Soest - Hohnekirche (PiP)

With a population of about 10.000 Soest was the most important town in Westphalia within the 11th and 12th century.

The "Soester Stadtrecht" ("Soest city law") is the oldest city law, documented in German territory. Soest was one of the most important Hanseatic cities in medieval times. During the "Soester Fehde" (Soest Feud") it liberated itself from the Bishop of Cologne, who controlled Westphalia.

During and after the Thirty Years' War, Soest suffered a tremendous loss population and influence. At the lowest point in 1756, it had only 3,600 citizens.

Soest has still a couple of wonderful medieval, Romanesque churches, erected from the regional greenish sandstone. The "Hohnekirche" (officially "St. Maria zur Höhe") is one of them. The church was built in its present form from 1180 and is one of the oldest hall churches in Westphalia. It replaced an older church here.

Here is the tympanum, created 1220/1230. Framed by a quatrefoil is the crucifixion in the centre. The cross is flanked by sun and moon - and below Mary and John. To the left is the nativity scene. Mary, the crib, the ox, the ass and Joseph (note the Jewish hat). To the right, the "myrrhbearers", three ladies visiting the (empty) tomb, the soldiers in front are sleeping. The inscription on the lintel is about a renovation in 1671.

This tympanum has parallels to the tympanum in Plettenberg (50kms south).