Kirchgattendorfer Altar - Bamberg Cathedral, Bamberg, BY-DE
N 49° 53.455 E 010° 52.962
32U E 635228 N 5528201
The Kirchgattendorfer Altar is a late Gothic St. Mary's altar in Bamberg Cathedral.
Waymark Code: WM13BGH
Location: Bayern, Germany
Date Posted: 11/01/2020
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It was originally made for the church of the parish village Kirchgattendorf. After having lived a long shadowy existence there, it was sold to Bamberg at the beginning of the 20th century.
The altar of Mary dates from around 1510 and served as a celebration altar until 1708. Later the parish had no more use for him and he was parked in the basement of the tower. In 1919 the altar was sold to the Steinwiesen parish due to lack of money, which, however, could not afford the high restoration costs and sold it to the Archdiocese of Bamberg. Today this altar of Mary is one of the sights in Bamberg Cathedral. In 1921 it had to give way to the Veit-Stoss-Altar and came to its current location opposite the Domreiter.
At the Kirchgattendorfer Altar, almost life-size sculptures depict Mary in a halo and Saint Catherine of Alexandria with a sword and Barbara of Nicomedia with a chalice and host. The inside of the altar wings have reliefs from the life of Mary and the childhood story of Jesus, the Annunciation to Mary at the top left, the Nativity at the bottom, the Visitation at the top right and the Adoration of the Magi at the bottom. The predella can also be closed by wings. In the middle the death of Mary is shown, on the left the rejection of the sacrifice of Joachim and on the right Mary's temple passage. With the wings closed, Christ on the Mount of Olives and his capture can be seen.
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