SACRED ARCHITECTURE IN EASTERN GERMANY : CHURCHES IN THE URBAN SPACE DURING THE SOCIALIST (1949-1989) AND POST-SOCIALIST (1989-2019) PERIODS. PART ONE. MAGDEBURG. BRUSSELS 2019 © Marcus van der Meulen
Church of Saint John {Sankt Johann} during the reconstruction of central Magdeburg.
Magdeburg, allegedly founded by Charlemagne in the early ninth
century, is one of the
most historic cities of Eastern Germany. During the Second World War the city on the river Elbe was a target for allied strikes. The heavy industry north of the historic city was the main target of these strikes and consequently the northern part of Magdeburg was largely damaged. In April 1945 the city was occupied by US Army troops, however, it was left to the Red Army on 1 July that year. The city became part of the Soviet Zone of Occupation and part of the German Democratic Republic in 1949. In 1952 Magdeburg became Bezirkstadt or provincial capital. Reconstruction of the damaged city was done according the guidelines of The Sixteen Principles of Urban Design, issued by the German Democratic Republic in 1950. Magdeburg was re-constructed as a Socialist City. Historic sacred architecture had minor significance in the anticipated appearance of the new city. As Walter Ulbricht, Secretary of the ruling SED party, once said, ‘’Yes! We will have towers in our cities, for example one for the town hall and one for the palace of culture. Other towers are not wanted in the Socialist City!’’ [Turmrede, 7 May 1953, Stalinstadt, GDR]
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Reconstruction and the Socialist Period 1949-1989 The old city had always been built along the river Elbe in the north-south direction. In the socialist period the city centre was re-constructed in a west-east direction. Starting from the train station passing through the centre and progressing eastwards, crossing the river Elbe, towards the capital and towards Moscow. This has divided the historic centre in a north and a south of the central axes. The oldest parish church was Saint John’s ( St Johann) founded in the tenth century. It was rebuilt in the fifteenth century and in 1524 became a Lutheran place of worship. The church was damaged during the air strikes of 28 September 1944 and 16 January 1945. In 1953 rubble was removed and in 1956 a flat roof was built over the vaults. In 1961 access to parts of the building was restricted by the Building Police. In 1968 the church became property of the municipality, which started renovation of the outer wall between 1975 and 1977. The southern tower was opened as a viewing platform in 1980. On the new promenade was one historic church, the gothic church of Saint Ulrich and Saint Levin, which was pulled down in 1956.The history of this building goes back till at least the eleventh century. St Levin or Livinus of Ghent is a witness of the Flemish migrants that had moved here in the twelfth and early thirteenth century. In the early sixteenth century the parish church played a role in the Reformation and is considered one of the first urban parishes to adopt Lutheran Protestantism. During the air strike of 16 January 1945 the church was damaged. The building was pulled down in 1956. In its place a new square had risen in Stalin style. Before its demolition the congregation of St Ulrich and Levin had merged with four other Lutheran congregations of central Magdeburg, St James (St Jakobi ), St Catherine’s (St Katarinen), Holy Spirit and St Peter’s. All were demolished apart from St Peter’s. A modernist housing development north of the central axis was once the old town. Jacob Street reminds of the gothic church of Saint James (St Jakobi) dating back to the early thirteenth century. In 1902 it was described by Otto Peters as a mighty hall church and example of a prosperous sacred architecture. It was damaged during the air strike of 16 January 1945. In 1959 the building was demolished. The church of Saint Peter was established as a parish church in the twelfth century. In 1524 the church became a Lutheran place of worship. On 16 January 1945 the building was hit in an allied forces air strike. The church remained in ruins until it was acquired by the Roman Catholic church in 1958 and subsequently restored. IN 1970 the church of Saint Peter was reinaugurated as a roman catholic parish church. St Peter’s is one of three religious buildings in the north east of the historic city centre. The small chapel of St Magdalen was founded in 1315. During the Second World War the chapel was damaged and lost its roof. Renovation
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Church of Saint Catherine {Sankt Katharinen} demolished in 1960s. started in 1966. From 1968 to 1984 it was used by the Old-Lutheran congregation. From 1984 to 1989 the chapel was a memorial to Lazare Carnot, a personality from the French Revolution who had died in Magdeburg. The third church in this architectural ensemble is the Walloon Church. It was founded in 1285 as the house of worship of the Augustinian convent. An obsolete building, it was handed over to the Walloon migrants in 1690, who had left France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. During the air strike of 16 January 1945 the church was hit. Renovation started in 1961 and in 1968 it was again used as a house of worship. Today it is the only Reformed house of worship in Magdeburg, the Reformed St Paul’s church was pulled down in 1955 and the French Reformed church, built in 1705, was demolished in 1960. The architectural ensemble stands out in a modernist housing development. Saint Catherine’s church was located in the middle of Broad Street, the old main street. The gothic church had been founded the Archbishop of Magdeburg in 1230. The typical Magdeburg double tower front dated from the fifteenth century, the spires were renovations
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Broad Street {Breiter Weg} northern part. The church of St Catherine was replaced by a modernist tower, the House of the Teachers. (photo © Marcus van der Meulen)
