wfn.org | Saints Ulrich and Afra in Augsburg

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Good ecumenical neighborliness

GENEVA, 20 October 1999 (lwi) - Side by side stand the two churches, at
right angles each to the other, St. Ulrich's Evangelical Lutheran Church
and the Catholic Basilica of St. Ulrich and St. Afra. The peaceful
existence of these two churches as good ecumenical next-door neighbors
is characteristic of Augsburg. For centuries after the Peace of
Westphalia in 1648, the Protestant and Catholic populations shared power
in the city according to fixed rules.

Following the model of "Augsburg parity", until 4 March 1806 each office
in the city was held jointly by one Catholic and one Protestant. In the
Council, and also among the merchants' representatives, the power
relationships between Protestant and Catholic representatives were
established by contract. The principle of parity was also applied in the
hospitals and foundations in the city. In this way the former minority
gained its rights. Until 1720 this benefited the Catholics, after that
the Protestants.

St. Ulrich's is the former preaching hall of the ancient Benedictine
monastery in Augsburg, which was later used as a church by the
Protestants. The cornerstone of the Church of St. Ulrich and St. Afra
was laid in 1500 by Emperor Maximilian I. The names of both churches go
back to two saints of the city of Augsburg, and have thus kept their
memory alive to this day.

St Ulrich was considered an exemplary bishop and prince of the realm. He
played a decisive role in the victory of the German army against the
Hungarians, under Emperor Otto the Great in 955, on the Lechfeld which
is not far away. This battle stopped the Hungarians' advance to the
west.

The name of St. Afra is linked with the first Christian community in
Augsburg in Roman times. What is certain is that Afra died as a martyr
on an island in the River Lech in 304 during Diocletian's persecution of
Christians. According to later legends, she was the daughter of a king
and her family came from Cyprus. However, her name points to a different
origin, as "Afra" means "African".

According to ancient tradition, Afra gave asylum in her house in
Augsburg to Bishop Narzissus, who was fleeing from Spain during the
persecution of Christians. Narzissus instructed her in the Christian
faith and baptized her. She was burned at the stake for confessing
Christ and refusing to take part in the official rites of the empire.
The ancient tradition about her death can be traced back to the fifth
century. There are testimonies that her grave was greatly revered during
the sixth century. Today her remains lie in the Basilica of St. Ulrich
and St. Afra.

(The LWF is a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries
representing 58 million of the world's 61.5 million Lutherans. Its
highest decision making body is the Assembly, held every six or seven
years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council
which meets annually, and its Executive Committee. The LWF secretariat
is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information is the information service of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material presented
does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various
units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation (lwi), the
material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

*       *       *
Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/