Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: triptych

Magdeburg - St. Sebastian

07 Jul 2022 3 124
Founded by Charlemagne in 805 as Magadoburg, the town was fortified in 919 by King Henry the Fowler against the Magyars and Slavs. In 929 King Otto I granted the city to his English-born wife Edith as dower. At her death, Queen Edith was buried in the crypt of the Benedictine abbey of Saint Maurice, later rebuilt as the cathedral. In 937, Magdeburg was the seat of a royal assembly. Otto I was buried as well in the cathedral. In 1035 Magdeburg received a patent giving the city the right to hold trade exhibitions and conventions. This was the basis of town law to become known as the Magdeburg rights. These laws were adopted and modified throughout Central and Eastern Europe. In the 13th century, Magdeburg became a member of the Hanseatic League. With more than 20,000 inhabitants Magdeburg was one of the largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire. During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) Magdeburg was raided and probably 20.000 inhabitants lost their lives. A small group of 4000 people survived the "Sack of Magdeburg" by seeking refuge in the cathedral. Begging on his knees before the conqueror the head priest saved them. - The foundation stone was laid around 1015. The foundation took place as a collegiate monastery. After several structural extensions, the Romanesque church building burned down in 1188 and 1207. In the 14th century, the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style. At the beginning of the 15th century, the nave was remodeled with the aim of building a late Gothic hall church. The Romanesque ground plan was retained. In the course of the Reformation, Saint Sebastian became Protestant. During the storming of Magdeburg in the Thirty Years' War on May 10, 1631, the church burned down. In 1663, the choir was rebuilt and a wooden vaulted ceiling was added. During the French occupation, the monastery was dissolved in 1810 and the building served as a warehouse From 1823, the church was owned by the city of Magdeburg and was used as a wool warehouse. In 1873, Saint Sebastian became the parish church of the Roman Catholic community. Renovations took place and from 1878 church services were held in the church again. In 1994 Magdeburg became an independent Catholic diocese. Saint Sebastian became the cathedral of the newly established diocese of Magdeburg and the seat of Magdeburg's cathedral chapter. The late Gothic winged altar was created around 1500. Around Mary from top left to bottom right: the engagement of Mary and Joseph, the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi.

Poznań - Bazylika archikatedralna Świętych Apostoł…

26 Jun 2022 1 102
Long before the Christianization of Poland Poznań was an important cultural and political center of the Western Polans. It consisted of a fortified stronghold between the Warta and Cybina rivers. Mieszko I, the first historically recorded ruler of the West Polans and of the early Polish state which they dominated, built one of his main headquarters in Poznań. Mieszko's baptism in 966, seen as a defining moment in the Christianization of the Polish state, may have taken place in Poznań. Following the baptism, construction began of Poznań's cathedral, the first in Poland. It became the place of burial of the early Piast monarchs, among them Mieszko I, Boleslaus I, Mieszko II Lambert, and Casimir I. In 1038, Duke Bretislaus I of Bohemia sacked and destroyed both Poznań and Gniezno. In 1138, by the testament of Boleslaus III, Poland was divided into separate duchies under the late king's sons, and Poznań and its surroundings became the domain of Mieszko III the Old. In 1249, Duke Przemysł I began constructing the Royal Castle on a hill on the left bank of the Warta. Then in 1253, Przemysł issued a charter for the founding of a town under Magdeburg law, between the castle and the river. A large number of German settlers were brought to aid in the building and settlement of the city, which was surrounded by a defensive wall, integrated with the castle. Poznan was a major center for the fur trade by the late 16th century. Suburban settlements developed around the city walls, on the river islands, and on the right bank, however, the city's development was hampered by regular major fires and floods. In the 17th century and the 18th, Poznań was affected by a series of wars, attendant military occupations, lootings, and destruction – the Northern Wars, the War of the Polish Succession, and the Seven Years' War. It was also hit by outbreaks of plague, and by floods, particularly that of 1736, which destroyed most of the suburban buildings. The population declined from 20,000 around 1600 to 6,000 around 1730, and Bambergian and Dutch settlers were brought in to rebuild the devastated suburbs. In 1793, in the Second Partition of Poland, Poznań came under the control of the Kingdom of Prussia. - The cathedral was originally built in the second half of the 10th century within the fortified settlement, which stood on an island, now called Ostrów Tumski. It was raised to the status of a cathedral in 968 when the first missionary bishop, Bishop Jordan, came to Poland. The pre-Romanesque church which was built at that time was about 48 meters in length. This church survived for about 70 years, until the period of the pagan reaction and the raid of the Bohemian duke Bretislav I. The cathedral was rebuilt in the Romanesque style. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style. A fire in 1622 did such serious damage that the cathedral needed a complete renovation, which was carried out in the Baroque style. Another fire broke out in 1772 and the church was rebuilt in the Neo-Classical style. The last of the great fires occurred in 1945, during the liberation of the city from the Germans. The damage was so serious that the conservators decided to return to the Gothic style, using as a base medieval relics revealed by the fire. The cathedral was reopened in 1956. The late Gothic triptych was originally in the Guhrau parish church in Upper Silesia. It was probably created in a Wroclaw workshop and completed in 1512. In the center of the group of three at the bottom left is an "Anna selbdritt" / "Sainte Anne trinitaire".

