A jewel next to the Gottesacker: the cemetery church of St. Paul in Erding

Created: 12/16/2022, 3:00 p.m

By: Gerda Gebel

An eventful and long history: Church leader Christian Numberger (standing) explained many interesting details of the Church of St. Paul at Erdinger Friedhof.

The church is older than the cemetery Tombstones tell the history of the city © Peter Gebel

It is mostly only used for funerals: the Church of St. Paul in Erding.

Church leader Christian Numberger now introduced them to an interested audience.

Erding – The small church of St. Paul leads a shadowy existence next to the cemetery of the same name, which is usually only visited at funerals.

The Katholisches Bildungswerk (KBW) wanted to bring some light into the darkness with a tour as part of the Erdinger advent calendar "Auf Weihnacht'n zua".

Heike Kronseder, Chairwoman of the Historical Society, was enthusiastic about the lively visitor interest in the little church, which she considers a "true jewel".

Christian Numberger, as a newly certified church leader, immediately cleared up a widespread misconception: the church and cemetery were not created at the same time, rather the church location was mentioned in a Wittelsbach Urbar (property list) as early as 1231, when there was still a long time since there was no cemetery at the site.

The church building had to be renewed several times, which was also severely damaged during the 30-year war.

At the end of the 17th century master builder Hans Kogler was commissioned with the new building - by the parish of Altenerding with its pastor Wolfgang Grimm, as Numberger explained.

At that time, both the current parish church of St. John and the new church of St. Paul were branch churches of the Altenerding parish church of the Annunciation.

Hans Kogler came from the famous master builder family, which created around 130 baroque churches in the district.

A path is dedicated to him in Erding, which leads from the large parking lot at Mühlgraben to St. Paul.

The church, consecrated in 1707, which is popularly known as the church of the cemetery or the cemetery, presents itself as a baroque hall with a recessed, semi-circular choir.

The three late baroque altars immediately catch the eye.

They are framed by four or two columns and feature decorations typical of the time, such as garlands of flowers.

The large picture on the main altar shows the passage from the Bible in which Saul becomes Paul.

"An indication that meeting Jesus can transform a person," Numberger said.

The Jesuit Franz Xaver, who was active as a missionary mainly in East Asia, can be seen on the right of the side altars, which are designed in a somewhat simpler way. "A fashionable saint at the time," said Numberger.

The left side altar is decorated with a picture of Maria Immaculata (Mary without flaws), in which she is shown without the baby Jesus.

The altarpieces are by the South Tyrolean painter Johann Egler, who also created the high altarpiece and the ceiling frescoes in the Heilig Blut pilgrimage church.

In the small church of St. Paul, however, the paintings on the ceiling come from a well-known Erdinger, Martin Irl, who later made a career as a co-founder of the Volksbank and as a politician.

Also worth seeing in the small church is the wooden pulpit, made by carpenter Christoph Eckhard, on which the pulpit basket is surrounded by turned columns.

On the sides are images of the four evangelists, and St. Paul with a flowing beard stands on the soundboard.

On the opposite side, under the large cross, is a depiction of the "Mater dolorosa".

Our Lady of Sorrows has a sword in her breast, meant to represent her lifelong concern for her son Jesus.

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Numberger also drew attention to the rear gallery, where the depiction of a Stations of the Cross with 14 stations can be admired.

There are only a few depictions of the Way of the Cross from the Baroque period, as these were a privilege of the Franciscans at the time.

Interesting for a closer look are the historical commemorative plaques and epitaphs attached to the side walls.

Here you will also find the names of donors who contributed to the construction or maintenance, such as the former mayor Franz Eisenreich, who still does good things for his hometown with his school fund foundation.

Although the Church of St. Paul was not originally built with the cemetery, today it forms "a wonderful ensemble" together with the sacristan's house and the neoclassical mortuary, emphasized Kronseder.

In addition to a visit to the church, she recommended a walk through the St. Paul Cemetery with many interesting inscriptions on the tombstones.

"This is citizen and city history."