The Pulpit Altar of the Church in Tauche
Object:
Location:
Restoration Period:
Restorer:
Baroque Pulpit Altar
Church in Tauche, Brandenburg, Germany
2013–2015
Rostyslav Voronko
Restoration, Provenance and Rediscovery
The Church of Tauche stands at the center of a village whose origins reach deep into medieval history. Tauche was first mentioned in 1346 under the name Tychow, a name of Slavic (Wendish) origin, indicating an early settlement long before the later German ecclesiastical structures were established.
The present church building was erected in 1699. Yet one of its most significant interior elements, the baroque pulpit altar, does not originate from Tauche itself. Careful historical research, architectural analysis and restoration work have revealed that this altar was originally created for the church in Kossenblatt and only later transferred and reassembled in Tauche.
18th-century condition prior to restoration.
Origin in Kossenblatt
In the early 18th century, the church in Kossenblatt underwent a profound transformation. Around 1703, shortly before his death, Hans (Johann) Albrecht Kyrass von Barfuß, General Field Marshal and lord of the Kossenblatt estate, initiated extensive renovation works. Under his patronage, the medieval church was reshaped into a representative baroque patronal church.
This period marked the creation of a monumental pulpit altar that combined architectural structure, painting and theological symbolism. Barfuß, as patron, did not merely finance the works. He actively shaped the church as a space of memory, authority and faith. Together with his wife Eleonore von Dönhoff, he contributed substantial financial resources to the rebuilding and embellishment of the church.
Transfer to Tauche
Following the acquisition of the Kossenblatt estate by King Frederick William I of Prussia in 1736, the church underwent further alterations. A new pulpit was installed and parts of the earlier altar structure became obsolete. Instead of being destroyed, significant elements of the altar were dismantled.
An inscription discovered during restoration work provides crucial evidence: in 1770, the altar was reconstructed from components originating in Kossenblatt and installed in the church of Tauche. Thus, the pulpit altar in Tauche represents a reassembled historical structure, carrying within it material and artistic layers from different locations and periods.
Restoration and Discovery
For decades, the pulpit altar in Tauche appeared visually restrained, covered by monochrome grey paint that obscured its original artistic richness. Beginning in 2010, systematic restoration investigations revealed an entirely different picture.
Beneath later paint layers, restorers uncovered a high-quality original figurative decoration. Among the earliest discoveries was the depiction of Saint John the Evangelist on the pulpit basket. This moment marked a turning point in understanding the altar’s true artistic and historical value.
Further investigations, continued from 2013 onward under monument protection permits, revealed additional imagery on the flanking altar walls. On the left side, the figure of Moses with the Tablets of the Law emerged, confirming a carefully structured theological program.
The Last Supper Fragments
One of the most remarkable discoveries was the identification of eleven painted wooden fragments reused within the altar’s construction. When reassembled virtually, these fragments form a nearly square composition depicting “The Last Supper”.
Stylistic analysis dates this panel painting to the early 17th century (around 1613). Christ is seated at a rectangular table, surrounded by the twelve apostles, all depicted without halos. Bread and wine on the table clearly reference the Eucharistic meaning of the scene. The background consists of dark architectural forms with arched windows, emphasizing the narrative focus.
The painting had not been destroyed but deliberately dismantled and reused as construction material, embedded within the altar structure, under the altar table, and inside the pulpit framework. This act may be interpreted as a symbolic “burial” rather than an act of iconoclastic destruction. Whether this occurred during the upheavals of the Thirty Years’ War or another moment of crisis remains unknown.
The Patron as Evangelist
Of particular significance is the painted figure on the right altar wall, which restoration analysis has identified with high probability as Hans Albrecht von Barfuß himself. He is shown seated, holding a biblical text bearing the inscription:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)
Above him appears the Black Eagle, referencing his admission in 1701 as one of the first recipients of the Order of the Black Eagle, Prussia’s highest order of chivalry.
Importantly, Barfuß is not portrayed as a secular ruler but embedded within a biblical iconographic framework. His representation follows Protestant tradition, where patrons are depicted symbolically rather than through overt portraiture. His given name, Johann, creates a direct theological and visual association with Saint John the Evangelist, further reinforcing his placement within the altar’s program.
Meaning and Significance Today
The pulpit altar of Tauche is more than a liturgical furnishing. It is a layered historical document, shaped by devotion, patronage, destruction, reuse, relocation and rediscovery. Its restoration has revealed not only artistic quality but also the deep historical connection between Kossenblatt and Tauche.
Through careful research and conservation, the altar now speaks again of faith and power, loss and preservation, and of how history can survive hidden in wood and paint, waiting to be rediscovered.
