CHAPEL OF RECONCILIATION Bernauer Strasse Berlin Mitte/Wedding
The old reconciliation church was blown up by the GDR border troops in 1985. The church has already been inaccessible since the building of the Wall in 1961, because it was located right on the so called death strip. The coming down of the wall in 1989 forced the reconciliation parish to re-determine its position. Practicable solutions had to be considered first. The dedication of the citizens' initiative Bernauer street is well remembered. Rather soon it was quite clear the reconciliation parish carries also a large responsibility for the historical questions. The "Gedenkstaette Berliner Mauer" and the "Buergerbuero" an organisation for the victims of the SED dictatorship are well known examples for it. Also the question of a "church in the city" profile had to be reconsidered as well in Bernauer street. This process was shaped by the return of the bells of the old reconciliation church as well as the altar and the excavation of foundation remains. Our answer of all these questions is the "chapel of reconciliation", a modern ramming loam construction on the foundations of the destroyed old reconciliation church in which the saved altar and the bells found again their place. The new chapel has three areas,
A large open-air church square with the bells-stand, which was the floor space of the old church
The colonnade beneath the roof of the chapel with its seats which is still in the open
The small interior protected by the loam walls contains the old altar as well as a new loam altar which holds the vasa sacra. All three areas uncover traces of,
The threshold of the historical church door, the path through the former death strip and the volume of the old church - all this can be seen in the open-air church square
the colonnade represents the apsis of the destroyed old church
The chapel represents a walled church door, symbolising the wall of 1961
Instead of reconstructing the old this new shape aims for transformation, of appropriation of history with today's options and for the present life. Technical data: 3 bells by Bochumer bell casting association 1894, 1300 kg-Ø150 cm, 850 kg-Ø130 cm, 500 kg-Ø110 cm; historical altar red sandstone plate approx.. 3,10 m x 1,20 m, ca. 2000 kg; Eichen-Holzkreuz mit Oakwood cross with carving work communion scene, height approx.. 4 m; Organ company Walker 1965, 2 manuals, 1 pedal; Chapel, unheated altar area, colonnade, rain water cistern and infiltration; Mass loam wall: Strength 60 cm, height of 7 m, length 43 m, diameter chapel: between 10 and 14 m, altar niche: Pit height approx.. 11 m and cellar depth approx.. 4 m; Altar area 390 t ramming loam, mixed with additional material of broken bricks of the destroyed old church, Outer skin wood lamellas; Total costs 1.9 million DM or 971.454 in EURO Opening Hours: The chapel invites you to pray and meditate.Sunday service at 10 o'clock Prayers are held Thursdays at 12 o'clock and Fridays at 6 o'clock in the evening. Open for visitors from Wednesday - Sunday from 10 - 5 o'clock.
Fotos; top: Bruno Klomfar / above: Christian Jungeblodt
Contact and Information:
Evangelische Versöhnungsgemeinde
Kapelle der Versöhnung Bernauer Straße 4, 10115 Berlin, (Einmündung Hussitenstr.)
Post-Adress: Bernauer Str. 111, 13355 Berlin, Tel. 030-463 60 34, FAX 030-464 47 55
Traffic Connection: S-NORDBAHNHOF Ausgang Gartenstrasse; U-BERNAUER STR. Ausgang Bernauer Str.
e-mail: kirche.versoehnung@berlin.de Internet: www.versoehnung-berlin.org
