Hochelten / Hoch Elten
Image copyright © Frank Vincentz, 2009
GFDL
Results: 6 records
view of font and cover
Scene Description: "Stiftskirche St. Vitus in Hochelten, Emmerich am Rhein" -- the modern font
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Frank Vincentz, 2009
Image Source: digital photograph 12 June 2009 by Frank Vincentz
Copyright Instructions: GFDL
view of basin in context
![[cf. FontNotes]](/static-50478a99ec6f36a15d6234548c59f63da52304e5/compressed/0260303014_compressed.png)
Scene Description: [cf. FontNotes]
Image Source: [cf. FontNotes]
Copyright Instructions: Assumed PD
view of church exterior - northeast view
Scene Description: "Hoch-Elten, Sint-Fitustsjerke"
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © RomkeHoekstra, 2022
Image Source: digital photograph 20 November 2022 by RomkeHoekstra
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
view of font and cover in context
Scene Description: "Hoch-Elten, Sint-Vituskerk - doopkapel" -- showing the modern font in it
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © RomkeHoekstra, 2022
Image Source: digital photograph 20 November 2022 by RomkeHoekstra
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0
animal - mammal - quadruped - 2 - plant or tree - star
![[cf. FontNotes]](/static-50478a99ec6f36a15d6234548c59f63da52304e5/compressed/1260303015_compressed.png)
Scene Description: [cf. FontNotes]
Image Source: digital image of a B&W photograph in Rheinisches Amt für Denkmalpflege at Pulheim [cf. FontNotes]
Copyright Instructions: Assumed PD
information
![[cf. FontNotes]](/static-50478a99ec6f36a15d6234548c59f63da52304e5/compressed/1260303013_compressed.png)
Scene Description: [cf. FontNotes]
Image Source: [cf. FontNotes]
INFORMATION
Font ID: 26182AYM
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: 13th century (?), Medieval
Cognate Fonts: [cf. FontNotes]
Church / Chapel Name: Römisch-katholische Pfarrkirche St. Vitus / Sint-Fitustsjerke / ehemalige Stiftskirche Elten
Font Location in Church: disappeared?
Church Wikidata: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiftskirche_(Elten)
Church Patron Saint(s): St. Vitus
Church Notes: [cf. FontNotes]
Church Address: Freiheit 4, 46446 Emmerich am Rhein, Germany
Site Location: Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, Europe
Directions to Site: Located off (N) road 8 [Emmericher Str.], in the municipality and 5-6 km NW of Emmerich am Rhein, on the N bank of the Rhine river, near the border with te Netherlands
Additional Comments: disappeared font? (the one from the Romanesque church here)
Font Notes:
Click to view
Disappeared Romanesque font noted in Die Kunstdenkmäler der Rheinprovinz (1892) and in Zimmermann (1954 [cf. infra].
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 4 February 2026) informs: "Hochelten (Hoch-Elten), Stiftskirche, lost Romanesque font.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stift_Elten -- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiftskirche_(Elten). The chapel of Hochelten was consecrated in 1129 by Bishop Sigward of Minden in the presence of Emperor Lothair. This font is described in „Die Kunstdenkmäler der Rheinprovinz – Zweiter Band – Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kreises Rees“, 1892, Seite 725“ as two dogs looking at each other. Zimmermann (“Romanische Taufsteine am Niederrhein“ in Annalen des historischen Vereins für den Niederrhein, Volume H, 1954) , states that the font is from the "Schelde-Gruppe", this would mean Tournai-type. However there is no Tournai font to be found far and wide from Hochelten. How would it have gotten there ? Zimmermann talks about a wolf or panther with double body. Lisbeth Tollenaere attributes it to the style of Theux/Anrath, this means Mosan, but belonging to a group distributed rather far to the east of the Meuse river. However, I do not think she ever saw a picture of the font. In 1902, the journal De Opmerker, published by Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia (Amsterdam) writes : of the thirteenth-century baptismal font, only the basin remains, decorated with rough carvings. I found one picture from the Rheinisches Amt für Denkmalpflege at Pulheim. It shows the font at what seems to be a farm. My opinion: these are not lions. Romanesque lions on fonts always have their tail between the hind legs, or curled above the back. I see no mane. The animals are guarding what seems to be the tree of life. The most resembling animal is on the baptismal font of Son : a dog chasing a hare. By coincidence (?), it is also a square basin. But the font of Son is attributed to the Picard-type group, typical for an area 300 km away from Hochelten. Probably the font is lost and this mystery will never be solved."
A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 4 February 2026) informs: "Hochelten (Hoch-Elten), Stiftskirche, lost Romanesque font.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stift_Elten -- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiftskirche_(Elten). The chapel of Hochelten was consecrated in 1129 by Bishop Sigward of Minden in the presence of Emperor Lothair. This font is described in „Die Kunstdenkmäler der Rheinprovinz – Zweiter Band – Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kreises Rees“, 1892, Seite 725“ as two dogs looking at each other. Zimmermann (“Romanische Taufsteine am Niederrhein“ in Annalen des historischen Vereins für den Niederrhein, Volume H, 1954) , states that the font is from the "Schelde-Gruppe", this would mean Tournai-type. However there is no Tournai font to be found far and wide from Hochelten. How would it have gotten there ? Zimmermann talks about a wolf or panther with double body. Lisbeth Tollenaere attributes it to the style of Theux/Anrath, this means Mosan, but belonging to a group distributed rather far to the east of the Meuse river. However, I do not think she ever saw a picture of the font. In 1902, the journal De Opmerker, published by Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia (Amsterdam) writes : of the thirteenth-century baptismal font, only the basin remains, decorated with rough carvings. I found one picture from the Rheinisches Amt für Denkmalpflege at Pulheim. It shows the font at what seems to be a farm. My opinion: these are not lions. Romanesque lions on fonts always have their tail between the hind legs, or curled above the back. I see no mane. The animals are guarding what seems to be the tree of life. The most resembling animal is on the baptismal font of Son : a dog chasing a hare. By coincidence (?), it is also a square basin. But the font of Son is attributed to the Picard-type group, typical for an area 300 km away from Hochelten. Probably the font is lost and this mystery will never be solved."
COORDINATES
UTM: 32U 305316 5749746
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 51.864482, 6.172385
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 51° 51′ 52.13″ N, 6° 10′ 20.59″ E
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material: stone
Font Shape: square (mounted)
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: square
REFERENCES
- Zimmermann, Wilhelm, "Romanische Taufsteine am Niederrhein", 1954, 1954, 155-156, pp. 475-500; 72 [cf. FontNotes]