The town church of Themar in southern Thuringia is dedicated to St Bartholomew. It is one of the most richly decorated churches in the upper Werra valley. It is one of the few buildings in the small town on the Werra, which has been mentioned in documents since 796, that has survived all the storms of time.
The Reformation was introduced in Themar on 5 October 1544 by Count Ernst von Henneberg. The church subsequently received several smaller carved altars from other churches.
St Bartholomew's Church in Themar on the Werra with town wall
In the choir is the Marian altar by the Bamberg master Hans Nußbaum from around 1510.
Other carvings and art treasures include The apostle shrine, popularly known as the ‘Nose Altar’ because of the expressively carved noses and mouths of the figures, from around
1500 (rear of the side wings: Farewell to the Apostles), the pilgrimage altar on the north wall (rear of the side wings: ‘Chicken Legend’ by Santo Domingo de la Calzada) and
the Pietà altar on the south wall of the nave as well as a high Gothic crescent moon Madonna, a Renaissance epitaph in the choir.
Back of the winged altar
