St. Antonius

St. Antonius, the Catholic parish church of Papenburg in Lower Saxony, Germany, stands as a monumental testament to the town's rich spiritual and architectural heritage. This grand neo-Gothic brick hall church, constructed between 1875 and 1877, was designed by Alexander Behnes, a native of Papenburg and the diocesan master builder of Osnabrück. Its significance is further amplified by the largely preserved original interior, making it a must-visit for history enthusiasts and architecture aficionados alike.

The History of St. Antonius

The roots of St. Antonius stretch back to the 17th century when Papenburg, founded as a fen colony at the northern border of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster, established its first Catholic parish church in 1674/80. The blessed Niels Stensen, then auxiliary bishop in Münster, consecrated this early church on August 20, 1682, dedicating it to St. Anthony of Padua. This modest, towerless house of worship was situated on the west bank of the main canal. In 1777/78, it was expanded to double its size, but the rapidly growing community soon outgrew it. By 1881, following the completion of the new St. Antonius church, the old structure was demolished.

Plans for a new church and a building fund had been in place since the 1840s, with initial architectural designs by Josef Niehaus. In 1868, a plot of land on the opposite bank of the canal was purchased. Alexander Behnes finalized the construction plans in 1871. Due to the marshy ground, over a million bricks were used just for the foundation. The Franco-Prussian War and the founding of the German Empire delayed the laying of the cornerstone until July 15, 1875. The new St. Antonius church was consecrated by Bishop Johannes Beckmann of Osnabrück on December 11, 1877. The procurement of the interior furnishings, bells, and the first organ (located on the gallery in the north transept) took until 1885. The rich wall paintings by Gerhard Lamers and the stained glass windows were created in 1911/12, coinciding with the construction of a new gallery for a larger organ in the western bay.

Architectural Marvel

St. Antonius is a brick church measuring 70 meters in length and 35 meters in width, featuring rounded and pointed Gothic arches. The nave is a three-aisled, cross-rib vaulted hall. Two lower transept arms with intricate facades are inserted between the four western and three eastern bays, although they do not form a true transept or crossing. Above the main portal in the west rises the 88-meter-high bell tower, divided into three stories with a spire. Each corner of the building is adorned with decorative turrets, and a frieze of arches lines the eaves. The eastern end is marked by a recessed polygonal apse.

Interior Splendor

The interior of St. Antonius is characterized by patterns of green-glazed bricks interspersed with red bricks, elaborate capitals beneath the vault ribs, and the figurative stained glass windows from 1911/1912 and 1965. At the center of attention is the freestanding sandstone high altar, featuring a crucifixion group in a neo-Gothic architectural frame flanked by saints. Created by stonemason Heinrich Balthasar Seling in 1877, the crucifixion group is crowned by a Gothic arch and surrounded by pinnacles. The high altar incorporates two cabinets with golden doors: the upper one serves as a display for the monstrance, while the lower one houses the tabernacle.

Other notable features include the pulpit, side altars (dedicated to Mary and Joseph), confessionals, and the Stations of the Cross. Particularly significant are the wall paintings by Gerhard Lamers, depicting salvation history scenes, faux architectures, and numerous, partially mythical plants and animals. These murals are located above the projections, next to the windows, and include twelve depictions of (winged) dragons, representations of pheasants, peacocks, and other birds, squirrels, and even some indefinable subjects.

The Organ

When the church was completed in 1877, there was no organ gallery in the western part of the church, so the first organ was placed on the gallery in the northern transept. The current organ gallery above the tower hall was built in 1911 for a new organ. The predecessor of the current organ, built in 1957 by Ernst Brand (Quickborn), was initially installed in St. Joseph's Church in Wandsbek before being acquired by St. Antonius in 1973 and expanded to 26 registers by the organ-building firm Speith (Rietberg) in 1974.

In 2020, St. Antonius received a new large organ. The city council of Gelsenkirchen decided on May 18, 2017, to transfer the former concert hall organ of the Hans-Sachs-Haus, which was not reinstalled after the building's renovation, to the parish of St. Antonius for a symbolic amount of one euro. This organ, built by E. F. Walcker & Cie. in 1927, features 90 registers and was installed in a new case, suspended from the vault with steel cables to resonate floating in the church. The organ-building firm Romanus Seifert & Son, which had stored the organ since 2007, carried out the installation and intonation. The old organ of St. Antonius was sold to the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland.

The Bells

The tower of St. Antonius houses four bells. Three were cast in 1950 by the Junker bell foundry (Brilon), while the small Antonius bell, cast by Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock, dates back to 1929.

In conclusion, St. Antonius in Papenburg is not just a church; it's a living chronicle of the town's history and spiritual journey. Its architectural beauty, rich interior, and historical significance make it an essential destination for anyone exploring the cultural and religious heritage of Lower Saxony.