St. Michaeliskirche – St Michael’s Church
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Engraved in a window lintel in the north staircase is the date 1559. Nevertheless Hof’s main Protestant church, which – together with the town hall – dominates Ludwigstraße, is much older. According to historical evidence, the first of four construction phases began around 1230. That was when a chapel consecrated to Archangel Michael was built as a branch of the older St Lawrence’s Church. Much more than any other church here, St Michael’s suffered greatly from wars and fires. After its destruction by a town fire in 1299, a three-aisled hall church was built with transept-like jutting out chapels.
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The most important construction phase was certainly the third, starting in 1480, because that is what gave St Michael’s its final appearance. Due to the increasing number of inhabitants, the authorities took a daring step: they broke down the eastern section of the town wall. In 1536, with the coming of the Reformation, St Michael’s was chosen as the main church for the Protestant faith. Cannon balls in the middle choir window and the north tower remind us of a siege lasting several weeks in 1553 during which the church was also a major target.
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The town fire on 4th September 1823 had a devastating effect: all that remained of the church were the towers and the outer walls. Still, that meant that the external appearance did not change during reconstruction of the church from 1826. The plans were drawn up by Georg Erhard Saher, who had previously worked in Potsdam and collaborated with the famous architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. St Michael’s was enlarged yet again and given a clearly neo-gothic look. A change in the position of the pillars made it possible to broaden the nave while at the same time greatly narrowing the side aisles. A result was the creation of a large, bright choir.
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Changes were also made to the church towers, which now got octagonal roofs. The year 1884 is an important one in the history of continual building alterations. For one thing, granite pillars were added to the main portal, and for anther thing, the choir now got new stained glass windows. They show the Annunciation, the Birth of Jesus, the Resurrection and Epiphany. The three central windows are the work of Berlin Professor Carl Gottfried Pfannschmidt.
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Apart from a wooden gothic crucifix from the 15th century, the interior of the church only goes back to the time following the 1823 fire. Unfortunately visitors to the church cannot view one particular art treasure. The original high altar of 1465, known in art-history as the “Hof Altar”, is now on exhibit in the “Alte Pinakothek” Museum in Munich. With its 8 paintings, it is regarded as the most beautiful Franconian winged altar and was made by Hans Pleydnwurff from Bamberg. An all too subservient town council gifted it to King Ludwig I of Bavaria to become part of the royal collection in Munich. Repeated efforts in the past decades to have the altar returned to Hof have so far been without success.
The present altar from 1884 was the work of a Munich artist called Anselm Sikkinger. It shows the Eucharist, on the wings are the four Evangelists and the predella is decorated with a symbolic representation of faith, love and hope.
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The most important work of art in St Michael’s is the organ, which was built in 1834 by the Heidenreich brothers and resembles Silbermann organs in sound. In 1967 it was completely restored using original plans for the main keyboard, the upper keyboard and the pedalboard and adding a third manual with an intentionally modern disposition. Experts are of the opinion that this Biedermeier instrument sounds better than any other organ in Bavaria. This organ together with the excellent acoustics in St Michael’s are ideal prerequisites for oratorios and concerts with the Hofer Symphoniker, famous musicians and the renowned St Michael’s church choir.
Looking at the town at night from the elevation of Theresienstein Park, St Michael’s Church and its equally imposing neighbour the town hall make a truly impressive sight when floodlit.