Poznań - Bazylika archikatedralna Świętych Apostoł…

25 Jun 2022 4 126
Long before the Christianization of Poland Poznań was an important cultural and political center of the Western Polans. It consisted of a fortified stronghold between the Warta and Cybina rivers. Mieszko I, the first historically recorded ruler of the West Polans and of the early Polish state which they dominated, built one of his main headquarters in Poznań. Mieszko's baptism in 966, seen as a defining moment in the Christianization of the Polish state, may have taken place in Poznań. Following the baptism, construction began of Poznań's cathedral, the first in Poland. It became the place of burial of the early Piast monarchs, among them Mieszko I, Boleslaus I, Mieszko II Lambert, and Casimir I. In 1038, Duke Bretislaus I of Bohemia sacked and destroyed both Poznań and Gniezno. In 1138, by the testament of Boleslaus III, Poland was divided into separate duchies under the late king's sons, and Poznań and its surroundings became the domain of Mieszko III the Old. In 1249, Duke Przemysł I began constructing the Royal Castle on a hill on the left bank of the Warta. Then in 1253, Przemysł issued a charter for the founding of a town under Magdeburg law, between the castle and the river. A large number of German settlers were brought to aid in the building and settlement of the city, which was surrounded by a defensive wall, integrated with the castle. Poznan was a major center for the fur trade by the late 16th century. Suburban settlements developed around the city walls, on the river islands, and on the right bank, however, the city's development was hampered by regular major fires and floods. In the 17th century and the 18th, Poznań was affected by a series of wars, attendant military occupations, lootings, and destruction – the Northern Wars, the War of the Polish Succession, and the Seven Years' War. It was also hit by outbreaks of plague, and by floods, particularly that of 1736, which destroyed most of the suburban buildings. The population declined from 20,000 around 1600 to 6,000 around 1730, and Bambergian and Dutch settlers were brought in to rebuild the devastated suburbs. In 1793, in the Second Partition of Poland, Poznań came under the control of the Kingdom of Prussia. - The cathedral was originally built in the second half of the 10th century within the fortified settlement, which stood on an island, now called Ostrów Tumski. It was raised to the status of a cathedral in 968 when the first missionary bishop, Bishop Jordan, came to Poland. The pre-Romanesque church which was built at that time was about 48 meters in length. This church survived for about 70 years, until the period of the pagan reaction and the raid of the Bohemian duke Bretislav I. The cathedral was rebuilt in the Romanesque style. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the church was rebuilt in the Gothic style. A fire in 1622 did such serious damage that the cathedral needed a complete renovation, which was carried out in the Baroque style. Another fire broke out in 1772 and the church was rebuilt in the Neo-Classical style. The last of the great fires occurred in 1945, during the liberation of the city from the Germans. The damage was so serious that the conservators decided to return to the Gothic style, using as a base medieval relics revealed by the fire. The cathedral was reopened in 1956. The late Gothic triptych was originally in the Guhrau parish church in Upper Silesia. It was probably created in a Wroclaw workshop and completed in 1512. The center contains figures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Barbara and St. Catherine.

