St. Eligius chapel shines in new splendor after a million renovation!

St. Eligius chapel shines in new splendor after a million renovation!

Burggen, Deutschland - The St. Eligius chapel in Burggen shines again in its original shine after successful exterior renovation. The chapel was ceremoniously consecrated on May 30, 2025. Originally built in 1631, it is an octagonal central building with cap vaults and a delicate roof rider. Due to rain, the planned field service had to be moved to the parish church of St. Stephan. Nevertheless, numerous local associations, which were present with flags, and the Burggen music band, which the Schubert fair played, celebrated this special occasion.

A festive train led to the consecration of the church, in which Pastor Thaddäus Biernacki, Mayor Sandra Brendl-Wolf and former mayor Joseph Schuster took a seat in a carriage. The total costs of the renovation amounted to 220,000 euros, with 60% of the sum subsidized by the Augsburg diocese. The amount of 2,500 euros came from the monument office, while over 15,000 euros came together by donating citizens. Originally, only a new outdoor paint was planned in 2016, but a dilapidated roof structure required more comprehensive work.

renovation and restoration

The renovation began in August 2023 after it was delayed due to the corona pandemic. Architect Manfred Ullmann and his team respected the architectural and sacred importance of the chapel in the restoration. The roof structure was successfully restored, with damaged beams replaced and the re -covering with beaver tail panels was carried out. The chapel was originally donated by pastor and Dean Gallus Thoma as a trinity chapel, received an extension in 1718 by a square, cross -grated choir, while Joseph Fronwieser created the facade frescoes in 1732/33. Pastor Biernacki praised the chapel in his sermon as "prayer hewn in stone".

After the blessing, a celebration took place in the gym, where the music band created a festive atmosphere. However, the condition of the wall paintings in several chapels, such as the chapel in Krewinkel, remains problematic. There were discoveries of valuable wall paintings from the 16th century in the 1990s, but were affected by moisture problems. Wolfgang Reuter, lay judge of the municipality of Büllingen, expressed concerns about the state of preservation of the frescoes and called for urgent preservation measures. A three -phase intervention with climate measurements over two years and a renewal of the drainage is planned.

challenges of conservation

The challenge of restoration of wall paintings is closely linked to the surrounding environmental conditions. The real estate surfaces are particularly at risk from penetrating moisture, which leads to damage to the frescoes. The use of modern conservative techniques is crucial to counteract the decay. These include analysis of salts, microscopy and the development of new cleaning systems for microbial desalination. The knowledge of the physical-chemical properties of the materials and their treatment in the restoration is taken into account.

While the chapel in Burggen is now a piece of jewelry from the village again, the preservation of historical works of art remains an important task in other communities, which is often complex and lengthy. The measures that are currently being taken to protect and maintain these valuable cultural assets are more than necessary to give future generations access to these treasures.