Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Protestant church in Meinerzhagen, Germany.
The Jesus-Christus-Kirche is a Protestant place of worship with a basilica layout and galleries that reflects 13th-century Rhineland religious architecture. The interior space is defined by these galleries, which direct attention to the altar and pulpit.
A church in Meinerzhagen is first mentioned in 1067, but the document is a forgery; the present building of broken stone was begun around 1220 as a Romanesque pillared basilica with galleries. In the Middle Ages it served as a Marian pilgrimage church, called 'unser liewen vrouwen Kerke toh Meinertzhagen', with five vicars beside the pastor. In 1474 three Cologne bachelors funded a Gothic transept. Around 1573 the church became Lutheran; a fire in 1797 destroyed roof, vault and tower, rebuilt from 1816.
The name Jesus-Christus-Kirche dates only from 1967; for centuries the building was simply called the "Alte Kirche" (Old Church). In the Middle Ages it was known as "unser liewen vrouwen Kerke toh Meinertzhagen" after the miraculous image of Mary venerated there, which drew pilgrims and supported five vicars alongside the pastor.
The church is located at Kirchplatz 4 and remains accessible daily, with its interior open for visits. Visitors should note that services take place at certain times when access to the interior may be limited.
Before the Reformation, the church attracted worshippers with annual processions displaying sacred relics and a revered statue of the Virgin Mary. This tradition ended when the church shifted to Protestant faith in the 16th century.
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