Sulzburg - Sankt Cyriak

Sulzburg is an old town (market rights in 1008) that was known in medieval times for silver mining. The mining ceased in 1832, but an interesting mining museum still exists in Sulzburg.

St. Cyriak is first mentioned in a document in 993, the year it got consecrated. Dendrological research proved, that parts of the beam construction came from a tree that was felled in the winter of 996. The church and the adjoining nunnery were funded by the local Count Birchtilo. After Birchtilo´s death in 1005, his son Becelin handed over the church and monastery to the Bishop Adalbero in Basel. In the early days, the church had no tower, but instead two apses. The tower actually replaced the western apse end of the 11th century. The convent existed here up to 1556 when the local Markgrave introduced the Reformation. St. Cyriac was converted into a Protestant parish church and got modified into a baroque hall church in 1742.

All baroque splendour was taken out when the church got renovated in the 1960s, so by now, the nave is clear and sober. Well, not all actually, as this nice baroque epitaph survived.

It reads

I - Well respected Joh Georg Dreuspring found his grave here. He was born in 1660, he married Sophie Elisabetha, born Fuerderin, in 1686 with whom he had nine children. He died in 1726.

II - His wife Elisabetha Fuerderin, born in Lohr, passed away in 1714 at the age of 61 years.

III - Their daughter Chistina Friderica Dreuspingin was born in 1694 and died in 1725.