Kreuzkirche Eisenach, Baroque church in Eisenach, Germany.
The Kreuzkirche is a Baroque church of light tan stone blocks on the Schlossberg in central Eisenach, at the edge of the Old Cemetery. Tall pilasters divide its walls, and a dark slate-covered octagonal cupola with louvered windows and a cross rises at the centre. The facade has rectangular windows with light frames above and arched windows below; the red-orange tiled roof carries a small dormer on its left slope.
The church was built in 1697 according to Johann Mützel's designs and used stone from the demolished towers of the former Eisenach Cathedral. The reuse of these materials shows how new buildings often emerged from the remains of earlier structures.
The Latin inscription above the north portal dates from the 1697 construction and records that stone from the towers of the former Eisenach Cathedral was reused here. A second inscription sits above the south door. The church was used for Lutheran worship until the cemetery closed in 1867.
The Kreuzkirche stands on the Schlossberg footpath between the Wartburg and Eisenach's centre, ringed by the Old Cemetery. It has been vacant since 2014, when it ceased to serve as the church archive, so there are no set opening times; check the town's official pages before planning a look inside.
The church's ground plan takes the form of a Greek cross, which is echoed in its name. The surrounding Old Cemetery dates from 1599 and was enlarged several times; the parents of Johann Sebastian Bach, along with many other members of the Bach family, are buried there. A fine mausoleum also survives on the grounds.
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