It is a monument from the oldest period and probably even dates back to Romanesque times. The church probably stood on Stollberg common land and formed the end of the town until 1500. It is curious that the council (council accounts) received "16 groschen of temple money annually from the upper church" as symbolic ground rent. This also explains the peculiar location of the church, "as it blocks the further continuation of Herrengasse and thus represents a serious obstacle to today's traffic". The former upper church garden on the left, later known as the "Rector's Garden", was the first cemetery. The windowless north-west side probably replaced a section of the cemetery wall.
St. Mary's Church was not only the first town church, but also the village church of the Gablenz Valley for Ober-, Mittel- and Niederdorf and for Ober- and Niederwürschnitz. Gablenz, "an early donation to the Abbot of Grünhain", also belonged to this parish. A clear settlement section can be seen behind St. Mary's Church. At the end of Herrengasse, the settlement moves to the left on both sides of the stream. This upper town on common land was laid out after 1500, as indicated by the location of St. Mary's Church "outside Stollberg".
The building consists of two parts, one of which comprises the choir and was formerly an independent chapel. The ogival triumphal arch has been preserved from a late Romanesque structure from the 13th century. A nave was added to this old building around 1400. At the end of the 14th century, the construction of today's chancel with a five-bay end and ribbed vault began and in the second half of the 15th century, the nave was built as a two-aisled, three-bay pillared hall.
The most important furnishings include the late Gothic carved altar, the pulpit from 1600 and the baptismal font from 1647. The north wall and chancel are surrounded by galleries. The galleries date from the Gothic period. Many repairs were necessary over the course of time. The damaged cross vault had to be supported by beams and iron anchors. St. Mary's Church consists of two parts, which were in any case built at different times due to the unequal height and width of the two parts. The local, lower and narrower part is the original one and also supports the tower. The six windows decorated with ornaments at the top and the vault supported by three pillars in the middle belong to the pointed arch or Gothic architectural style.
It was not only the first town church, but also the parish church of the villages in the Gablenz Valley. As a memorial church for heroes, it was dedicated in reverence and gratitude to the memory of the many brave heroes who died for their country in the First World War. It is also popularly known as the Church of the Dead. The church was included in the town's coat of arms. The Marienkirche is also known as the Obere or Kleine or Gottesackerkirche, Kirche Beatae Virginis Mariae(1664) or the Kirche zu unseren lieben Frauen unter dem Glockenturm(1559). The oldest documentary evidence of this church dates back to 1598, when a new tower knob was added and some notes were inserted. The pulpit was made around 1680.
In 1833, lightning struck the tower and the church's interior, causing damage.
In 1914, a renovation was applied for and approved.
In 1990, the church was restored with state funds. The consecration took place on 25.03.1993.
Architectural features of St. Mary's Church
The current building, a Gothic structure, was built in the second half of the 15th century. It is built on the foundation walls of a Romanesque church from around 1225, from which time the so-called triumphal arch, i.e. a high arch between the chancel and the parish hall inside, has been preserved in addition to the foundation walls. The strange windowless north wall is probably also a remnant of the first church, although it is not known when and why it gave way to a new Gothic building.
If you first look at the exterior of the church, you will notice the buttresses typical of Gothic construction, which are particularly prominent at the corners of the building and in the choir (chancel). High, pointed arched windows provide the interior with light. Pointed arched doors lead into the house. The slate-covered roof is steep; the turret (ridge turret) is extremely slender and pointed. Inside there are two rooms, so-called naves, of equal width. This is a peculiarity of our Marienkirche. Churches of that time usually had three naves. Two-aisled buildings are rare.
Slender, yet powerful-looking pillars support the cross vaults. These are of the same height. This means another special feature. Churches with vaults of the same height are called hall churches. They are typical of the late Gothic period in Saxony. The cross ribs rise up from the pillars in a bold curve. On the walls, they rest on so-called consoles or supporting stones, which are decorated with human heads. In the middle of the vaults, where the cross ribs intersect, is a so-called keystone, which is decorated with a relief. Each keystone has a different theme: sun, moon, Christian symbols, coats of arms of noblemen who lived at Hoheneck Castle and gave money to build the church.
Seen from the inside, the tall and slender windows on the south wall and in the choir are particularly striking. They are all ogival. Narrow pillars divide the window widths. Above is so-called tracery. It is simple, but by no means unattractive (passes, fish bubbles, three- and four-leaf clover motifs). The tracery is designed differently in each window. The typical Gothic features are everywhere: doors, windows and vaults are closed with pointed arches.
The door to the sacristy features a late Gothic variation of the pointed arch: a so-called donkey's back. This door is conspicuously low. We can also observe this in other churches and especially in castles and palaces from that period. Were people smaller back then, or could they bend down more easily than we do today?
