almenno San Bartolomeo, 12th century, using older components
  • Rotunda on the Montesiepiwas southwest of Siena; late 12th century
  • St. George in Scena ( district of St. Georgen ) (South Tyrol, Italy)

Scandinavia

At the Scandinavian round churches, especially on Bornholm, the basic architectural - type is very instructive.

  • Round Church Østerlars, Bornholm
  • Ny Kirke, Bornholm
  • Round Church Nylars, Bornholm
  • Church of Thorsager, Jutland
  • Horne Kirke, Funen
  • Church of Bjernede, Zealand
  • Church of Solna, Sweden
  • Church of Valleberga, Sweden
  • Round Church of Helsingborg

Hungary

Well-preserved examples also exist in Hungary and Transylvania, here called Körtemplom ( from Hungarian koer, circle / round ' and templom, church / temple ').

  • Santa Anna- round church of Kallósd
  • Körtemplom Karcsa ( 11th century ), Hungary
  • Körtemplum Kiszombor ( 11th century ), Hungary
  • Körtemplum osku
  • Körtemplom Szent Anna ( 1260 ), Kallósd (Zala valley in Hungary)
  • Jesus Chapel at Hofmarkt (now Udvarhely ) in Transylvania, dating unclear ( suspected 13th century, possibly older)

England

Examples of medieval round churches that are not in the fortified churches tradition, found in England:

Later eras

  • Round church Untersuhl, about 1580, Thuringia
  • Saas -Balen (19th century), Valais, Switzerland
  • Ehnen (1826 ), only round church in Luxembourg
  • Neoclassical Körtemplom Szilvásvárad (1825 ), Hungary
  • Oberneisen, Germany, Rhein- Lahn-Kreis, ( 12 Jahrhundert/19. Century)
  • St. Louis (Darmstadt), the Pantheon modeled, 1822-1827, Hesse

Modern

The following buildings will be architecturally, but not functional, continued the old tradition:

  • St. Aengus Church of Burt in Donegal, 1960
  • St. Peter and Paul in Wombach, 1959-62 by Hans skull
  • Church of the Resurrection ( food) by Otto Banning, ( 1930) ( architecturally pioneering example)
  • Parish Liesing by Robert Kramreiter (1955 )
  • Church of Peace in Gelsenkirchen- Schalke by Denis Boniver
  • All Saints in Rosenheim ( 1960 )
  • Catedral de Maringá (1972 ), a 124 -meter-high cone, Brazil
  • Church on the Tempelhof Field of Fritz Bräuning
  • Church of St. Vincent (Hamburg - Eißendorf )
  • Cathedral of St. Mary the Queen ( Iasi )
  • Sanctuary of the Madonna della Tears in Syracuse

Peace Church Gelsenkirchen

St. Vincent, Hamburg- Eißendorf

Madonna of Tears in Syracuse

Solna Church Baptistery Beehive tomb Wheelhouse (archaeology) Clochán Monopteros Zvartnots, Armenia Rotunda (architecture) Water well Charroux Abbey Way of St. James Church of Sant'Angelo, Perugia Duchy of Schleswig Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein Pantheon, Rome Sankt Ols Kirke Horne Church Bjernede Church Valleberga Church Zala (river) Saas-Balen Otto Bartning
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