Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Coventry Crucifix
This small crucifix was forged from
old nails that were found in the ruins of
Coventry Cathedral. It commemorates
the bombing of Coventry, England, by
the German Luftwaffe in 1940.
New
Bell Tower
The new hexagonal bell
tower rises 53 m (174 ft)
high next to the tower
ruins, on the site of the
old church's main nave.
Main Altar
The golden figure of Christ
created by Karl Hemmeter is
suspended above the modern
main altar in the new church. In
the evening light, the windows
behind the altar glow an over-
whelming dark blue.
Tower Clock
The tower bears a clock
based on a Classical design,
with Roman numerals. At
night, it is lit in blue by
modern light-emitting
diodes to match the
lighting inside the
new church.
The Ortho-
dox Cross
A gift from the Russian
Orthodox bishops
of Volokolomsk and
Yuruyev, this cross
was given in memory of
the victims of Nazism.
A Church with
Two Lives
The Kaiser-Wilhelm-
Gedächtnis-Kirche has
the Berliners to thank
for its preservation:
in 1947, the Senate had
planned to demolish
the Tower Ruins for
safety reasons. In a ref-
erendum only about ten
years later, however,
one in two Berliners
voted for its preserva-
tion. And so the idea
came about to build a
new church next to the
ruin and to preserve
the vestibule of the old
church as a striking
memorial hall to the
horrors of war.
Original Mosaics
Mosaics showing Prussian
dukes are preserved on
the walls and ceilings all
along the stairways.
Figure of Christ
Miraculously, the vast, plain
sculpture of Christ, which is
suspended from the ceiling, sur-
vived the bombing of the church.
For more on Berlin churches
see pp44-5
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