St. Laurentius
The Church at Meeder
History:
The Church at Meeder was founded early in the
8th Century by Irish monks
who evangelized the tribes in Upper Franconia. Evangelation of the area began around
the year 684, when St. Kilian, along with eleven companions, traveled to Würzburg,
where he succeeded in converting the local Duke. Shortly thereafter, however, St. Kilian
was martyred, leaving his companions to continue the work of establishing the Church.
After a period when it was served by Würzburg, the Church at Meeder was assigned to a
monastery in Veilsdorf. Later, in the 13th Century, Meeder served as the Diocesan Church
for the area, until the Cathedral was relocated to the City of Coburg. Finally, in the year
1524, duke John, Elector of Saxony made the Lutheran Church the State Church of his
realm. The Church at Meeder has since been a parish of the Evangelical-Lutheran
Church.
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Pastor Steffen Lübke |
Certainly, church buildings existed at Meeder from the early times. However, the existing
Church dates from three different periods. The Roman style Bell Tower is all that
remains from a church built in the late
11th century or the
early 12th century.
The Choir (to the right of the Bell Tower) was added about 1440, when the Duke provided funds
for its construction. The Choir was built in the Gothic style and houses the high altar used
when the Church was a Roman Catholic parish. The final section to the left of the Bell
Tower was built in the Baroque style in 1723 and houses the organ and seating for the
congregation.
Today, St. Laurentiuskirche is part of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Germany and serves
Meeder and the surrounding area, including Moggenbrunn. The Reverend Steffen
Lübke has served as the pastor of St. Laurentius since 2003.
St. Laurentiuskirche:
The interior of St. Laurentiuskirche can also be divided into three areas: the Choir, the
Altar and the Pews.
| The Choir, at the far end, was the
location of the high altar in Catholic times. Its walls are decorated with carved stones,
several of which once covered the tomb of prominent individuals and dating back as early as the
11th century.
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| The Altar, which occupies the space
below the Bell Tower, is the center of worship. In addition to the altar proper, this
area houses the raised pulpit.
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The Pews, occupy the newest section
of the church. Note the three levels of searing for the congregation.
This area also houses the organ in the back of the church on the second level.
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Parish Hall:
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The Parish Hall is located near the far end of the church. Until 1953, this building was
occupied by the Public School. In 1982, the building was remodeled to include a Social
Hall on the lower floor and a library and reading room on the upper floor.
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Parsonage:
| Across a narrow street from the
Church, lies the church's Parsonage. This two story building contains the living quarters
of Pastor Lübke and his family, as well as his office and study.
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Cemetery:
Behind the Church we find the
Cemetry. Typical of cemeteries in many European countries, the graves are carefully
planted with flowers and shrubs, often by professionals. The result is lovely to behold.
As Pastor Lübke explained that, because of limited space, graves are generally recycled
after 30 to 40 years. A new grave is dug and the cycle begins again. Thus, it is
unusual to find old graves, unless the individual was a particularly famous and respected person.
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