Holy Trinity Church, (English Church), Bad Wildbad near Wurtemburg (Werttemburg)
The spas in the Black Forest attracted many visitors from Britain in the 19th century. They stayed for weeks or months and brought their whole families and servants. Built in the Gothic style and imitating a medieval English village church, Holy Trinity was erected on the edge of the Kurpark in the mid-1860s with August von Beyer of Stuttgard acting as executing architect. Originally “open for services during the season” to serve the spiritual needs of English visitors, the church is now used for very occasional church services or concerts, otherwise it is closed.
Anglican Church, Wildbad, Wurtemberg. — Mr. Withers’ design for this little building, already noticed in our pages, has now been carried out. It is a small, chapel-like structure, with a three-sided apse, and double bell-cote at the west end, with a dwarf porch at the north-west and a lean-to roofed sacristy at the south side of the chancel. The style is geometrical Middle-Pointed, and the windows are well traceried. [Ecclesiologist February 1866 page 62]
ANGLICAN CHURCH, WILDBAD, WURTTEMBERG. THE baths of Wildbad, in Schwartzwald, lie in a valley of the Black Forest, some thirty-two English miles west of Stuttgart, and being celebrated for their alleviation of rheumatism, gout, paralysis, and other complaints, draw a great number of people to seek relief from the waters during the season, which lasts from the middle of May to the middle of September. Among such visitors are numerous members of the English Church, for whom services have been regularly performed for some years past by a licensed chaplain in the Lutheran Church, kindly lent by the Government; but inasmuch as this church is also used for various other religious services, much irregularity ensues. To obviate this inconvenience, a committee has been formed for the purpose of erecting a small chapel, exclusively for the performance of the service of the English Church. The government of Wurttemberg kindly gave the site, and the Town Council of Wildbad have voted 1,000 florins (£84 sterling) towards the building fund. The plan determined upon is that of a chapel, in contra-distinction to a parish church. The nave proper will seat one hundred adults in low open benches; the ritual chancel is formed by a low stone screen, elevated upon two steps, a poor- tin of the northern half of screen being raised to form a pulpit. The prayer desk and lectern are eastward of screen on the south side. The sanctuary is raised two more steps, and the altar stands upon a foot-pace, with a carved reredos at back. The north-west doorway is planned so as to admit the entrance of invalid chairs to the west end of nave. The walls and all dressings will be built of local stone found near the spot, and the roof covered with tiles and ridge crest; internally, the roof will be waggon-headed, boarded to the soffit of rafters, with moulded ribs and tie-beam trusses. Advantage will be taken to use as much local material as possible. The interior dimensions are 18 feet wide, with 64 feet total length, English measure. The estimated cost is £1,000 sterling. The church is designed by Mr. Withers, of 51, Doughty-street, London, and is now being erected under his superintendence. His Excellency G. J. R. Gordon, the British Minister at the Court of Wurttemberg, takes a lively interest in the work, and is kindly acting as the treasurer. The chaplain is the Rev. W. Ludlow, Kirtan vicarage, Boston, who will gladly receive donations of money, ornaments, or fittings. The committee look to English travellers generally to be assisted in such a manner that the interior may be literally and artistically finished with all necessary adjuncts. [Building News 17 February 1865 page 118]
