Onion dome

An onion dome is a tower with an onion dome or an onion dome, such as a church tower, whose top is made in the form of an onion. The lower part of the tip is bulbous and runs upward pointed together, similar to the church towers of the Kremlin. In addition to round shapes and towers with square tower hoods are called onion dome.

History

The first onion dome in southern Germany was built by Hans Holl (1512-1594), the father of Elias Holl, in 1576 at the Church of Saint Mary Star Abbey in Augsburg.

Execution

The rafters of onion domes requires special skill because of the complex shape of the carpenters. Be covered with sheet copper onion domes or slates.

The traditional design of the onion dome are several layers of hammered copper sheet; old onion domes therefore you recognize most of the green color (see copper patina, copper ), their umbrella hood.

Dissemination

Onion domes are mainly used in Germany in the southern German states, Austria and Italian South Tyrol, where the predominant Catholicism. They are typical characteristics of Baroque churches. Its world-famous onion domes in the Orthodox church buildings in countries of the former USSR and Bulgaria. In international spa and seaside resorts, where formerly Russian aristocrats in treatment or in the " summer " went, are often Orthodox churches with onion domes, for example:

• Russian Chapel (Darmstadt)
• Bad Ems Church of St. Alexandra
• Russian Chapel ( Bad Homburg )
• Russian Church (Baden- Baden)
• Church of Sergius of Radonezh ( Bad Kissingen )
• Russian Orthodox Church (Wiesbaden) on the Nerobergbahn
• Nice or
• Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad ) St. Peter and Paul.

Since the mid-19th century, thousands of Russians spent in German and Western European health resorts in the summer months. First of Russian aristocrats and wealthy bourgeois families were accompanied by their relatives and servants. Through the expansion of the European railway network 1860-1880, the number of spa visitors skyrocketed. After Bad Ems Bad Kissingen arrived at the camp since the turn of the century annual 5000-8000 spa guests from the Russian Empire. Since they remained for several weeks usually, Russian Orthodox chapels and churches were built in many of these places.

Special

• The Martin Storm of Bregenz, landmark of the city, is considered the largest onion domes in Central Europe.
• Even bigger is the dome of Christ the Saviour cathedral in Moscow.
• An example of a Baroque church with an onion dome is the Protestant St. John's Church in Frankfurt's Bornheim, which has a square tower hood.

The onion dome became a ' trademark ' of Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

• The Hundertwasser Krawinahaus in Vienna has an onion dome.
• The Hundertwasser House Magdeburg has stylized onion domes.

Onion dome in the media

" The onion dome " is also the title of a 1983 television documentary broadcast for the first time (ORF, 3sat ) by Christian Wallner Church and State in the Third Reich.