MINIGUIDE THROUGH THE CHURCH

Dear visitors of the church of St. Andrew,

with this leaflet, we - the Dominicans an the parish of St. Andrew - would like to give you some information about this church. The church of St. Andrew, built as a Jesuit court church in the heart of the Düsseldorf Old Town, ranks together with the court curch in Neuburg/Donau as two "of the most interesting examples of the late German Renaissance and early Barock constructions." (S. Schürmann)

The church of St. Andrew, important in the context of the history of the city as well as art history, was built following an initiative by the Jesuits who were called to Düsseldorf in 1619. Under the duke William Wolfgang of the house of Pfalz-Neuburg, it was possible to complete the construction of the church during the 30 Years War in a very short span of time (1622-1629). Additions and alterations followed as time progressed. In the second half of the 17th century the Jesuit College on the west side of the church was built. Finally in 1708 the church of St. Andrew was officially accorded the title of "Court Church". The mausoleum took on its final, present form in the 19th century. Extensive renovations to the interior were completed in the spring of 1991.

Upon entering the bright, lofty interior of the church consisting of the nave and aisles with their cross-ribbed arches, one immediately notices the stuccoed artwork in the ceilling panels. The stuccoed artwork on the ceiling is believed to be for the most part the inspiration of duke William Wolfgang. Adhering to the classical themes of the later Renaissance, the stuccoed works include the Trinity (apse) [1], the angles, patriachs, prophets, evangelists and canonized kings (central nave) [2], the "Final Judgement" behind the organ, as well as the patron saints of the church (side aisles and entrance). The artwork in its entirety represent the "comprehensive idea of the church" (H. Schnell). In particular the representations of Saint Andrew (left gallery) and Saint Dominic [3]. In addition of these stuccoed recreations of these saints, one can find twelve life-size representations of the aposteles; on the pillars flanking the central nave various saints connected with the Jesuit Order may be seen. "All of these representations of the saints do not only have a decorative function, they are above and beyond that part of a definite plan. The faithful layman should be surrounded by the saints throughout the whole church. The idea of the Augustinian State of Heaven (civitas dei) is a secondary effect on the viewer here." (S. Schürmann)

Both of the side altars with their themes "Mary" (by the Düsseldorfer painter E. Deger) [4] and "The Scourging at the Pillar" [5] are barock creations dating back to the founding of the church. The pulpit [6] dates back to the same periode (around 1650).

The high altar by Ewald Mataré [7] is unusual considering its barock surroundings. In 1960 the artist and professor at the Düsseldorf Art Academy created this marble altar as well as the windows of the choir. Although the High Altar was destroyed in the Second World War, one may see the large painting "The Martyrdom of St. Andrew" [9] by Heinrich Lauenstein (1908), which has survived. It is located in the so-called "Prince's Loge" (left of the sanctuary) [8]. Upon passing through the "Rooms of Encounter" [8-10], one reaches the mausoleum [11]. This is 12-sided on the outside an hexagonal on the inside. It contains the sarcophaguses of seven members of the ducal house of Pfalz-Neuburg, including the richly-decorated pewter sarcophagus of prince John William (Jan Wellem) [12], who died in 1716.

If one turns then towards the exit of the church, one's view falls upon the magnificent organ loft (1780-1782) [13] and upon the large cross (next to the doors) [14], which was made by Gabriel de Grupello. After the disbanding of the Jesuits in 1773, St. Andrew remained a cloister church. In 1842 it finally was named a parish church. In 1972 the Dominicans took over the ministerial work at the church, which today is owned by the state of NRW.

The Order of Preacher Brothers, which is the official name of the Dominicans, which were founded in France in 1216, ranks next to the Franciscans as the largest order of mendicant friars in the Catholic Church. Its founder, St. Dominic (around 1170-1221) attempted to combine prayer, preaching and study in the context of the medieval poverty movement. As part of the blooming development of city-culture in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Dominicans abbey had a significant role. Among the most important of the Dominican nuns and priests of the Middle Ages are the scientist and bishop Albert the Great (1200-1280), his pupil the theologian St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the mystical Master Eckart (about 1260-1327/29), the Church-Teacher Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) and the "Defender of the Indians", Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566). Today members of the Dominican family (Brothers, sisters and members of lay-organizations) work throughout the entire world.

Jürgen Wiener, Düsseldorf - St. Andreas, Euro Art Verlag, Passau 1997

Hugo Schnell, Düsseldorf - St. Andreas (Schnell Kunstführer Bd. 1033), München 1975.

Sonja Schürmann, Düsseldorf. Eine moderne Landeshauptstadt mit 700jähriger Geschichte und Kultur (DuMont Kunst-Reiseführer), Köln 1988, p. 91-97.

Benedikt Hilgefort OP, St. Andreaskirche zu Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 1989.

© "Saint Andrew - Open Church of the Dominicans" Andreasstraße 27, D-40213  Düsseldorf