Hinzweiler - Religion

Religion

The old Hirsauer Kirche was originally the spiritual hub for all villages in the Eßweiler Tal. When it was that a church was first built in Hirsau (not to be confused with Hirsau in Baden-Württemberg) cannot be determined today. It can be assumed nonetheless that there had been an earlier church standing at the same spot centuries before the one that still stands now was built (about 1100); it may have been wooden. Churchgoers came from throughout the dale to attend services, all weddings were held there, and so were all funerals and burials. It was also the thingstead, and on certain days, market was held there, too. Hirsau lost this central role when in 1451 the church in Hinzweiler was built, although originally this only functioned as a chapel of ease to Hirsau’s parish church. This actually brought about competition between the two churches in the time that followed for the function of parish church. As early as 1526, the Duchy of Palatinate-Zweibrücken introduced the Reformation into the church of the Oberamt of Meisenheim, replacing Catholic belief with Martin Luther’s teachings so that bit by bit, church services in the Eßweiler Tal, too, began to be conducted in accordance with the Reformation. The Offenbach Monastery, to which the Hinzweiler church was subject, at first opposed Reformist efforts. In 1555, though, the Rhinegraves of Grumbach, too, introduced the Reformation, and in 1588, the Offenbach Monastery was dissolved. After the Counts Palatine of Zweibrücken had become absolute fiefholders over the Eßweiler Tal in 1595, worshippers then had to convert to Calvinism in line with developments in the County Palatine. Beginning in 1601, Hinzweiler became the temporary parish seat, but already by 1610, it once again had to yield this function to Hirsau, only to get it back after the Thirty Years' War. This structure remains in place to this day. In earlier days, Hinzweiler’s inhabitants were mainly Reformed, according to John Calvin’s teachings. As minorities, there were Lutherans, who in 1824 merged with the Calvinists, and Jews. In 1870, the Jews had their own graveyard laid out. Many gravestones with mostly Hebrew inscriptions are preserved. Catholic Christians were not found in Hinzweiler until the early 19th century, and even thereafter, only sporadically. Of the church in Hinzweiler, only the quire under the tower actually goes back to the original building date, about 1450. About 1600, a tower was built over the quire. The original Gothic nave was torn down in the 18th century, likely because it had fallen into disrepair, and a new nave was built in 1727 north of the tower in an aisleless configuration with a three-sided end wall and a flat ceiling. Impressive is the painting on the ceiling from 1974 by Günter Humbert with its colour symbolism and representations of the Four Evangelists with the Lamb of God, the pelican as a symbol of self-sacrifice and the dove as a symbol of peace. Worthy of note in the tower area are a piece of Roman spolia set in the outer wall bearing a representation of Hercules and remnants of late mediaeval paintings inside. These fresco-secco paintings were only discovered – and uncovered – in 1974. They show Jesus Christ enthroned with Mary as intercessor for the faithful.