As of: March 28, 2024, 8:08 a.m
By: Ulrike Osman
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The figure. © Weber
It can only be seen two days a year - a historical figure of Jesus that was found in the attic of the Church of St. Georg in Eismerszell (Moorenweis municipality).
Eismerszell – Not much is known about the figure – but it is precisely these secrets that make the work of art so exciting.
The figure of Jesus belongs to a holy grave - although the cave-like structure is no longer there. And so the figure of the crucified man lies open on a discreetly decorated table in front of the chancel on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The creator is unknown, as is the year of creation. But it is precisely these secrets – and the beauty of the sculptural work – that give it a special aura.
Discovered by chance
It was sexton Stefan Silbernagl who discovered the figure by chance. His predecessor had died suddenly, meaning that an orderly handover of office could not take place. The 70-year-old had to get an overview of the sacred objects in the church himself.
Stefan Silbernagl didn't stop at corners that were difficult to access. Using cupboards and a stepladder, he climbed through a hatch into a storage room diagonally above the chancel. There he found, among other things, jewelry for various festivals, historical vestments - and at the bottom, under a pile of old things, a box in which the figure of Christ lay.
Stefan Silbernagl (l.) and Hubert Leib © Weber
“It immediately caught my eye,” says Silbernagl. Pastor Klaus Distl was also thrilled by the find. Since the color was faded and the figure was damaged, it was rebuilt by the Augsburg church painter and restorer Alice Stempfle. The expert had a lot to do with the find from Eismerszell.
“Fingers and a piece of the nose were missing,” reports Stempfle. She added the parts, attached the loose frame, glued loose wooden parts and retouched the colors.
Rural work
According to the expert, the figure is “a beautiful rural sculptural work, not a mass production where one Christ looks like another”. Alice Stempfle estimates that the figure was created in the 19th century. The origin cannot be pinpointed more precisely; a year is not engraved anywhere.
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Nobody in Eismerszell could remember the figure. “Not even the older ones,” reports sexton Stefan Silbernagl.
Apparently it hadn't been installed for decades. The sexton sees this as a sign of the loss of importance that religion and the church have experienced in recent decades.
However, after the figure was seen again for the first time on Good Friday last year, Stefan Silbernagl heard many positive comments. “People like something like that. Faith is something for the heart, for the eyes and for all the senses.” He is pleased that sculptural work is being honored again. “These ancient things speak of a deep faith.”
Church caretaker Hubert Leib is also fascinated by the figure of Christ. “She exudes an incredible sense of calm.”
You can find even more current news from the Fürstenfeldbruck district at Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.