Martin Luther Church (Berlin-Steglitz)
.jpg)
The Martin Luther Church in the Berlin district of Lichterfelde , which has belonged to the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district since 2001 , was built based on a design by Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer . It is the last church building that was completed in Berlin before the Second World War . Construction began on July 28, 1930. After the financial system collapsed in 1931 , further expansion had to be suspended. Since November 27, 1933, the parish hall could at least be used for church services, but the church was not inaugurated until November 1, 1936. The New Objectivity has an effect on the architectural style . The church interior is characterized by brightness and clear lines. The church is a listed building .
history
The construction
As a result of the newly emerging district around the Botanischer Garten station , which opened in 1909, it became necessary to build another church for the parish of Lichterfelde. Already at the turn of the year 1910/1911 the parish church council of Lichterfelde had acquired a plot of land for the construction of a new place of worship at the square-like extension of the intersection of Hortensienstrasse and Tulpenstrasse . Initially, only a prayer room and a community hall were planned, but the First World War prevented the project.
Since the property was so deep that it would not have been possible to build a hall with a prayer room and a community hall, the decision was made - since it was believed that a community hall could not be done without - a church with a community hall below. At the meeting of the united ecclesiastical bodies on May 13, 1930, the work of Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer was selected from among the submitted designs by well-known architects.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 28, 1930. As a result of the economic crisis , construction was stopped in 1931. After the interrupted construction work could continue, the keystone was ceremonially laid on January 31, 1931. Initially, only the hall could be made to the point that it was used as a place of worship since November 27, 1933. The interior of the church was later expanded, except for the procurement of the altar , pulpit , pews and organ . The completion of the church did not begin until January 1936, on November 1, 1936 it was consecrated and named after Martin Luther .
The name for the church was initially controversial, the Heroes' Memorial Church, favored by some parishioners, could not prevail, above all because the architect objected to this name. In 1940 the three church bells were confiscated for armament purposes. The roof was damaged by Allied air raids on Pentecost 1944. Penetrating moisture seriously damaged the roof structure. The services took place in the parish hall until the makeshift repairs were made. On December 7, 1947, the temporarily repaired church was consecrated again.
When the community of Lichterfelde was split up in 1954, the Martin Luther community became independent. On January 1, 1999, the Martin Luther Congregation and the Matthäus Congregation were merged into a parish, which later merged with the parishes Lukas, Südende, Markus and Patmos to form the parish of Steglitz-Nord.
Significance in the time of National Socialism
The Martin Luther Church was an important location for the Confessing Church during the Nazi era . Exams were held here. In the hope of protecting them from racist persecution in this way, people of Jewish origin were baptized in the Martin Luther Church . Heinrich Grüber remembers that the Grüber office was founded in the rectory at the Martin Luther Church. Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg and other members of the Kreisau Circle lived in the immediate vicinity. They also met in the Martin Luther Church for devotions with Hanns Lilje .
building
Exterior
The design by Kremmer and Schupp initially envisaged a flat-roofed cubic structure with a polygonal sanctuary. A tall tower was to be built on the entrance side next to the vestibule. On the other hand, flat-roofed buildings as sexton's and parsonage should delimit the church from the surrounding buildings. For financial reasons, the plans were revised in the course of 1930. The polygonal and glazed chancel was dispensed with in favor of a flat closure with a narrow window slot. The tower was integrated into the alignment of the right longitudinal wall. The single nave nave with its narrow windows and the tower were given high pitched roofs .
On October 19, 1961, the three bronze bells , cast in the bell foundry Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock , were inaugurated. All three have lines of text from Martin Luther's German Te Deum .
| Bell jar | Chime | Weight (kg) |
Diameter ( cm) |
Height (cm) |
inscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | it' | 1500 | 132 | 112 | HOLY IS OUR GOD, THE LORD ZEBAOTH. |
| 2. | ges' | 825 | 110 | 95 | THE WORLD WIDE AND WIDE HONOR YOU FATHER IN ETERNITY. |
| 3. | as' | 575 | 98 | 79 | LORD GOD, WE PRAISE YOU, LORD GOD, WE THANK YOU. |
After 1990 a steel frame was drawn into the church tower. So its stability could be maintained.
The entrance hall opens up in round arches to the outside staircase. The annex for the Küsterei was integrated flush with the facade and brought under a towing roof by continuing the gable roof on this side . The other additions to the right of the choir also received a triangular gable with a gable roof. The entire complex is designed as masonry ; it was not until 1962 that the until then raw brick facade was plastered in pink.
.jpg)
Interior
The high laminated timber construction gives the church hall a Gothic look. The wooden trusses begin with the curvature at floor level and span the entire width of the church hall in an ogival shape. The choir arch was designed as a triumphal arch to highlight the chancel . Between 1955 and 1957 the church was reconstructed under the direction of Max Taut . The old wooden construction of the pointed barrel vault that the house borer infested, was reinforced concrete - Binder replaced. The ceiling was insulated with acoustic panels.
Furnishing
In 1937 the church was given a pulpit depicting the four evangelists and a statue of Luther by Herbert Volwahsen . The original painting of the altar wall with angels was later removed. During the renovation from 1955 to 1957, the Luther statue was moved to the right and the pulpit to the left in front of the chancel. Some of the benches have been replaced by chairs. The newly designed church was consecrated again on April 7, 1957. On May 8, 1960, the Schuke organ was put into service. The instrument is a fully mechanical grinding loading -Orgel and has 23 sounding register on two keyboards and pedal with 1226 pipes. In 1962 the attached chapel was given its current appearance, it contains a three-part altarpiece from the early 16th century.
Todays use
The Martin Luther Congregation meets regularly for church services and numerous other events.
literature
- Architects and Engineers Association of Berlin: Berlin and its buildings. Part VI. Sacred buildings. Berlin 1997.
- The parish council of Ev. Parish of Martin Luther: 75 years of the Martin Luther Church. Berlin 2011.
- Günther Kühne, Elisabeth Stephanie: Evangelical churches in Berlin. Berlin 1978.
- Klaus-Dieter Wille: The bells of Berlin (West). History and inventory. Berlin 1987.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ulrich Muhs: The Evangelical Church Community Berlin-Lichterfelde in the last forty years. Berlin 1938, p. 52 f.
- ↑ Frisius et al. a .: Baptized Evangelical - persecuted as Jews. Searching for traces in Berlin parishes. Berlin 2008, p. 152 ff.
- ^ Heinrich Grüber: memories from seven decades. Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne / Berlin 1968.
- ↑ Hummel, Strohm: Witnesses to a Better World. Christian martyrs of the 20th century. Leipzig 2002, p. 310.
- ↑ Festschrift of the Martin Luther Congregation. 1986.
Coordinates: 52 ° 26 '50.8 " N , 13 ° 18' 8.9" E