Pfarrkirche Unsere Liebe Frau, Gothic parish church in Eppingen, Germany.
The Pfarrkirche Unsere Liebe Frau is a Gothic church in Eppingen with a cross-shaped floor plan, with a tower at the east end dominating the building. The nave extends westward from the tower and is marked by arches and vaults typical of Gothic design.
The church existed before Eppingen was first recorded in writing in 985, with local tradition crediting its foundation to Merovingian King Dagobert I around 635. Over the centuries, the building underwent repeated renovations and enlargements to meet the needs of the growing community.
From 1707 to 1878 the church was a Simultankirche: a dividing wall split the interior, with the Reformed congregation using the nave and Catholics the choir. Catholics kept the small choir and in 1806/07 added a north transept for space. The name Unsere Liebe Frau, "Our Lady", refers to Mary, to whom the church is dedicated.
The church houses medieval wall paintings from the 14th century in its tower depicting scenes from Jesus's childhood, his passion, and the twelve apostles. To see these fine details clearly, visiting on a bright day is helpful, as the interior can be quite dim.
The oldest bell, the Osanna bell of 1516, was moved to the new Protestant town church in 1878, and the foundation stone of 1435 went with it. The tower base, dating from around 1200, holds 14th-century wall paintings restored by Valentin Peter Feuerstein in 1962/63.
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