light made solid

Recently, I visited the German city of Mainz, south west of Frankfurt. In St. Stephen's Church there are a dramatic stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall. They were created as a replacement for those destroyed in the Allied bombing of the city during World War II. St. Stephen is an example of the massive rebuilding of churches by the people of Germany.

St Stephen's is the only German church for which the Russian Jewish artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985), who lived in France many years of his life, designed stained glass windows. Blue light shines into the church through these windows. This light brings the angels and other biblical images to life. "These colors address our vital consciousness directly because they express optimism, hope, and the love of life." said the priest Klaus Mayer, who through his books and meditations promotes Chagall's work. He contacted Chagall in 1973 and persuaded "the master of color and biblical tidings" to design a symbol of Jewish-Christian unity and peace amongst all peoples in the East Chancel.

The imagery in these windows looks broken and ghosty in a field of circling blues. The biblical figures are like puffs of smoke, circling spirits in the act of rising to heaven. The fabrication of the windows was done using a technique of acid etching on flashed glass.

As an American, I didn't realize how many historic sites in Germany were bombed to the ground and rebuilt from rubble after World War II. The scars and determination of the German people are largely hidden, simmering below the surface. Unfortunately the Germans' incredible reconstruction is often overlooked and eclipsed by the story of the rise and fall of the Nazi party. Personally, I have a strong admiration for the people of Germany and hope that other war torn societies can learn from their example. These windows are really a must see for the student/ admirer of stained glass windows.