Kamień Pomorski - Konkatedra w Kamieniu Pomorskim

21 Nov 2021 1 99
A Slavic fortress of the Wends was mentioned in 1107. When Polish Duke Bolesław III conquered Pomerania, he brought Bishop Otto of Bamberg to the country for Christianisation. Otto stayed here in 1128 to baptize the Slavs. In 1128, Otto undertook another missionary journey to Pomerania, during which he again stayed in Cammin. Duke Wartislaw I, who ruled between 1121 and 1135, had his residence in Cammin - thus this was the first known seat of a Pomeranian duke. The bishopric of Cammin was founded by Henry the Lion in 1175 with Bishop Konrad I of Salzwedel. At this time, Duke Casimir I had St. John's Cathedral built. Brandenburg troops destroyed the town in 1273, which was rebuilt a year later with the participation of German immigrants. Duke Barnim I granted city rights (Lübsches Stadtrecht) in 1274. In 1308, the city, including the cathedral, was partially destroyed as a result of disputes between the Margrave of Brandenburg and the Duke of Pomerania. A predecessor of the cathedral was a wooden church, built in 1176 It was here that the Pomeranian bishopric received its name, the Diocese of Cammin. Cammin remained the bishop's seat until 1810. The church was originally built in Romanesque style. Around 1250 the southern portal was built, but in 1308 the unfinished church building was destroyed by the Brandenburg army. The construction of the basilica continued in the Gothic style. After 1310, arcades were built on the north side, and in the years 1325 to 1350, rooms were built in the east wing of the cathedral. At the beginning of the 14th century the Gothic steeple was erected. After the Reformation the church became part of the Pomeranian Evangelical Church in 1535. It remained Lutheran until 1945. During the Thirty Years' War the interior was destroyed and the tower collapsed. In 1802 the Gothic tower was demolished. In 1855 renovation works were carried out and a new bell tower in neo-Gothic style was built. The cathedral treasury was completely lost in 1945. The main altar is a Gothic triptych dating from the end of the 15th century. In the centre is the scene of the Assumption of the Mother of God.

Wismar - Nikolaikirche

20 Oct 2021 1 84
Slavic Obodrites lived in the area, where Wismar is now, until the end of the 12th century. The exact date of the city's foundation is not clear, it had civic rights already in 1229 when migrants from Holstein and Westphalia settled here. The "Lübsches Stadtrecht" (town law) was confirmed in 1266. In 1259 Wismar joined a defensive agreement with Lübeck and Rostock, in order to counter the numerous Baltic pirates. Subsequently, more cities would agree to cooperate as commerce and trade were increasingly coordinated and regulated. These policies would provide the basis for the development of the "Hanseatic League". By the 13th and 14th centuries, Wismar had grown into a flourishing Hanseatic trading hub. In 1632, during the Thirty Years' War, Sweden conquered the city, and the Swedish Crown received in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 after the end of the Thirty Years' War. Swedish rule over Wismar ended de facto in 1803 when Sweden pledged the city to the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin for 99 years. Formally, Wismar reverted to Germany in 1903 and Sweden waived its right to redeem the pledge. Wismar is a typical representative of the Hanseatic League with its city-wide Brick Gothic structures and gabled patrician houses and has alongside the historical old town of Stralsund been declared the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar". The Nicolaikirche (Church St. Nicholas) was built from 1381 until 1487 as a church for sailors and fishermen. St. Nicholas is a fine testaments to mediaeval brick architecture in northern Germany. In 1381, the city council commissioned the master mason Heinrich von Bremen to complete the choir. The consecration of the high altar is documented for 1403. Heinrich von Bremen continued to work until 1415. In 1434 work was carried out on the north aisle and later the south aisle. Under the direction of Peter Stolp and Hermann von Münster in 1459, the work was completed to such an extent that the church could be consecrated. From 1485 to 1487, Hans Mertens built the two upper storeys of the tower, and the spire was added in 1508. In December 1703, a storm destroyed the spire. Its parts smashed through the roof and the vaults of the nave. Many pieces of the interior furnishings were destroyed. Afterwards, the tower received a transverse gable roof and the nave a flat ceiling. The renovation of the furnishings lasted until the second half of the 18th century. It was not until 1867 that a vault was erected again. The air raids during the Second World War caused only minor damage to the church. After the Second World War, the Nikolaikirche was the least damaged of all the large churches in Wismar. Many works of art had been stored away and thus survived the war, but the churches lay in ruins and the important Marienkirche was later blown up. The Thomasaltar (altar of St Thomas) originally stood in the church of the Dominicans and after the dissolution of the convent, in 1562, in St Georgen. The double-winged triptych was carved and painted around 1500, and the themes of the depictions are unusual. In the centre, Thomas Aquinas, the most important theologian of the Dominican Order, is flanked by Thomas of Canterbury and the Apostle Thomas. The double wings allow for a threefold transformation of the triptych. Seen here is the "feast side" On the left are two depictions. The upper one shows a scene set during the imprisonment of Thomas Aquinas. On the way to Paris, his brothers are trying to tear the robe from his body to dissuade him from his plan. In the scene, Frederick II (wearing a crown) can be seen; this is to suggest that the assault was done with his consent. Below, he kneels before the Prior of the Convent of Naples and receives his habit from two monks. On the right side, there are also two depictions. The upper scene shows him as a lecturer, surrounded by students. Thomas seems to be enraptured. Below, he kneels before Pope Urban IV. He presents him with a book and is accompanied by two cardinals, a bishop and two clerics.

