St. Wilhadi

In the heart of the historic Hanseatic city of Stade in Lower Saxony, Germany, stands the magnificent St. Wilhadi Church. This Evangelical Lutheran church, alongside St. Cosmae et Damiani, is one of the two main churches in Stade's core area. As the principal church of the Stade district within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover, St. Wilhadi is not just a place of worship but a beacon of architectural splendor and historical richness.

The Historical Tapestry of St. Wilhadi

The origins of St. Wilhadi Church trace back to the 11th century, with the current three-aisled Gothic hall church dating from the 14th century. The oldest part of the church, the west tower, has its roots in the 13th century. The church has been Lutheran since 1529, and the latest interior renovation was completed in 2017, ensuring the preservation of its historical charm.

The architectural journey of St. Wilhadi is a tale of evolution and resilience. The church's structure is a vaulted hall church made of brick, featuring a tri-apsidal eastern end, with each apse concluding in a five-sided apse. The six-bay nave is complemented by a square tower on the west and a two-bay, vaulted bridal house attached to the northern aisle. The west tower, the oldest part, once opened to a nave that was lower than the current one, likely part of a basilica. Between 1320 and 1350, the three eastern apses and the three eastern nave bays were constructed, with design elements influenced by the Petri Church and formal principles from the Jakobikirche in Hamburg.

Architectural Marvels and Restorations

Visible within the roof space are traces of a provisional west wall, indicating the phased construction that resumed around 1360 with altered individual forms. By approximately 1400, the three western bays and the bridal house were completed. The tower suffered a fire in 1511, receiving a new pyramidal helmet in 1576. The great city fire of 1659 destroyed the tower's peak and roofs, leaving the interior gutted but sparing the vaults. In 1667, master carpenter Andreas Henne constructed a splendid Baroque tower helmet, which was damaged in 1712 and destroyed by lightning in 1724. The tower then received its current flat pyramid roof with a weather vane dated 1765.

The church underwent significant renovations between 1774 and 1780 due to increasing structural decay, led by Moor Commissioner Jürgen Christian Findorff. A comprehensive restoration from 1860 to 1876, based on Conrad Wilhelm Hase's assessments and designs, saw about three-quarters of the nave and choir masonry clad in small-format bricks up to 60 cm thick. This included renewing the western aisle gables, tower and side apse portals, choir buttresses, and window jambs and tracery bars. Despite these extensive renovations, the church retained its medieval character, unlike the neo-Gothic churches in Buxtehude and Harsefeld.

Interior Splendors

The interior, fundamentally renovated in 1989-1990, preserves the hall church character of the 14th century with all essential architectural forms intact. The stylistic transition between the eastern and western bays is most evident in the pillar designs. The eastern pillars are cross-shaped with chamfered edges, round services in the corners, and service bundles of three merged round services on the front faces. The western pillars are robust round pillars, about 40 cm thicker than the eastern ones, and feature four tripartite service bundles. This transition is also observable in the arch and rib profiles. The polygonal sandstone bases of all free-standing pillars and wall services were renewed in 1875-1876, with the original bases partially preserved beneath the floor fill. The capitals were restored in stucco in 1860, their simple chalice form with richly profiled top plates matching the originals, as evidenced by unchanged remnants behind the organ. The vaults in the nave, rising up to 13.60 meters, are four-part with bossed caps; the ribs and belt arches are only stilted in the eastern bays. The plaster of the third nave vault bears the year 1661, referencing the interior plaster renewal after the 1659 fire.

Bridal House and its Unique Features

The two-bay bridal house was divided into two floors by inserting an intermediate ceiling in 1882-1884. The western bay of the ground floor serves as a vestibule to the Gothic portal on the north wall of the nave. The eastern bay, separated by a wall, is divided into two crypt chambers with barrel vaults. The northern chamber is accessed through a round-arched portal framed by pilasters and a gable from the second half of the 18th century. The southern portal, similarly adorned with pilasters and a heavy entablature, features two niches and medallions with shallow reliefs. The upper room of the bridal house has served as a confirmation hall since 1884. The wall services, originally extending to the ground, have the same profile as those in the nave and are supported by remarkable head consoles with polygonal top plates from around 1360. These consoles depict a young and an old couple. The bridal house vaults are 4 meters lower than those in the nave, and there were originally window openings between the two spaces. The eastern vault keystone features a relief of the Lamb of God, while the western one depicts a pelican.

