Vier Evangelisten / Four Evangelists

The Nikolaikirche in Siegen – a 13^th century Romanesque parish church – was destroyed down to the tower and foundation walls during World War II. In the course of reconstruction, the church also received a new main portal, which sculptor Gerhard Marcks was commissioned to design. The artist had previously worked as Bauhaus ceramist, but was banned from exhibiting by the Nazi regime.

For this work, he divided the wing doors into four sections that were separated by ornamental strips. Each section is dedicated to one of the evangelists. In every image, you will also find an open book with the letters Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters stand for the beginning and the end, the essential and the universe, and, according to Christian interpretation, God and Jesus in particular.

These evangelist symbols have been in use since the 4th century: the person stands for Matthew, the lion for Mark, the eagle for John, and the bull for Luke. Here, Marcks draws on traditional Christian symbolism, expressing it in a simple and reduced timeless style that nevertheless harmonizes with the architecture.

Additional information: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaikirche_Siegen