[193-] www.zudusilatvija.lv Bauska Church of the Holy Spirit is a Lutheran church and the oldest existing building in Bauska, Latvia. Built between 1591 and 1594 for the needs of the city's Baltic German population. The original building did not have a tower, which was built in 1614 and completed in 1623 by master craftsman Michael Ulrich from Arnstadt who built cupola and high steeple tower. In 1799 the steeple was ruined by a direct lightning strike and the tower was covered by a temporary wooden structure. In 1815 the damaged tower was hit by a lightning once again and the temporary four-sloped roof become permanent.
The pews are carved in the mid-17th century and early 19th century. One of the pews carved in 1640 displays Bauska coat of arms - golden lion on a red shield. The wooden altar was carved in 1699, but heavily refurbished in 1861 by Julius Döring. The pulpit (1762) and the organ prospect (1766) are gifts from the Russian senator Nikolaus Friedrich von Korff.
Memorials
On the northern wall is a memorial to City Mayor K.J. Reimers (1757). Epitaph on the southern wall is in memory of the Court Fogt Joachim Henning (1677), painted by D. von Zeitz, who had successful life in Bauska - alderman in 1682, Fogt of the Court in 1702 and even mayor in 1704.
Before 1904 church had seven painted memorials, which was then the highest number in Latvia. On that year they were removed and put in storage where most of them perished. The memorials dedicated to Johann Georg Wittig aus Ohrdruff and his wife Elisabeth Magdalena Hering (1672) depicted the blind Tobit led by the angel Raphael, with patron portraits painted on the frame. The memorial to the City Council member Gotthard Vicke and Anna Koch (1672) showed a scene of Entombment of Christ. Johann Moller's and Elisabeth Pogg's memorial (1694) depicted the Resurrection of Christ. Nicolaus von Brunnow's and Maria von Schoppingk's epitaph (1677) with the Crucifixion scene depicted the Brunnow family members at the foot of the cross. City Mayor Daniel Buchholtz's memorial (1676) featured a dedication at the centre and his portrait and coat of arms on the frame.
en.wikipedia.org
Foto: Līga MatsoneThe oldest remaining building in the part of Bauska Old Town is the Lutheran Church of Holy Spirit built a time ago for German congregation. It was built in 1591-1594 at the beginning without the tower but with nice facade plastering decorated by ornamental lines. Tower was additionally built in the Western end only in 1614 but in 1623 it obtained a nice conclusion with a dome and a steeple. In 1813 the steeple of the tower had to be dismantled because it had been damaged by the stroke of lightning.
During all its long life Bauska Church of Holy Spirit has carefully been keeping evidences about the history of the Town and the Town inhabitants and gathered a collection of excellent art monuments – devotions and remembrance signs. Church altar was made in 1699 but the present appearance it has obtained in 1861 after the reconstruction what was carried out by the famous Jelgava Artist J.Derings. Pulpit (in 1762) and organ prospect (in 1766) to the Church was presented by the Senator of Russia N. fon Korfs. Congregation benches were made in the middle of the 17th century and in the beginning of the 18th century. In one end of the benches there is to be seen a colourful wood-carving – the oldest depiction of Bauska Coat of Arms (1640) with a gold lion in a red shield.
In the altar part there are placed three pompous private benches of Baroque and Rococo style. By the walls of the Church there are nine tomb plaques of 16-17 centuries arranged in lines, among them also unique monuments of memorial sculpture. Epitaph at the Southern wall of the Church was put up in memory of the Fogt of Bauska Court J.Henning in 1677. It was painted by Bauska artist D. fon Ceics who has also held respectable positions himself – he was both an Elterman, and the Court Fogt and even the Burgomaster. At the opposite wall just recently there has returned the epitaph for other Burgomaster of Bauska – K.J.Reimerss (1757).
Plūdoņa iela 13a, Bauska, Bauskas novads, LV-3901
+371 26609920
+371 29227564
Open
May 11 - September 13: 10.00 - 16.00
Until May 11 - Saturday 11.00 - 13.00