Splendid edifice from the empire area
The Moritz church is three-aisled central building, erected in the characteristic style of the late-historicism, in which neo-gothic and neo-Romanesque elements are blended together into an architectural combination. The entire edifice is covered with a relief-like brick lined ornamentation, in which red unglazed bricks alternate with green and brown ones. Overall, the church has 116 varying brick profiles. The western gable is flanked by two octagonal steeples with conical roofs. Above the main portal as well as in the aisles, big rose windows are located.
An array of five little chapels is attached to the chancel located in the east. Above the central main dome is a crossing tower with a height of 71 metres including a pyramid roof and square corner towers.
The interior of the church is decorated mainly in a neo-gothic style. In the 20 metre high central room no supporting columns obstruct the view of the chancel. Hence it offers an unhindered view of the chancel and pulpit from nearly each of the 1,000 seats. A fact showing, that not only because of the splendid acoustics, the church is predestined for concerts. The chancel, the pulpit and the ambo, the plinth of the baptismal font as well as the pews are made of oak wood. Like the exterior the interior as well is cladded with red bricks intermittent by even and colourful painted areas. The arched roofs, the sanctuary as well as the galleries are painted with colourful ornamentations. Both aisle galleries and organ loft on the west side are built on compact columns with Corinthian capitals.
Eponym of the church is the Saint Mauritius, a Christian martyr of the third century. Later he became the patron saint of the town Zwickau. The Mauritius window above the main portal shows a pale Mauritius, in contrast to the sculpture above the entry of the town hall.
The historic roots of the Moritz church trace back to a Marien church, consecrated in 1118, which was located not far from today’s church near the Osterweih and Hölderlinstraße. The deed of foundation of this oldest church Zwickau county mentioned the name “Zwiccowe” for the first time- the earliest documentary mentioning of Zwickau. In 1212, the church was documentary called Moritz church for the first time.
When in the late 19th century the old Moritz church had gotten too small for parish of the uprising northern periphery, the decision was made to build a new bigger church. On the basis of the award winning sketch by the Berlin architect Jürgen Kröger, the master builder Wilhelm Junghanns erected the new Moritz church, which was consecrated on the first Advent of 1893. The old Moritz church was removed in the following year.
Protestant-Lutherian Moritz parish Zwickau
Leipziger Straße 49
08056 Zwickau
Phone: +49(0)375 - 215005
www.moritzkirche-zwickau.de
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