Wildenau / Wildenaw / Wyldenow

The entry for this church in Förderkreis Alte-Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. [https://www.altekirchen.de/offene-kirchen/kirchen/dorfkirche-wildenau] [accessed 24 October 2022] mentions a font of about the date of the church itself ["Taufstein aus der Entstehungszeit"], comments on the poor state of the font, and announces the restoration planned [NB: the restoration in a Berlin workshop was completed by Easter 2022]. See Hans Tödtmann: Wer da glaubet und getauft wird… Die Restaurierung des Taufsteins der Dorfkirchen Wildenau (EE), veröffentlicht in Förderkreis Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg (Hrsg.): Alte Kirchen – Mitteilungen des Förderkreises Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg, Ausgabe Mai 2022, S. 6 und 7, for information on the restoration of the font and the inscription details. A communication from Pol Herman to BSI (e-mail of 3 July 2022) included English translation of the sources noted above:1.- " In : “Wochenkurier”, 11th February 2022. Baptismal font is to be welcomed with an exhibition in the church. The historic baptismal font of the church in Wildenau (town of Schönewalde) is currently being restored by a specialist company in Berlin. It should take its place in the Wildenau church again at Easter, reports Pastor Michael Seifert. »During the Easter service on Easter Sunday, we want to celebrate the return of our baptismal font and celebrate specifically baptism as a fundamental sacrament. I am planning a small exhibition in the church with baptismal robes, baptismal certificates, baptismal pronouncements and baptismal candles from the region. Anyone who would like to contribute something to the exhibition is welcome to contact me or Lothar Köhler in Wildenau,” says Seifert. As he says, he could imagine presenting clothes and documents in the gallery using a thin rope or setting up a table with the exhibits submitted. "We'll see what's coming and then think about an appropriate presentation." Easter and baptism are closely linked. After the service on April 17, there will also be an Easter breakfast so that all the exhibits can be viewed. According to Michael Seifert, the fact that the baptismal font is back in the church at Easter fits perfectly: »Easter and baptism are closely linked. Traditionally, people were baptized during the Easter Vigil and thus accepted into the community of Christians.« The fact that the approximately 400-year-old baptismal font made of sandstone can be restored at all is thanks to various sponsors and private donations. As a result, the costs of 14,000 euros are covered. In November 2021, the Steinhof restoration company removed the baptismal font from the church and brought it to the workshop in Berlin. According to Seifert, the baptismal font had broken apart, moisture from the ground had added to the sandstone. "The damaged areas are now being worked up," says Michael Seifert and explains that he was in the workshop in Berlin with Heiko Müller, the building officer for the church district, and Werner Ziems, a specialist for monument preservation work at the State Office for Monument Preservation, to see the progress of the to see the restoration. “In February we're going to Berlin again to make detailed arrangements. We are thinking of having a frame built in for our small metal baptismal dish to hang it in the large baptismal font. The small bowl was given to the church by parents of confirmands at the end of the 19th century. And maybe the spiritual saying on the baptismal bowl can be uncovered and deciphered.« 2.- In : www.altekirchen.de (Förderkreis Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg e.V.), May 2022, by Hans Tödtmann. Whoever believes and is baptized... The restoration of the baptismal font of the Dirfkirche Wildenau (Elbe-Elster). The Wildenau church stands in the center of the village on the Anger between two village ponds. The hall church was built around 1300 in field stone masonry, expanded several times in the Middle Ages and upplemented around 1900 by a mighty roof tower in half-timbered construction. In 2002 and 2003, extensive renovation work was carried out on the building. The conservation of the baptismal font made of “Cottaer Elbe” sandstone was currently endangered. It is in the shape of a communion cup. Created around 1600 or in the early 17th century, the baptismal font has the rich profiling and relief-like ornamentation characteristic of the Renaissance. The special importance of baptism corresponding to the Reformation program is underlined by the central position of the baptismal font in the chancel of the church. The effect of this arrangement between the congregation and the altar is enhanced by the