Soest - Hohnekirche

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, built with 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.
The apse of the northern aisle is not semicircular but somehow shifted to the left. It is named "Katharinenchor", as the frescoes on the side walls theme around the legend of St. Katherina ("Catherine of Alexandria"). The paintings were hidden for centuries under a coat of paint, before they were reopened and restored in 1869.

On the ceiling: Jesus crowns his mother Mary the Queen of Heaven, flanked by Katharina and Maria Magdalena. All have halos from very prominent gold stucco.