Church buildings are part of almost every place in central Germany. In everyday life they are known as landmarks, urban centers or landmarks, they have a variety of architectural, historical, artistic and regional historical significance. But the future of many churches is threatened: dozens of them have lost their function, some have already disappeared from the urban landscape without a trace. It’s time to remember the disappeared churches – and what was irrevocably lost with them.
The French Reformed Church in Magdeburg was the church of the church of the same name, which arose in Magdeburg with the persecuted Calvinist Christians in France. The church was located in the historic center of Magdeburg north of the Grosse Marktstrasse, exactly at the northern end of the corridor which led north from the Grosse Marktstrasse to the French church.
History
On October 29, 1685, Elector Friedrich Wilhelm issued the Edict of Potsdam. He thus aided and granted protection to the French Calvinists, who had been embarrassed in their homeland because of their beliefs by Louis XIV. From 1685 to 1705, around 1,550 religiously persecuted people came to Magdeburg. They formed the French colony in Magdeburg and on March 20, 1687 they founded the French Reformed Church in Magdeburg.
The elector assigned them the monastery chapel of St. Gertrauden as a place of worship. The congregation has continued to grow, as has the desire for its own place of worship. In 1704, Antoine Charles acquired the property north of Grosse Marktstrasse from the heirs of Bernhard von Hutten for 2,055 thalers in his community’s name. In 1704 and 1705 funds were raised for the construction of the church.
On August 6, 1705, the foundation stone was laid for the church building, which was modeled on the Montauban temple in southern France. The design came from Emanuel l’Étang of Berlin. The octagonal plastered building was crowned with a lantern. On 1 June 1710 the church was consecrated and at Easter 1732 the organ was consecrated. During the construction there were disputes with neighbors that the church was built too close to their homes.
On August 19, 1804, the church burned down completely. It was recreated in a smaller form according to the plans of Johann Conrad Constenoble, the rededication took place on August 31, 1806.
architecture and equipment
The original sacred building from 1706 had the shape of an octagon with two opposite entrances and a truncated mansard roof with a keep as a turret. The pews were arranged amphitheatrically so that the preacher could be seen from all seats. The decor was simple. The shape of the turret is said to have resembled that of the Magdeburg Town Hall. The gallery rested on 12 columns. Below the church was a large crypt in which the notables of the community were buried.
During the reconstruction after the fire of 1804 the octagonal plan was maintained, but otherwise many things changed. The entrance to the church was now from the south. Flanking the door were two large windows rounded at the top. The north side also had two such windows, making the church very bright.
The organ gallery rested on six columns. Beneath it, the Ten Commandments were written in gold on two black plaques. In front of the elevated pulpit was the communion table. The pews were arranged so that the congregation in the nave faced east towards the pulpit.
A central aisle between rows of pews led to the pulpit. Pews were set up to her left and right overlooking the pulpit, so that she and the communion table could be seen from all seats. Between the two windows on the north side was a large panel with words from the Bible.
On October 29, 1809, the King of Westphalia, Jérôme Bonaparte, donated the organ to the community: it came from the virgin monastery and monastery of Wöltingerode near Vienenburg in the Harz mountains. In 1840 a new pulpit was installed and a clock was attached as a gift from the clockmaker Dumesniel.
From 1840 there was a cast iron stove, in 1885 a stove was installed. In 1886 new benches were set up and green awnings were put up against the glare of the sun. The altar room was lined with parquet and an oak baptismal table in the shape of a chalice was set up.
Recent past and present
During the bombing of Magdeburg on January 16, 1945, the French Reformed Church was also hit and damaged.
Like any other church community with the same fate, Christians longed for the revival of their church. But wishful thinking remained: Magdeburg’s GDR city planners had radical plans for the socialist redesign of the historic city center – churches got in the way. In 1957 the city administration of Magdeburg rejected the request for the reconstruction of the parish.
Almost three years later, the parish received mail from the town hall: In a letter dated February 12, 1960, the municipal building authority of Magdeburg asked the parish for permission to use their property “Gang zur Französische Kirche 1”.
When asked, the city building office explained that the city needed the parish rectory property for housing construction: the church is slated to be expanded as a reading room for the city library. As a result, the congregation agreed to use only the rectory property, but expressly not the church property.
Eight months later, on the morning of 20 October 1960, the Magdeburg city councilor Meyer informed the community that the French Reformed Church would be blown up a few hours later, at 2.15 pm.
He was unable to comply with the request to prevent this, “since the removal of the explosive charges would only be possible if life were in danger”.
In other words, the city council had deliberately kept it secret from the parish, literally until the last moment, when and where their place of worship was going to be blown up. The explosion occurred at the time established by the Municipality.
The church was regularly used by numerous generations of Christians for prayer and on Easter, Pentecost and Christmas days as a place for festive gatherings. It was a familiar and familiar ceremonial place for baptisms and confirmations, for weddings, silver and golden weddings and for the passage of hundreds of citizens. It was a place of community for devotion and hope, for trust and joy, for sadness and suffering.
The foundation of the French Reformed Church has been closely remodeled with high-rise apartment buildings and prefab buildings. Today, the former church site north of Julius-Bremer-Strasse is surrounded by the lodge “Ferdinand zur Glückseligkeit” to the west and the high-rise building at Jakobstrasse 7 to the east.
Coordinates: 52° 7′ 59.7″ N, 11° 38′ 31.5″ W
Sources and links:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz%C3%B6sisch-reformierte_Kirche_(Magdeburg)
https://www.ek-md.de/kulturtourismus/kulturtourismus-verlorenekirche.html
https://kirchensprengung.de/kirchensprengung-magdeburg
