Zionskirche (Bethel)
The Zion Church in the Gadderbaum district of Bielefeld is an Evangelical Lutheran parish church. It belongs to the Bielefeld parish of the Evangelical Church of Westphalia .
The church has a cruciform floor plan and was built from 1883 to 1884 as a simple brick church in the neo-Romanesque- Prussian arched style. It offers space for around 1,600 believers. Next to the apse are two bell towers that were built with the help of a donation from South Africa .
history
At the end of the 19th century, the population in the Bethel district rose to over 500. The existing chapel in the deaconess house only had 300 seats, so a forest chapel was built in the Zion Forest. At the same time, the decision was made to build their own church. Friedrich von Bodelschwingh the Elder provided the drafts and specifications for the master builder Heinrich Wegener from Hanover, who made the construction drawings free of charge. The detailed drawings come from Hermann Hellberg .
On July 16, 1883, Crown Prince Friedrich von Prussia , a playmate of Friedrich von Bodelschwingh, laid the foundation stone. After sixteen months of construction, Prince Albrecht of Prussia was able to dedicate the church on November 28, 1884. Numerous donations made the construction possible, for example the altar windows were donated by Kaiser Wilhelm I and his family. Numerous nobles and also a missionary Lückhoff from southern Africa were among the 16,000 donors. In 1922 the church was thoroughly renovated for the first time. It was given a new coat of paint.
In 1944, Bethel was bombed. The church itself was spared; however, the windows were partially or completely destroyed by the pressure waves from the bombs. In 1956 and 1957 the church was completely renovated for the second time. At the same time structural changes were made.
The building regulations office of the city of Bielefeld placed the church under monument protection on November 22, 1984 . In 1998 and 1999 the church was fundamentally renovated for the third time. Most of the interior has been returned to its original state. In 2001 and 2002 the church received a new slate roof, which was made according to the original plans.
Furnishing
At the church there is a cenotaph and a memorial plaque for those who fell in the world wars. A figure of Christ is placed above the main entrance, accompanied by two angels.
Inside, the choir stalls and the old tiling with the foundation stone in the chancel have been preserved. There is a remarkable arched window in the sacristy sacristy . Gifts to the Zion congregation are displayed in a showcase. The solidarity with Africa - a donation came from there for the two church towers - is shown with drums from Tanzania . There is majolica ceramic above the door of the main inner entrance .
Until around 1970 there was a special seating arrangement for the faithful. So there were separate places for men and women , healthy and sick. There are chambers near the exits and on the side galleries that served as quiet rooms for sick worshipers. It could happen that they suffered seizures during the service and also died from them.
The church interior is closed off by a half-open wooden roof structure. The apse is vaulted; the vault ribs run towards a keystone adorned with a monogram of Christ . The vault is painted with gold stars. Above the apse arch is the Bethel psalm: When the Lord will redeem the captives of Zion, we will be like the dreaming (Psalm 126: 1). Below is the altar with a crucifix .
Bells
Originally the church had three bells: Bethel , Sarepta and Eva-Susanna . During the First World War in 1916 the first two bells were drawn in and melted down. In 1926 the church received two new bronze bells. In 1942 these bells had to be handed in during World War II. It was not until May 7, 1979, that the church received a full peal again when the bronze bells Peace and Resurrection were mounted. The consecration took place on May 20th of that year.
| Surname | Eva Susanne | resurrection | peace |
| Casting year | 1884 | 1979 | 1979 |
| Caster | Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock | Bell and art foundry Rincker | Bell and art foundry Rincker |
| Diameter (mm) | 680 | 818 | 954 |
| Mass (approx. Kg) | 190 | 347 | 525 |
| Chime | dis' +2 | h '+3 | g sharp '+2.5 |
organ
In 1886 the first organ was inaugurated; the instrument on the main gallery was built by the organ builder Klassmeier . From March 25, 1926, the instrument was renewed and expanded.
On December 3, 1956, a new organ was inaugurated on the right side gallery; The builder of the three-manual instrument was Paul Ott . In 1962 this instrument was expanded to four manuals.
Today's organ on the main gallery was inaugurated on May 2nd, 1999. The instrument was built by the organ building company Karl Schuke (Berlin). It has 45 stops on three manuals and a pedal . In 2018 the organ was thoroughly cleaned and the Clairon 4 'register in the swell was replaced by a Voix humaine 8'.
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- Coupling : II / I, III / I, III / II, I / P, II / P, III / P
See also
- List of architectural monuments in the Bielefeld-Gadderbaum district
- List of religious buildings in Bielefeld
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Hermann Nottebrock: Chronicle of Gadderbaum. cit. 1948, p. 198.
- ↑ Harald Propach: The bells of Bielefeld. Voice of the Church. Cultural asset and work of art. Bielefeld 2008, ISSN 1619-9022 , pp. 120-122.
- ↑ Information on the Schuke organ ( Memento from November 11, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
Coordinates: 52 ° 0 ′ 41.7 ″ N , 8 ° 31 ′ 32.6 ″ E