Paul's house
The Paulus House is a pilgrimage hostel in Jerusalem operated by the German Association of the Holy Land . It is located on Nablus Road on the eastern edge of the historic old town across from the Damascus Gate . The monumental architecture is reminiscent of a crusader castle .
history
At the end of the 19th century, many pilgrims from Germany came to Jerusalem, including the German Association of the Holy Land, which was founded in 1885 and organized pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Since 1866 there was a small guest house for German pilgrims in Jerusalem near the Jaffa Gate . At an encounter with Kaiser Wilhelm II during his Palestine trip in 1898 , the German Lazarist father Friedrich Wilhelm Schmidt suggested building a larger and more contemporary pilgrim accommodation. The emperor had previously supported the construction of the Protestant Church of the Redeemer and the establishment of the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion. With the support of the emperor, the German Association of the Holy Land acquired two properties in the immediate vicinity of the Damascus Gate in 1899. The Cologne diocesan master builder Heinrich Renard was responsible for the construction. He also built the Dormition Abbey and the Dormition Church on Zionsberg for the German Association . The foundation stone was laid on March 20, 1904. In 1908 the Sankt Paulushospiz was opened and the Sisters of Charity of St. Karl Borromeo looks after. It offered space for around 160 pilgrims and quickly enjoyed great popularity among German pilgrims to Jerusalem.
Because there were no more pilgrimages with the outbreak of the First World War , the Paulus House was closed and briefly served as the headquarters and recreation area for German soldiers.
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Jerusalem came under the League of Nations mandate for Palestine and became the seat of the High Commissioner and the British mandate administration. The Paulushaus was confiscated by the British military administration in 1941 and used as a consulate general until 1948 . After the end of the British mandate, the building was returned to the German Association in 1948 and was located in the Jordanian part of the city due to the division of Jerusalem as a result of the Palestine War.
As a result, the Schmidt School, which had existed since 1886, was initially housed in the Paulus House and in 1965 relocated to a new building built directly next to it. Since then, the Paulus House has been a pilgrim accommodation again and, like the school, is looked after by an international convent of the Maria Ward Sisters from 1989 to summer 2018 .
Furnishing
In the house is the Imperial Hall , donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II and furnished with splendid original furnishings .
The museum of the German Association of the Holy Land shows archaeological finds from the time of Jesus, exhibits from the history of the association and two temple models by Conrad Schick . The museum was established in the cellar of the Paulushaus in the early 1990s.
The roof terrace offers a wide view over the old city of Jerusalem between the Mount of Olives , Temple Mount , Mount Zion and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher .
Schmidt School
The Schmidt School is a German school abroad for Christian and Muslim girls . It was founded in 1885 and teaches around 600 female students.
Web links
- Paulus House on the website of the German Association of the Holy Land
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Erich Läufer: 100 years of the Paulus House in Jerusalem: The German Association of the Holy Land celebrates its historic guest house. In: Catholic church newspaper Berlin. December 5, 1999, accessed December 6, 2014 .
- ^ "Not a pious hobby": Cardinal Meisner opens the museum of the Heilig-Land-Verein. In: domradio.de . January 26, 2013, accessed December 6, 2014 .
Coordinates: 31 ° 46 ′ 59 " N , 35 ° 13 ′ 48.2" E