St. Ludwig, Religious monument in Edenkoben, Germany.
St. Ludwig is a neo-Gothic hall church of the Rhineland type, built in light tan stone from 1888 to 1890 to plans by Ferdinand Bernatz of Speyer. A tall west tower with a pointed spire and clock stands beside a steep dark slate roof, which rises to a smaller spire with an open lantern over the crossing. Inside, five bays with pointed arches and ribbed vaults lead to a five-sided choir; the high altar is a wooden retable with a Crucifixion group, and statues of the Twelve Apostles stand on the pillars.
St. Ludwig was built in 1888–1890 to replace the older Nepomukkirche, which had become too small for Edenkoben's growing Catholic community. A state-approved church lottery raised 200,000 marks, and King Ludwig I of Bavaria gave 4,000 guilders as start-up funding. The Speyer architect Ferdinand Bernatz produced the final plans, Wilhelm Schulte sen. supervised the building site, and Bishop Joseph von Ehrler consecrated the church on 24 August 1890.
The church is dedicated to Saint Louis the Holy, the patron of the church. The high altar is a wooden retable over a stone stipes, crowned by a crucifixion group, with reliefs of the Nativity and the Last Supper. The sculptor August Schmiemann made the Twelve Apostles on the pillars, the triumphal cross and the fourteen Stations of the Cross.
The church is accessible to visitors who wish to view the architecture and interior spaces, as well as attend services when available. It is helpful to check opening times in advance, as these may vary depending on scheduled events.
The church retains most of its original neo-Gothic furnishings. Sculptor August Schmiemann from Münster made the Twelve Apostles on the pillars, the triumphal cross at the choir arch and the fourteen carved Stations of the Cross. The organ, delivered in 1890 by Heinrich Voit & Söhne of Durlach, was rebuilt in 1990 by Gerhard Kuhn with 29 stops on three manuals and pedal inside the old case.
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