St. Menas (Koblenz-Stolzenfels)

Nestled amidst the lush greenery of the Rhineland-Palatinate, the St. Menas Church in Lahnstein stands as a beacon of historical and architectural splendor. This charming Catholic church, completed in 1833, is dedicated to St. Menas, a unique dedication north of the Alps. Perched on a hillside above the Stolzenfels district, the church offers both spiritual solace and a glimpse into the region's rich past.

The History of St. Menas Church

The origins of St. Menas Church date back to a modest chapel known as capella Sewardi, established in Stolzenfels as a branch of St. Kastor in Koblenz. First documented in 1100, this chapel lent its name to the area, known as Kapellen. In 1328, the chapel received its unusual dedication to St. Menas when it came under the possession of the Benedictine monastery on the Karthause. Elevated to parish status in 1486, the old chapel was eventually demolished in 1819 due to its dilapidated state.

In its place, a new church was constructed between 1826 and 1833, designed by Koblenz architect Johann Claudius von Lassaulx. The church was consecrated on May 5, 1833. Initially adorned with frescoes by Johann Adolf Lasinsky in 1844, these artworks were later painted over. A sacristy was added to the choir in 1898, enhancing its functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Exploring St. Menas Church

Visitors to St. Menas Church will find a neo-Romanesque hall structure made of unplastered quarry stone masonry, harmoniously blending with its natural surroundings. The church is oriented parallel to the hillside, with a semicircular choir to the south. Its architectural rhythm is defined by a series of narrow and broad round-arched blind niches, with large round-arched windows set within the broader niches. A round-arch frieze of light tuff stone crowns the structure, while a bell turret with a high pointed helmet rises from the north side of the slate-roofed gable.

The church's façade features a sculpture of St. Sebastian and an entrance framed by two tall pilasters, topped with a triangular gable and a round window beneath. Surrounding the church is a cemetery, with the oldest graves nestled against the high retaining wall to the west. Among these is a notable grave monument fragment from 1818, adorned with an elaborate cast-iron cross from the Sayner Hütte. Another significant gravestone commemorates Joseph Gieres, a Reichsbahn signal tower master who passed in 1929, marked by a neoclassical Lahn marble stele.

The Interior of St. Menas Church

Inside, the church's flat-roofed hall is bright and airy, echoing the exterior's architectural motifs. The ceiling is divided into large panels by dark beams adorned with ornamental designs. In 1907, Lahnstein painter M. Adler embellished the arches flanking the altar with Nazarene-style paintings. In 1981, remnants of Lasinsky's original frescoes were uncovered in the central arch niche behind the altar.

The apse windows feature late Gothic stained glass depictions of John the Baptist and the Crucifixion, donated by Lassaulx and his wife. The church houses a striking crucifix from the mid-15th century, showcasing a vividly painted wooden sculpture of the dying Christ. This walnut crucifix once stood in the adjacent cemetery. To the altar's right, a modern statue of the Madonna of the Crescent Moon (circa 1520) stands, draped in a flowing garment, holding a scepter and a playful Christ child with an apple. On the left, a limewood statue of St. Sebastian (circa 1500) is displayed, depicting the youthful saint bound to a tree stump, raising his right hand.

Art and Artifacts

Among the church's treasures is a statue of St. Menas, created in 1940 by Koblenz sculptor Wilhelm Tophinke. The statue portrays the saint as a Roman soldier, with his left hand over an open flame and his right hand raised in an oath, reflecting a legend of his martyrdom under Emperor Diocletian. This piece is accompanied by a framed ancient Menas ampoule (4th/5th century), a gift from the President of the Societe d'Archeologie Copte in Cairo, once carried by pilgrims visiting the Menas shrine in Egypt.

The church also features a newly crafted tabernacle from 1968, incorporating two angel figures with the Veronica's Veil (circa 1500), a 17th-century plague cross, and a hexagonal baptismal font with slender columns made of light sandstone in late medieval style.

Organ and Bells

St. Menas Church's musical heritage includes an organ built by Carl August Buchholz in 1844. The current organ, crafted by Johannes Klais Orgelbau in 1942, features two manuals and a pedal with 22 registers. This opus 977 was the last work delivered before the workshop's wartime closure in 1943. The organ system employs an electro-pneumatic register chest with multiple transmissions into the pedal. The bell turret houses two bells (f and dis), cast by the Mabilon bell foundry in Saarburg in 1925 and 1929.

St. Menas Church is part of the Koblenz-Innenstadt Dreifaltigkeit parish community, which includes the Basilica of St. Kastor, the Church of Our Lady, and the Sacred Heart Church in the old town, as well as St. Joseph in the southern suburb. As a protected cultural monument under the Monument Protection Act (DSchG), St. Menas Church is listed in the monument register of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley since 2002.