floor tiles laid concentrically around the foot of the baptismal font. The square base plate, the cylindrical column and its round capital recently showed severe weathering damage, so that the ornamentation was hardly recognizable. The cause of the damage is obviously moisture rising from the ground. The ornamentation on the underside of the bowl was still well preserved, but even at the time of the first restoration inventory there were doubts as to whether the currently visible colour scheme (blue, ochre and white) was the first version. An improperly repaired crack ran across the basin. The upper edge of the basin is designed as a strong ring-shaped profile band. The surrounding inscription was illegible because of a layer of mortar that was perhaps applied to protect it from further damage. Restoration was offered by the Berlin stone mason Andreas Rentmeister for around 14,000 euros. The financing of the measure was initiated by a generous donation from the former patron family, which was followed by further donations. The parish of Wildenau, the church district of Bad Liebenwerda, the ecclesiastical foundation for art and cultural assets of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany and the monument protection authority of the Elbe-Elster district contributed further funds. The support group for old churches was left with the remaining financing amounting to a modest 1,000 euros, which ultimately came from the proceeds of the Brandenburg Village Churches Foundation. At the end of November 2021, the restorer dismantled the baptismal font. It turned out that the supposedly flat base plate continued as a solid foundation block by about half a meter into the ground. Since the foundation block and the column of the baptismal font consist of a single stone, it was also clear why the soil moisture had weathered the surface of the entire shaft over time. At the end of March, a last meeting between the parish, represented by Pastor Michael Seifert (Wahrenbrück), and Werner Ziems from the Brandenburg State Office for the Preservation of Monuments took place in the Berlin workshop of the stone restorer. It was discussed and decided that the foundation block should in future be protected from penetrating soil moisture by a lead sheathing. The relief patterns on the shaft of the baptismal font were already fixed. Since repetitions of the pattern were recognizable, a careful reconstruction of the reliefs, slightly smoothed out, was agreed. The remains of the later paint on the underside of the bowl had already been largely removed by the restoration team. It was agreed that the small traces of the original paint (green and gold) should be restored, but that the risk of a full colour reconstruction should be avoided because of the weak historical grounds.The improperly repaired crack in the shell was already professionally closed with a stainless steel dowel and lime mortar at the on-site visit. In order to protect the upper baptismal trough of the sandstone bowl from moisture, the restorer proposed a new brass bowl adapted to the trough in his offer. It was determined that the new baptismal font should be designed as a double shell so that it can do its job properly and is aesthetically pleasing. The Bible verse carved into the ring-shaped profile band of the sandstone shell had already been uncovered at the time of the on-site visit and, with the exception of the three letters lost due to the repair of the crack, was perfectly legible: MARCI AN LETZTE WER DA GLEVPET UND GETAVFT WIRD, DER WIRD SELIG. WER AP(ER N)ICHT GLEVPET DER WIRT. V.D. CHRISTI. My old Lutheran family Bible puts the verse like this: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” It is remarkable that the inscription in the baptismal font clearly shows a dot after 'WIRT'. It means that the text breaks off. 'V.D.' can therefore hardly be read as 'be damned'. The reading for 'V.D. CHRISTI' must be 'verbum domini Christi', i.e. 'Word of the Lord Christ'. It was agreed that the partially damaged edges of the lettering would be supplemented with mortar made from highly hydraulic lime. However, the proven original gilding of the writing should not be reconstructed. Pastor Michael Seifert recently sent us the following short report about the Easter service in the Wildenau village church: “The baptismal font is back in the Wildenau church. More than 40 people attended the service on Easter Sunday. There had been questions about the colour scheme beforehand. But after a closer look, everyone agreed: very good. We had a small exhibition with christening gowns, certificates, baptismal pronouncements, the baptismal register and christening candles. There was also a lot to talk about at the Easter breakfast that followed.”