It is a place of worship with a long history: the St. Nicholas Chapel in Geretsried is celebrating its 300th anniversary this weekend.
Geretsried – The oldest historic building in the city, the St. Nicholas chapel opposite the Geiger inn, celebrates its 300th anniversary on September 18th.
707 years have passed since the first mention of the little church.
In 1315 Bishop Konrad III.
capture all monasteries, monasteries and churches of Freising.
In the Konradin register, St. Nikolaus in Geretsried appears for the first time as a branch church of St. Laurentius in Königsdorf.
There are hardly any records from the early days and during the 30-year war from 1618 to 1648.
1667 reports of damage to the church.
Church accounts from the years 1719 and 1720 show that the dilapidated building was rebuilt "a fundo", i.e. from the ground up, at that time.
The church community owned the money for this, it came from rent and interest payments.
Even the sovereigns, especially Elector Maximilian II Emanuel, were eager borrowers from the church at the time.
The elector's numerous wars cost enormous sums.
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Scaffolded: From 1968 to 1972 the St. Nicholas Chapel was restored for the first time.
© Archive
In 1722 the newly built, octagonal baroque style church with a tufa dome, a solid wooden door and symmetrical windows on the sides and a typical onion dome was reopened.
The Freising Prince Bishop Johann Franz Eckher von Kapfing and Lichteneck solemnly consecrated the St. Nicholas Chapel with the 14 Holy Helpers on September 18, after he had done the same thing the day before at the second Königsdorf branch church, St. Margareta in Huppenberg.
On both occasions he simultaneously administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to numerous children.
A document from 1884 states that a service was to be held every year on the patron saint, St. Nicholas Day on December 6th.
For the time around Ascension Day, the Königsdorf parish should go to St. Nicholas every year.
During the war and post-war years, when St. Nicholas no longer had any pastoral importance, the building fell into disrepair: the double cross on the tower hung crookedly, window panes were broken, the roof covering was damaged, the wall fungus destroyed the foundations.
In 1967 citizens got together to preserve it
On the initiative of the first mayor of the municipality of Geretsried, Karl Lederer, the interest group (IG) for the preservation of the St. Nicholas chapel was founded in 1967 by 25 citizens.
Since 1951 the church belonged to the newly founded parish of Maria Hilf.
The purpose of the IG is laid down in paragraph 1 of the statutes: Procurement of funds to restore and maintain the church.
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Namesake: The little church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
© Hans Lippert
Thus, under the chairmanship of Dr.
Otto Rothe also started immediately.
From 1967 to 1972, the most necessary repairs were carried out for 30,000 Deutschmarks.
Foundations and walls were drained and plastered, the windows were glazed.
The roof covering was repaired and the tower statically strengthened.
Auxiliary Bishop Ernst Tewes re-benedicated the chapel in 1972.
In 1974 a new, second bell was purchased.
The previous one had been melted down for war purposes.
The new bell crown bears the inscription "Deo Gloria, Urbi Laetitia, Orbi Pax", which means "To the glory of God, to the joy of the city, to the peace of the world".
Historical gems should be preserved for the future
The gem underwent the second, fundamental renovation between 1987 and 1990. It cost 300,000 Deutschmarks and was carried out in close cooperation with the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments.
Rothe worked to ensure that the roof and the bulbous tower got their original wooden shingle roofing back.
The old doors have been renovated.
It meant a lot of work to restore the artistic equipment.
Restorer Erwin Wiegerling took care of the body of Christ and the medallions of Saint Nicholas and Emmeram as well as Saint Magdalene.
In 1990, District Administrator Othmar Huber awarded the interest group a certificate of honor for their exceptional commitment;
In 2005, the city's culture prize for Rothe followed.
Read the latest news from Geretsried here.
In 2023, the third major renovation will take place under the chairmanship of Florian Sachers (since 1997).
After 35 years, the shingle roofs of the church interior and tower have become leaky and have to be re-roofed.
The woodworm infestation on the altar and pews must be removed.
The Catholic Church Foundation Maria Hilf expects costs of around 400,000 euros.
This time, too, the city and the citizens are generous.
The culture committee has promised 200,000 euros for the years 2023 and 2024, which the city council still has to approve.
The archdiocese wants to contribute 80,000 euros.
The IG has already collected around 40,000 euros through a roof shingle sponsorship and other campaigns.
"We are all doing our best to preserve and preserve this historical gem for the future," says parish priest Andreas Vogelmeier.
Celebrations begin on Saturday
On Saturday, September 17th, the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the consecration begin in front of and in the Nikolauskapelle.
"Devotions simply different," promises Pastor Vogelmeier.
A Bible discussion, an incense meditation and harp playing are planned.
The festive service on Sunday, September 18, from 10 a.m. will take place in Maria Hilf.
After the mass, the traditional parish festival takes place in the parish hall, which is co-designed by the music school in Geretsried.
An exhibition in the rectory tells the story of St. Nicholas.
Tanya Lühr
Also read: "There was always a jug of milk for us": The Hahn family and their relationship with the Geiger inn
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