Genezarethkirche (Berlin-Neukölln)
The Galilee Church in the Schillerkiez of today's Berlin district of Neukölln was built by Franz Schwechten in neo-Gothic style. The foundation stone was laid on September 18, 1903, the inauguration on June 4, 1905. During World War II , air raids by the Allies caused severe damage. Reconstruction began in 1955. On September 20, 1959, the church at Herrfurthplatz 14 was consecrated again. Together with the Intercession Melanchthon Parish, it forms the parish of Northwest Neukölln in the Evangelical Church District of Neukölln.
history
In nearby Berlin, industrialization led to an increase in the number of residents due to immigrant job seekers. As a result of the constant increase in the population, urban land for residential buildings became scarce, so that interest was directed towards the communities outside the gates of Berlin, which also included Rixdorf . The only larger church was the Magdalenenkirche , which was now too small for the many believers. So the desire for a second preaching site arose. A new congregation was formed which held its first church service in 1891 without its own church room. The parish was given a legacy of 100,000 marks (adjusted for purchasing power in today's currency: around 678,000 euros) for the construction of a church. In addition, the church building association made an amount of 20,000 marks available. The community of Rixdorf transferred the Herrfurthplatz to the parish free of charge with the determination to build a church. In 1901, with the development plan of the city of Rixdorf, the street grid with the Schillerpromenade , Herrfurthplatz and the adjacent streets was determined in its current form. In the following years, terraced companies built rental houses.
From August 1915 to November 1918, the Church of Galilee was also the garrison church for the infantry troops who were housed in the surrounding schools. In April 1917, the organ's 23 prospect pipes, which were made of pure tin, were confiscated by the military administration for use in the First World War .
In October 1927, wire mesh was installed in front of the church windows to protect them from stones being thrown into them. On July 1, 1928, the tower lighting, consisting of eight red-glowing neon tubes , was put into operation to protect the aircraft in the dark. In the winter of 1939/1940 the 24 meter high spire was removed due to the proximity of the Tempelhof airport and the tower was shortened to 38 meters up to the gable. Otherwise the church remained unchanged. The interior of the church had suffered considerable damage from the construction work on the tower. From April 1941 to May 1942 the interior of the church was completely redesigned. The colorful windows were exchanged for bright glazing.
On January 29, 1945, bombs caused severe damage. The entire church roof was covered, all window frames with their protective grilles torn out and doors splintered, the stalls and the pulpit were damaged. The ceiling above the left aisle had fallen onto the gallery, the other ceilings were perforated. The rafters had burned down and the clock mechanism had fallen out. In particular, combustible material was stolen from the destroyed, unusable church by the population.
On the orders of the American headquarters in Berlin, the last part of the bell tower, in which the belfry was located, was demolished to secure the aircraft on arrival and departure. The three bells were now in the nave. They were brought to the parish hall for safekeeping in September 1947 and the small bell was hung in a belfry that was inaugurated in the parish hall garden on November 2, 1947.
On April 1, 1948, the Galilee parish became independent. In 1955, on the 50th anniversary of the church, only the surrounding walls of the church stood and the reconstruction of the bell chamber began. However, the tower was only allowed to have a height of 30 meters. It was only in 1957, after the belfry was rebuilt, that the bells could be returned to the church.
building
Schwechten still adhered to the Eisenach regulation , which prescribed mainly Gothic styles for church buildings. However, he no longer chose a long house for his exposed brick building, but a central floor plan in the form of a cross with arms of equal length. Windows and doors, however, still had Gothic pointed arches . The 62 meter high tower was placed over the crossing . In the following years the equipment was added.
The three cast steel bells , made in 1904 by the Bochumer Verein and hung in the tower on July 27, 1904, survived both world wars because the authorities were not interested in cast steel.
