Support group old churches Berlin-Brandenburg

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Förderkreis Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg is a non-profit association that has been committed to the preservation and restoration of old endangered churches in Berlin and Brandenburg since 1990 .

goals and tasks

According to the statutes, the sponsorship group advocates old endangered "churches in the state of Brandenburg and in the area of ​​responsibility of the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO) and their local area, as well as synagogues and Jewish memorial sites within the meaning of the monument protection laws". In addition, “non-profit associations and institutions that work for this purpose can be funded and cultural and benefit events can be carried out”.

History and work

Laubst village church with renovated altarpiece

On May 4, 1990, around 30 people met in the club of cultural workers to found an association under the motto Endangered Churches. Rescue - Preserve - Use should take care of the repair and renovation of sacred buildings . The old churches Berlin-Brandenburg support group emerged from this initiative. From 2002 to 2020 he supported nearly 100 church building associations in their founding phase with start-up capital of 2500 euros each. He has been the sponsor of the “ Open Churches ” project since 2000 - for Gudrun Janicke from the Potsdamer Latest News a “nationwide unique” project. In 2006, the Brandenburg State Office for the Preservation of Monuments and the State Archaeological Museum (BLDAM) determined in an inventory of all angels in Berlin and Brandenburg that there was a considerable need for action. From 2009 later, the BLDAM, together with the EKBO and the Friends' Association, called for a fundraising campaign under the motto People help angels . In three years more than 80,000 euros were raised, with which more than 25 baptismal angels could be restored and mostly brought to their original place - for example in the village church of Niebendorf in the district of Teltow-Fläming or the village church of Wismar in the district of Uckermark . After three successful years, the campaign was continued under the motto Forgotten works of art need help . According to Werner Ziems, official restorer of the BLDAM, the aim of the campaign was to ensure that the various “exhibits show a cross-section of the problem”. On the other hand, short-term assistance should also be possible in the event of acute damage. In the village church of Dedelow , for example, the altarpiece was secured, as was the case in 2012 in the village church of Laubst . The funded projects are presented to the public annually. By 2020, around 165,000 euros were used to restore a wide variety of church furnishings , for example the baptismal stands in the village church of Jühnsdorf .

In 2007, together with the Association of Music and Art Schools Brandenburg, the event series Music Schools Open Churches was launched. Its aim is to "revive" old churches in the state of Brandenburg. Young musicians perform in the church buildings without a fee and use the donations to help “ restore organs or carry out other renovations”. Every year up to 70 concerts take place in village and town churches; Interested districts must apply for the opening concert. Katja Bobsin, music pedagogue and consultant for public relations and advanced training at the Association of Music and Art Schools in Brandenburg points out that the event shows “self-confidently” that the rural area is by no means “left behind”. Rather, the events take on the role of a cultural “local supplier” in the region. In addition, the development association participates in the Theater in der Kirche project . In 2008, the association established the Brandenburg Village Churches Foundation with endowment capital of 640,000 euros. The capital generates around 12,000 euros annually, which flow into the work of the friends' association.

In 2013, the Friends' Association received the Silver Hemisphere Monument Protection Prize from the German National Committee for Monument Protection . The award was given “for his outstanding commitment, his perseverance and the many creative ideas with which he acquired donations for numerous construction and restoration projects. With the help of a traveling exhibition about the endangered genus of village churches, it also raises awareness beyond regional borders and sets significant impulses. As a link between the church, the state preservation of monuments and organized civil society, it now has the role of an umbrella organization. ”In 2019, the association was awarded the Berlin-Brandenburg Prize 2019 together with the Checkpoint Bravo association . The undoped prize is awarded to projects "in which people get involved in buildings, monuments and parks". The editor-in-chief of RBB , Christoph Singelnstein , emphasized in his laudation that the association had supported the establishment of 100 local associations. This brings "culture back to the village". The future work of the association wants to focus not only on saving churches at risk but also increasingly on their socio-cultural use.

Organs of the association, seat

Headquarters of the association in the Große Hamburger Straße

The organs of the association are the general assembly, the board and an advisory board. While the executive board must consist of at least three members, the advisory board must have at least five members. Their work is voluntary. The association has used its statutes to appoint a managing director to manage day-to-day business. In 2020, this is Bernd Janowski, has been the recipient of the EKBO Paul Gerhard Medal since 2006 and the Federal Cross of Merit since 2011 . The association is based at Große Hamburger Straße 31 in Berlin-Mitte .

Publications

The sponsorship group issues various publications:

  • The newsletter " Alte Kirchen" appears three times a year
  • An information letter is published at least once a month. A “village church of the month” and a book tip are usually presented.
  • The brochure Open Churches appears annually with a list of all open churches in the area of ​​the association
  • Old Churches Berlin-Brandenburg Association V. (Ed.): From Berlin to Wilsnack. A cultural-historical companion to the stations of a forgotten pilgrimage , 1st edition, 2005, Blankenburg printing house, p. 48

Awards (selection)

Silver hemisphere
  • 2002: Brandenburg Monument Preservation Prize
  • 2003: Europa Nostra Award
  • 2013: Silver Hemisphere, German National Committee for Monument Protection
  • 2015: Special prize for civil courage and public spirit, Brandenburg Tourism Marketing
  • 2019: Berlin-Brandenburg Prize

literature

  • Old Churches Berlin-Brandenburg Association V. (Ed.): Open Churches , Edition 2020, p. 86, ISBN 978-3-928918-36-7

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Articles of Association of the Association , accessed on August 16, 2020.
  2. ^ Gudrun Janicke: The church remains in Brandenburg in the village . In: Potsdam Latest News , January 4, 2011, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  3. ↑ Heavenly journeyman: Lost baptismal angel adorns Niebendorfer church again . In: Märkische Oderzeitung , December 13, 2011, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  4. ↑ Werner Ziems: From the attic to the operating table: Twelve years of fundraising campaign for forgotten artworks , published in the brochure Open Churches, 2020 edition, pp. 14 and 15.
  5. ↑ Help for forgotten works of art in the village church of Barenthin , press release from the State Chancellery of Brandenburg from November 28, 2018, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  6. ↑ Our baptismal stand has been restored , website of the Evangelical Churches Blankenfelde-Jühnsdorf, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  7. ↑ Music schools open churches , website of the event series Music schools open churches, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  8. ↑ Profile , website of the event series Music Schools Open Churches, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  9. ↑ Katja Bobsin: Fundraising with a good sound - music schools open church , published in the brochure Open Churches, 2020 edition, pp. 14 and 15.
  10. ↑ Awarding of the German Prize for Monument Protection on October 28, 2013 in Berlin , website of the Leipziger Messe, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  11. ↑ Commitment to old churches and former border crossing honored , RBB website, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  12. ↑ Prize: Förderkreis Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg and Checkpoint Bravo awarded , notification from MOZ dated September 11, 2019, accessed on August 16, 2020.
  13. ^ Förderkreis Alte Kirchen Berlin-Brandenburg eV: Strengthening the artistic and cultural use of the Brandenburg village churches - funded by the New Lander Fund , website of the Federal Cultural Foundation, accessed on August 16, 2020.