Artistic Treasures and Ornaments

The windows of St. Wilhadi are adorned with neo-Gothic stained glass, dating back to 1895, 1905-1907, and 1910. The main altar, crafted in 1660 in a Hamburg workshop, extends to the vault and showcases a clearly structured two-story design with ionizing columns and a broken pediment. The main level features a sculptural crucifixion group between Mark and Matthew, with an entombment painting above flanked by the evangelists Luke and John on the pediment slopes. The altar is crowned by a depiction of the resurrected Christ.

In the same year, the pulpit, originally resting on a statue of Moses, was added, now supported by an 1875 console. The polygonal pulpit basket's corners are adorned with twisted columns, and the fields and staircase feature the Savior and nine apostles, with an angel holding the Arma Christi and St. Willehad on the soundboard.

Among the epitaphs is that of Johannes von Pahlen († 1685), erected in 1686, featuring an oval oil painting of the resurrection within a magnificent acanthus frame, flanked by two female figures, with the deceased's bust and the resurrected Christ above. The epitaph of Detloff von Rantzow († 1724) comprises a coat of arms cartouche with military emblems from 1735. The epitaph of Ludwig Bernhard Lucius († 1737) displays an architectural frame with coat of arms cartouches and military emblems.

A 1665 altar cloth is adorned with metal-threaded borders on (renewed) red velvet, displaying the Königsmarck family coat of arms in the center. Of the three magnificent chandeliers, only the eastern one from the second half of the 16th century survived the 1659 fire. The middle chandelier dates to around 1660, and the western one to the second half of the 17th century. A model of St. Wilhadi's church tower, likely created by Andreas Henne in 1667, and a valuable chalice from 1639 by Stade master Detlev Junge, are also notable treasures.

The Organs of St. Wilhadi

St. Wilhadi boasts two notable organs. The main organ, originally documented in 1322, was replaced after the 1659 city fire by Berendt Hus in 1673-1676 and completed by Arp Schnitger in 1678. Destroyed by a lightning strike in 1724, the current instrument was built by Erasmus Bielfeldt between 1731 and 1736. This organ features 40 registers across three manuals and pedal, with a Rückpositiv instead of a rear work. Heinrich Röver added a swell box around this work in 1894, which was placed on the gallery without a case in 1937 and received a case integrated into the gallery in 1961-1963. Jürgen Ahrend restored the organ in 1990, returning it to its Baroque state, with lost registers and pipes reconstructed based on old models. The Rückpositiv was reinstated in its original position as a rear work.

The disposition includes:

A = Jürgen Ahrend (1990)
B = Erasmus Bielfeldt (1736)
Couplers: II/I
Additional and effect registers: Tremulant (entire organ), two cymbal stars
Pitch: a1 = 473 Hz at 16 °C
Tuning: Werckmeister II modified

The Choir Organ

In March 2019, the choir organ by Jens Steinhoff was installed in the French-Romantic style, located to the left of the pulpit in the side aisle. This instrument features 19 registers across two manuals and pedal, with three extension registers and three transmissions. The disposition includes:

Couplers: I/II, II/I, I 16′, I 4′, II 16′, II 4′, II/I 16′, II/I 4′, I/P, II/P

St. Wilhadi Church is a testament to the enduring spirit and rich history of Stade. Its architectural beauty, historical significance, and artistic treasures make it a must-visit for anyone exploring this charming Hanseatic city. Whether you are an architecture enthusiast, a history buff, or simply a curious traveler, St. Wilhadi offers a captivating glimpse into the past and a serene place for reflection.