Calw and the Nikolaus Kappele (Chapel)
Situated on the north edge of the Black Forest, the town of Calw was founded before 1256 by the count Gottfried of Calw. The town was sold to the House of Wuerttemberg in 1308 and has remained a part of Wuerttemberg ever since.
In 1634 the Protestant town was completely destroyed by the Imperial troops under Jan van Werth. However, it was soon rebuilt. Calw Cloth Manufacturing and Trading Company, founded in 1650, employed up to 800 cloth-workers and which also triggered the development of sidelines such as timber trade, salt trade, mining as well as other trades. The area became well known for its timber, weavers and tanners.
The town was again destroyed during the War for Succession of the Palatinate (1692). It recovered and prospers even today.
The Gothic Nikolaus Chapel was built around 1400. It was dedicated to the patron saint of high water and stormy weather, St. Nikolaus, also the patron saint of children.
In 1926 the Nikolaus Chapel was renovated and the figures of a cloth-worker and a raftsman were fit into the two niches as the old sculptures (Christopherus and St. Nikolaus) had presumably been removed during Reformation in the 16th century.
In the windows one recognizes the coat of arms of many important Calw families (they donated for the chapel renovation) which were added during the renovation in 1926. The Beissers were one of those families.
Interior of the Nikolaus Chapel and two Beissers.
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