The late Gothic Epiphany Chapel was built in the 15th century, which can be reached via an external staircase from the cathedral square and is recognisable from afar thanks to the striking group of figures of the Three Kings and the Virgin and Child. Visitors to the cathedral are enchanted by the radiant vault inside and the colourful Epiphany window from the 19th century. Due to its remoteness from the hustle and bustle of the street and the stream of tourists, it is used as a „space of silence“. In 2025, the German Foundation for Monument Protection is now funding the renovation of the interior of Naumburg's Epiphany Chapel with €175,000.
Inside the chapel, which is used as a place of silence, an outstanding artistic vault is fascinating. The decoration of the chapel is of the utmost importance. Today, the Epiphany Chapel of Naumburg Cathedral houses an outstanding collection of eight paintings known as the “Nazarene paintings".
The term “Nazarenes" is used to describe representatives of a particular artistic movement of the first half of the 19th century, which centred on a romanticising turn towards the Christian religion. In a narrower sense, the term refers to members of an artists' colony that existed in Rome between 1810 and 1820 and whose important representatives included Wilhelm von Schadow (1788 - 1862), Friedrich Overbeck (1789 - 1869) and Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1894 - 1872).
During his stay in Rome in 1820, the wealthy and art-loving Naumburg canon Immanuel Christian Leberecht von Ampach (1772 - 1831) ordered a cycle of nine paintings of Christ from the “Nazarenes", which were intended for Ampach's private chapel in his home in Naumburg (Markt 10).
Ampach was the first German patron ever to bring a large number of paintings by the „Nazarenes“ to Germany. In his will, the canon left his collection to Naumburg Cathedral.
The DSD funds will be used to clean and conserve the paintings and their frames as well as other components of the collection. The lighting in the room will also be renewed in 2025. All work should be completed by the end of the year.