Lügde - St. Marien

04 May 2021 2 163
Lügde was first mentioned in 784 in the "Annales Regni Francorum" ("Royal Frankish Annals") when Charlemagne celebrated his first Christmas in what was then the Duchy of Saxony, namely in "Villa Liuhidi". The "Villa Liuhidi" was probably a small fortified place. The town of Lügde may have had "some importance" as early as 1195, as a coin minted that year exists. It is certain that the city charter was granted in 1246 at the latest, as the town plan, which is still in its original form today, and the fortifications, such as the town wall, moat and defence towers, were created during this time. Lügde was a planned foundation by the Pyrmont Counts. It has the typical three-street system with the main axis and two side streets. For a while, Lügde was the capital of the County of Pyrmont and the seat of the counts. As the older St. Kilian (see previous. uploads) church was located outside the now fortified town, a new church was erected inside the walls from around 1250 on. An inscription tells us, that in 1353 Magister Edulus and Thiderius completed (the tower). The nave was completed in an early Gothic style, the choir (in 1408) was late Gothic. In February 1775 Lügde was hit by a flooding catastrophe. The church was severely damaged and could not be used for a long time. In September 1797 Lüdge was nearly completely gutted by fire. The church was burned down and even the bells were melted. The church got rebuilt, but finally replaced by today´s neo-Gothic church at the end of the 19th century. I could not find any valuable information about this (little rough) statue. It seems to be put here in the 1930s, but neither did I found where it came from, nore how old it is.

Lügde - St. Marien

04 May 2021 2 157
Lügde was first mentioned in 784 in the "Annales Regni Francorum" ("Royal Frankish Annals") when Charlemagne celebrated his first Christmas in what was then the Duchy of Saxony, namely in "Villa Liuhidi". The "Villa Liuhidi" was probably a small fortified place. The town of Lügde may have had "some importance" as early as 1195, as a coin minted that year exists. It is certain that the city charter was granted in 1246 at the latest, as the town plan, which is still in its original form today, and the fortifications, such as the town wall, moat and defence towers, were created during this time. Lügde was a planned foundation by the Pyrmont Counts. It has the typical three-street system with the main axis and two side streets. For a while, Lügde was the capital of the County of Pyrmont and the seat of the counts. As the older St. Kilian (see previous. uploads) church was located outside the now fortified town, a new church was erected inside the walls from around 1250 on. An inscription tells us, that in 1353 Magister Edulus and Thiderius completed (the tower). The nave was completed in an early Gothic style, the choir (in 1408) was late Gothic. In February 1775 Lügde was hit by a flooding catastrophe. The church was severely damaged and could not be used for a long time. In September 1797 Lüdge was nearly completely gutted by fire. The church was burned down and even the bells were melted. The church got rebuilt, but finally replaced by today´s neo-Gothic church at the end of the 19th century. This work of art is much older than the church. It is the center part of a late Gothic folding altar. The other parts of the triptych are lost. It was probably carved in Antwerp around 1520.