An inventory list of the foundry contains the following information: the ensemble of bells with clapper, bearings, axes and chime levers cost 3,649 marks to manufacture (adjusted for purchasing power in today's currency: around 24,000 euros).
| Bell jar | Chime | Weight (kg) |
Diameter (mm) |
Height (mm) |
inscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | dis' | 1280 | 1430 | 1275 | IT'S ME. |
| 2. | fis' | 820 | 1260 | 1120 | COME HERE! |
| 3. | g sharp ' | 555 | 1124 | 1005 | LORD HELP ME! |
The colored glazing was added in 1907, 1911 and 1912. The organ was on the gallery behind the altar. The Schuke organ with three manuals and 38 registers has stood behind the altar since 1961 . Your disposition can be viewed at Orgel Databank .
Between 2003 and 2006 the church was rebuilt and expanded according to a design by Gerhard Schlotter, which led to a different perception of the original sacred building . The cubature no longer fits the dimension of the square. The church space has also become smaller. In addition to a café, office and group rooms were created for use by groups and initiatives from the community and the surrounding area. In addition, all activities of the community will be relocated from the community center on the Schiller promenade to the church. The crypt is adorned with windows that are lit from behind. They come from the renovation in the late 1950s and had to be expanded in the course of the 2003 expansion. The altar in the crypt consists of twelve sandstone slabs from a quarry northeast of the Sea of Galilee . Since 2002, a crucifix by the Berlin artist Anna Franziska Schwarzbach has been on this altar , which consists of three stainless steel elements. The suffering of Christ is symbolically indicated by a bowed head.
inner space
The interior was brightly colored, and the tall Gothic arched windows had plain glass. In 1906, double windows were installed everywhere because of the draft. The interior walls and the vaulted ceiling are painted, the stairwells and the adjoining rooms are also painted. In 1907, 1911 and 1912, the windows under the galleries, and then the high windows in the gables, were given colorful figural glazing. A cross vault, divided into fields by belts, rose above the wall surfaces . The stalls, the altar, the gallery balustrades and the organ front were kept in brown. The altarpiece from the glass mosaic workshop Puhl & Wagner depicts the sinking Peter . It now hangs in the eastern window niche. This picture refers to the name of the church, because the depicted scene takes place on the Sea of Galilee.
When the roof was covered during the reconstruction after the Second World War , work on the interior of the church could begin. First, the interior ceilings were pulled back in. The sacristy was expanded and the vestibule rebuilt. The windows were glazed again and the walls were cleaned again. Then the carpentry and painting work was done. After the church had been repaired so far, Werner Harting was commissioned to design the interior in 1959. In order to emphasize the central character of the building, the baptismal font was placed in the middle of the room and the church pews were arranged around the baptismal font. As originally, the organ found its place behind the altar. The chancel behind the altar was separated from the church by an openwork colored glass wall, the Burning Bush by HAP Grieshaber . The 18 meter high Burning Bush is still controversial within the community of Galilee. A large crucifix by Christian Höpfner , a student of Richard Scheibe , was attached to the glass wall in 1964 , and has since been removed. The altar, the baptismal font and the lectern are made according to Harting's designs.
literature
- Architects and Engineers Association of Berlin: Berlin and its buildings. Part VI. Sacred buildings. Berlin 1997.
- Günther Kühne, Elisabeth Stephanie: Evangelical churches in Berlin. Berlin 1978.
- The Parish Council of the Galilee Congregation: Commemorative publication for the 75th anniversary of the Galilee Church. Berlin 1980.
- The Parish Council of the Galilee Congregation: 100 Years of Galilee. Berlin 2005.
- Klaus-Dieter Wille: The bells of Berlin (West). History and inventory. Berlin 1987.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b compilation of the bells delivered to Berlin and the surrounding area ; Bochum Association, around 1900. In the archive of the Köpenick Church of St. Josef, viewed on August 6, 2019.
- ↑ Disposition of the organ
Coordinates: 52 ° 28 ′ 37.7 " N , 13 ° 25 ′ 19.4" E