Ruprecht III von der Pfalz (1352-1410), Elector Palatine and King of Germany, and his wife, Elisabeth of Nuremberg or Elizabeth of Hohenzollern (1358 - 1411), on their tomb in the Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit) in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This is the only elector’s tomb to survive destruction in the Nine Years’ War (1688 - 1697).
Heiliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Spirit), Marktplatz square, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany: joint tomb of Ruprecht III von der Pfalz (1352-1410), Elector Palatine of the Rhine from 1398 and King of Germany from 1400, and his wife, Elisabeth of Nuremberg or Elizabeth of Hohenzollern (1358 - 1411). This is the only elector’s tomb to survive destruction at the Heiliggeistkirche during the Nine Years’ War (1688 - 1697), also known as the War of the Palatine Succession, War of the Grand Alliance and War of the League of Augsburg. Ruprecht III is also known as: Ruprecht III der Gerechte; Ruprecht von der Pfalz; Rupert of the Palatinate; Rupert III; Rupert, King of the Romans; Rupert Clem; Rupert Klem; Robert III; and Robert The Righteous. Elisabeth of Nuremberg was born in 1358, to Frederick V Burgrave of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen. She married Ruprecht in 1374. The Heiliggeistkirche, an Early Gothic church, was founded in 1398 on the site of a small basilica, probably destroyed by fire. An opening mass for the founding of Heidelberg University was held in the church in 1386 but, because under Ruprecht III the choir of the church was demolished 12 years later, 1398 is considered the founding date for the present building. Construction of the church continued for many years, mixing Gothic and Baroque: the chancel was finished in 1410, the nave in 1441 and the tower in 1508; then, in the 1700s, the tower roof was re-designed in Baroque style. From 1706, the church was divided into two parts: Protestant (Lutheran) services were held in the nave; and Catholic masses took place in the chancel. After 1936, the church became entirely Protestant. Heidelberg was the capital of the Rhenish Palatinate (Pfalz) and residence of the electoral counts palatine until 1720. It was devastated in 1622 during the Thirty Years’ War (1618 - 1648) and almost completely destroyed by the French in 1689 and 1693.
Size: 4288px × 2848px
Location: Heiliggeistkirche, Church of the Holy Spirit, Marktplatz square, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germ
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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