2024 Josef Eberle Lecture: “Saint John Nepomuk – Awarded with Five Stars”
2024 Josef Eberle Lecture: “Saint John Nepomuk – Awarded with Five Stars”
by Dr. Iris Dostal-Melchinger, Diocesan Museum, Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany
Thursday, September 19 at 7 p.m.
Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center, Classroom 106
822 Mound Street
Description: St. John Nepomuk was born in 14th century Bohemia. 300 years later he was canonized and became known and venerated worldwide. Today we encounter him mainly as the patron saint of river crossings, and numerous statues of him adorn the bridges of southern Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. The frescoes in the former castle chapel in Ettlingen (near Karlsruhe) illustrate the extraordinary life and work of this saint. They were painted by Cosmas Damian Asam, an artist of formidable talent who graced churches throughout southern Germany with his work between the Baroque and Rococo periods. The popularity and veneration of St. John Nepomuk suffered no decrease in the following centuries. For example: St. John Nepomuk Naumann, the fourth bishop of Philadelphia who was canonized in 1977, chose him as his patron saint. Perhaps St. John of Pomuk can still inspire us today to build bridges across geographical and cultural barriers.
Posted in Uncategorized