ui-icon-unterkirche.svg
unterkirche.jpg

Lower Church

Lower Church

Destruction and New Beginnings

Four grave chapels in the Frauenkirche served as burial places in the 18th century. Among others, the composer Heinrich Schütz and the builder of the Frauenkirche, George Bähr, were buried here. However, when the church was destroyed, only one burial chamber remained intact. The placement of the coffins in the brick graves have also been largely preserved. But although the majority of the lower church had to be re-vaulted during reconstruction, the fate of the destruction as a whole remains clear.

Between 1996 and 2005 the lower church served as a church room. Church services, devotions and ecumenical evening prayers took place here. People were also able to experience concerts and church tours here during the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche. The monumental altar stone was and is striking. This was made from black Irish limestone by Indian-born Jewish artist Anish Kapoor.

The tradition of evening prayers and artistic use of the lower church continues. Apart from that, the lower church has become a place of silence, personal devotion and prayer. The five chapels were artistically designed by the Berlin sculptor Michael Schoenholtz and address destruction and new beginnings in a variety of ways.

Close
unter-detail.jpg

Lower Church

Stone of Contention

It was already clear at the beginning of the reconstruction that there would be an altar in the former crypts of the Frauenkirche that were to be converted into a lower church. Soon, Anish Kapoor was hired to design it. Born in Mumbai in 1954 as the son of an Indian Hindu and an Iraqi Jew, he grew up between cultures and religions and drew inspiration and strength from them.

Material and form were discussed more controversially. To be recognizable as a new element in its own right, Anish Kapoor suggested limestone. This natural stone from Kilkenny, Ireland, is matt gray and coarse in its unprocessed, natural form, but can also appear polished and deep black through special processing. Finally, for the altar in the lower church, Kapoor combined the two. He designed the altar bar as a smooth surface with a distinctive funnel-shaped depression. He left the sides naturally rough.

The raw stone reached the construction site in May 1996. Shortly before the main vault of the lower church was closed, the 11-ton block was lowered using a crane. In July, Anish Kapoor began the artistic work. The altar was put into service on August 21, 1996 with the consecration of the lower church. In his sermon, regional bishop Volker Kreß also addressed the ambiguity of the monolith, which was still unfinished at the time. It provokes thought, but makes it clear what belongs to the depth of our faith. One could understand it as an ear placed to the earth, "looking for heart sounds in a heartless time." Or conversely, as an “amplifier who wants to bring the calls from the depths to God’s ears.” What thoughts come to your mind when you see the altar stone, walk around it, touch it?