Station: [8] The Paintings of the Apostles and the Organ

Before you look at the organ, let your gaze wander once more over the balustrades of the galleries. There you’ll find the paintings of the Apostles. They are powerful figures, depicted in an almost rustic style.

One of these paintings is particularly noteworthy for local history. Behind the Apostle Peter, a steep cliff with a castle rises in the background. Below it, a church built into the rock is clearly visible. It is the Oberstein Rock Church itself, painted about 300 years ago.

This painting is possibly one of the oldest realistic depictions of this place in existence. At the same time, it shows that the paintings were created specifically for this church. The town, therefore, does not merely appear here as a backdrop; it was deliberately conceived and painted into the scene.

Now turn your gaze to the organ loft. The magnificent Baroque case bears the date 1756. It was crafted by the famous Stumm family of organ builders from the Hunsrück region. Over the course of nine generations and 200 years, this dynasty built more than 400 organs.

However, only the case remains of the old instrument today. The mountain took its toll on the organ as well. The instrument from 1929 was severely damaged by water intrusion. A restoration carried out for the 500th-anniversary celebration in 1984 also did not last long. By the 1990s, the organ was already barely playable.

Consequently, a completely new organ was built. The Rainer Müller organ-building workshop in nearby Merxheim installed the current instrument in 2002. It is fully mechanical and has been fitted into the historic case entirely in the spirit of the old Stumm tradition.

But even that did not bring lasting peace. Water soon began seeping in again at the original location—the very same spot where the previous organ had sustained damage. Consequently, the instrument was moved. Since 2013, the organ has stood on the opposite gallery, where it is safe from dripping water.

So this organ tells not only a story of music, but also of constantly having to evade the mountain. There’s a small detail you can spot with the naked eye: the cymbal star. It’s a golden star above the pipes. It rotates, producing a bright chime.

Here, the view of the paintings of the Apostles is combined with an organ that, after sustaining much damage, has finally found a safe home.