Station: [26] Protestant Christ Chapel

You are at the Protestant Christ Chapel at Hohenzollern Castle.

King Frederick William IV had it built in addition to the Catholic St. Michael’s Chapel. The reason was the different religious affiliations of the two branches of the family. The chapel was built in the Neo-Gothic style. It was modeled after the west choir of Naumburg Cathedral and the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.

The windows were created based on designs by Wilhelm Peters. They depict the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Christ, as well as the Twelve Apostles. 

The third Hohenzollern Castle was built between 1850 and 1867 following the destruction and decay of the two preceding medieval structures. Many master craftsmen and artists contributed their skills to the project at that time. One of them was Heinrich Oidtmann from Linnich near Aachen. The country doctor discovered his love for stained glass while still a student and founded a stained-glass workshop in 1857. He soon received a royal commission to install stained-glass windows at Hohenzollern Castle. In addition to the state rooms, he primarily adorned the Protestant Christ Chapel with magnificently painted stained-glass windows. Alongside biblical scenes, they also feature heraldic motifs.

These windows have had an eventful history. On August 6, 2013, a hailstorm swept across southwestern Germany. Hailstones the size of golf balls struck numerous windows at the castle. A suitable company was quickly found to carry out the repairs: Oidtmann is still in business today. Now in its fifth generation, the company specializes in artistic windows, glass mosaics, the protection of delicate stained-glass works, and the restoration of historic leaded-glass windows.

On January 27, 2025, the company was immediately back on site. During a storm, an entire stained-glass pane, complete with its lead frame, fell out of the window reveal and shattered into thousands of pieces. 

After 160 years, the intricately designed stained-glass windows and window reveals of the Christus Chapel require extensive restoration and reinforcement. For this reason, the chapel is currently closed. The work is expected to continue until the end of 2027. This will ensure that this special place is preserved for the future.