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Diocese of Dresden-Meißen acquires historic winged altar for Naundorf!
The diocese of Dresden-Meißen acquired a late Gothic altar in Naundorf, supported by 50,000 euros from the Cultural Foundation.
Diocese of Dresden-Meißen acquires historic winged altar for Naundorf!
A few days ago there was a truly festive occasion in Naundorf, a picturesque corner of Saxon Switzerland. On October 30, 2025, the *late Gothic winged altar*, now popularly known as the “Altar of St. Ursula,” was presented to the public in a solemn act. This impressive altar, which was purchased with a grant of 50,000 euros from the Cultural Foundation of the States and the diocese's own contribution of 25,000 euros from the Mauermann Foundation, is a real gem for the region. bistum-dresden-meissen.de reports that the altar is installed in the chapel of the St. Ursula Caritas family day care center and its history goes back to 1510.
Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers, who opened the ceremony with a vespers service, spoke about the central altar depiction “Anna selbdritt”, which shows Saint Anna with her daughter Mary and the baby Jesus. This depiction is a powerful symbol of the importance of grandparents in family history, and Timmerevers emphasized how important such values are in today's world.
Art and its history
The fascination with Gothic art is not new. The altar originally comes from the village church in Taura and was moved several times before it was brought to Naundorf in 2006. Interestingly, it was made in 1498 for the Lady Chapel of the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter & Paul in Saalfeld. At the time, this monastery was known as one of the richest and most important religious buildings in Thuringia, which also explains the high quality of the works of art created there. [museen.thueringen.de](http://www.museen.thueringen.de/ Objekt/DE-MUS-876317/lido/dc00000002) emphasizes that the altar is considered an outstanding example of late Gothic image carving and documents the existence of important image making workshops in the region.
In the Gothic era, which flourished from the 12th to the 16th century, religious painting became increasingly important. Winged altars like the new Naundorf altar were important elements in these artistic movements and reflected both the religious life and the social structures of a time in which the Catholic Church played a central role in everyday life. wikipedia.org describes Gothic painting as a phase that was strongly influenced by the symbolism of religious motifs and in which the depiction of holy figures such as Saint Anne and other saints on the altar formed central themes of art.
Insight into art history
A lecture by Dr. Markus Hörsch on the art-historical significance of the altar highlighted the depictions on the wings, which show, among others, Saint Sebastian, Saint Catherine, Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia and Saint Wolfgang. These figures are not only masterpieces of decorative carving, they also illustrate the quintessential relationship between art and faith in the Gothic period.
The acquisition of the altar not only shows the value of cultural initiatives, but also how important it is to preserve cultural heritage and keep it alive. The von Schönburg family, which offered the altar for sale to the diocese, is helping to continue this art history and giving us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in this fascinating era.
Stay up to date on cultural news and highlights in your area - after all, finds like this make cities like Naundorf a cultural hotspot that combines tradition and modernity and brings us closer to the meaning of our roots.