The Lutheran Middle Ages

The Survival of Medieval Art in Protestant Churches in Germany

Kroesen, Justin

Spaces where little has changed for more than five centuries are rare, but in Protestant Germany, we find some remarkable examples. The wealth of medieval art in Lutheran churches is unparalleled; contrary to what is usually assumed, Lutherans were generally tolerant of medieval church interiors, frequently maintaining or altering the use of many furnishings or simply accepting them as neutral adiaphora – things of only minor importance. This phenomenon has been termed the “preserving power of Lutheranism”. As a consequence, it is in Lutheran churches that we can gain the most insight into what churches looked like before the Reformation, not only in Germany but also across the Latin West.
This book, illustrated with over 500 colour photographs by the author, provides a visual approach to Germany’s best-preserved medieval church interiors. Case studies are taken from across the country and include churches of all types, from monumental cathedrals and abbey churches to modest country parishes. A presentation of twenty-five outstanding examples is followed by analysis of the primary reasons for the survival of medieval art during five centuries of Protestantism. Then, ten thematic chapters discuss the most important furnishings, including altars and their decorations, tabernacles, stalls and benches, screens, pulpits, sculptures, and baptismal fonts.
More than a study of the Middle Ages, this book is an exploration of the Lutheran Middle Ages: medieval art that has passed through the filter of Lutheranism. The key question is twofold: what has survived, and how did it survive?