Hagioscope

A Hagioskop (Greek Hagios: holy; skopein: see, look ), also known as leprosy column, is a wall opening in a medieval church building, which allowed outside the view of the interior of the church to the altar. The wall openings were round or rectangular, there were also openings in cross shape.

Some churches have been provided in the middle ages with such an opening, so that people who had retired voluntarily or necessarily from the community with other people who could look at what is happening at the altar and receive communion. Voluntarily withdrawn lived so-called Klausner or inclusions, the possible deposited lived for the purpose of religious worship and meditation intensive in small cells that were either grown on the outside of the church or built into thicker walls.

However, in the 12th century, it came in the wake of large epidemics and the need to provide greater numbers of mentally lepers who had to live apart from the community. This was the Third Lateran Council in 1179, although permits the formation of their own communities with their own priests, its own churches and their own cemeteries, but this was in the country is not always possible. Hagioskope therefore are usually found in areas that were sparsely populated in the Middle Ages, barely larger churches, medieval towns. There lepers were often housed in leprosaria (leprosy houses), which then had their own chapels.

After the end of the great leprosy epidemics of the 16th century Hagioskope were filled partly or bricked and only rediscovered in the 19th and 20th centuries, during restoration work and restored. A well-known example is the dating from the 12th century church of St. John of the former Benedictine monastery Oesede in Georgsmarienhütte ( Lower Saxony), whose Hagioskop was exposed and reconstructed around 1980. The later castle Catholic church of the former Benedictine abbey Iburg, just a few kilometers from the Oesede monastery, has a Hagioskop. Spreads were Hagioskope not only in Germany but also in the Netherlands, France and Sweden.

The relevant research literature discussed for the German land of the order only Hagioskope that had been created for ascetic inclusions, not the use by lepers.

Germany

Selection

  • St. John chapel of the former monastery of St. John in Bokel Esch in Saterland (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church Großwolde in Westoverledingen, East Frisia (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church in Westerhusen municipality of Hinte, East Frisia (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in Roggenstede community Dornum, East Frisia (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Mary in Nesse community Dornum, East Frisia (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Aegidien Stedesdorf, church circle Harlingerland the Sprengel East Frisia (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church in Rysum, Krummhoern, East Frisia (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in Suurhusen, East Frisia (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Magnus sands, Friesland ( Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Reformed Church in Tergast, community Moormerland, East Frisia (Lower Saxony)
  • Midlumer Church, Rheiderland, (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Liudger Holtgaste, Rheiderland, (Lower Saxony)
  • Evangelical Lutheran St. Peter's Church in Aurich- Oldendorf, Ostfriesland, (Lower Saxony)
  • Church of the Holy Cross in Kirchwahlingen (municipality Bohemian) in the Lüneburg Heath (Lower Saxony)
  • Isenhagen Abbey in Hankensbuettel, Gifhorn (Lower Saxony)
  • St. Anthony's Chapel in Gescher - Tungerloh - chapels (North Rhine- Westphalia), now a Catholic church motorway
  • St. Ulricus in Börninghausen, City Prussian Oldendorf, District of Minden -Lübbecke (Nordrhein- Westfalen)
  • Hospital Church of St. Eligius Hospital in New Castle ( Rheinland - Pfalz)
  • Old Cemetery Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Nusplingen, Zollernalbkreis (Baden- Württemberg)
  • St. Cyriacus in Bergshausen, Hochsauerlandkreis (Nordrhein- Westfalen)

France

Selection

  • Old chapel of St. Maurice in Freyming- Merlebach (Lorraine )
  • St. Laurent in Deauville (Normandy)
  • Notre Dame in Dives -sur -Mer (Normandy) with inscription " trou aux lépreux " ( Leprosenloch )
  • Palace Chapel of Novéry (Haute- Savoie)
  • Montrond en Forez
  • Basilica of Notre -Dame- du- Roncier in Josselin (Brittany ) (14th century)

Italy

Selection

  • Chiesa della Santissima Trinità (also called Sveta Trojica ) in the village Monteaperta, community Taipana in the province of Udine, Friuli

Netherlands

Selection

  • St. Vitus Church in the village Wetsens, community Dongeradeel and in the village Jistrum, community Tietjerksteradeel in the province of Friesland

Sweden

Selection

  • Cathedral Strängnäs
  • Church of Atlingbo, Gotland
  • Church of Bro in Visby on Gotland ( cross-shaped Hagioskop )
  • Church of Endre, Gotland
  • Church of Martebo, Gotland
  • Church of Väskinde, Gotland
  • Church of Vall, Gotland
  • Church of Granhult in community Uppvidinge, Kronoberg County Province ( Småland) with lockable Hagioskop
  • Husaby Church, community Götene Lake Vänern, Västergötland province
  • Monastery Church of the Monastery Vreta Vreta, Linköping, Östergötland County
Medieval commune Third Council of the Lateran Leper colony State of the Teutonic Order Asceticism Nesse (Dornum) Neuerburg Lorraine (region) Bro Church, Gotland Martebo Church Uppvidinge Municipality Vreta Abbey
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