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of the seventeenth century. Its organ was mentioned in Michael Praetorius’ book Syntagma Musicum. During the Second World War the church was damaged. Urban re-construction of Magdeburg envisioned the rebuilding of the northern part of Broad Street in a modernist way. The congregation had already merged with those in the district. In 1964 the nave of the building was dynamited and in 1966 the towers were pulled down. The modernist House of the Teacher, a new and socialist tower, replaced the medieval church. The church of the Holy Spirit was located on the southern side of the new west-east axis. The history of Holy Spirit as a place of worship dates back to the early thirteenth century. Baroque music composer Georg Philip Telemann, born in the near vicinity, was baptised here. During the air strikes on 1945 the church was hit. Renovation had started in 1948 and in 1950 the church was again used for worship. The location of the church, however, hindered the progressive re-construction of the new city centre. In March 1959 the church was closed for worship and in May that year the building was pulled down. The Collegiate church of Our Lady was founded by Archbishop Gero in the eleventh century. IN the twelfth century Saint Norbert re-founded the college as a Premonstratensian monastery. Unlike other churches Our Lady remained a catholic place of worship during the beginning of the Reformation, yet was plundered by Protestant troops in the mid sixteenth century. IN the mid seventeenth century the church was again used as a house of worship, now for the Calvinists form the Pfalz. From 1929 it was used by the Old Lutheran congregation. During the second World War the building was damaged, the roof burned down. Between 1947 and 1949 the choir of the church was renovated, however, the Old Lutheran congregation discontinued the use of the building as their place of worship. IN 1976 the church was adapted for reuse as a concert hall. On the southern part of Broad Street the church of St Nicolas was located. The history of St Nicolas’ church dates back to the eleventh century and was originally used as the Baptisterium of the nearby cathedral. IN the fourteenth century the church was completely rebuilt as the largest hall church of Magdeburg. The church was given up in the early nineteenth century and was reused as Zeughaus, or arms lager. During the Second World War it was hit and in 1959 the remains were pulled down. In 2005 the Green Citadel complex by Hundertwasser was built in this location. Just of Broad Street is the church of St Sebastian. It was founded by Archbishop Gero in 1015 as a collegiate church. In 1573 the church became a Lutheran collegiate church or Stift. The building was burned down during the Thirty Years War, restored much later in 1692. From 1756 onwards the church was not used for worship and finally the Protestant College was dissolved in 1810. In the mid nineteenth century the church was used by catholics and in 1878 the building became a catholic parish church. During the Second World War the building was damaged, however, in 1946 renovations had started. IN 1949 St Sebastian’s was created pro-cathedral of an auxiliary bishop within the Archdiocese of Paderborn. The church was restored between 1953 and 1959 and again from 1982 to 1991.
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Church of Saints Ulrich and Levin during the reconstruction of central Magdeburg. The church was demolished in 1956. The principle church of the city and the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Central Germany is Magdeburg Cathedral. A church dedicated to St Maurice was founded by Emperor Otto the Great in 937.The current building is considered the first cathedral in Germany in the Gothic style, with rebuilding in the new style from 1209 onwards. After the reformation it became the principle Lutheran house of worship. During the Second World War the cathedral was damaged, destroying the windows, however, the damages were moderate. In 1955 the cathedral could be reopened for worship. Its special place in the history of art, as well as being the burial site of the first Emperor Otto the Great, make the Magdeburger Dom the most significant of all sacred buildings in the city. A much needed restoration of the impressive cathedral, however, only started in 1983.
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Ulrich Square in central Magdeburg. The church of Saints Ulrich and Levin was located in this square which was renamed after the demolished church in the post socialist period. (photo © Marcus van der Meulen)
Post Socialist Period 1989-2019. The Cathedral was the location of the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 in Magdeburg. Shortly after the celebrations of the fortieth anniversary of the German Democratic Republic the socialist state collapsed. Sacred architecture regained its place in the heritage of the city. IN 1991 a society for the rebuilding of St John’s church was founded and in the same year a restoration of the towers was started. IN 1999 the building could be reopened as the Concert and Festivities Hall of the City of Magdeburg. A set of new bells were installed in 2008. New stained glass windows were finally installed in 2018. The former parish church of St John ( St Johann) has regained a relevant place within the community. Our Lady’s retains a cultural function. It has also the centre of the cultural route the Romanesque Road [Strasse der Romanik] connecting sacred architecture form the period 950-1250 in the State of SaxonyAnhalt in a cultural tourism plan. Demolished churches such as St Catherine’s have been marked with miniature bronzes in the shape of the building. This brings back the memory of the erased churches. The chapel of St Magdalen was handed over to a Roman Catholic organisation called Subsidaris in 1991. A new Premonstratensian monastery is planned with
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the chapel as part of it. It is again used as a religious building and together with the two adjacent churches it forms a religious corner in the city. From 1999 onwards the church of St Peter, apart from being a roman catholic parish church, hosts the Catholic University church. The adjacent Walloon church hosts the Evangelical-Lutheran University congregation. The church of St Sebastian became cathedral of the newly erected roman-catholic Diocese of Magdeburg in 1994. The building was restored and redecorated. Works were finished in 2005. IN 2007 a society for the reconstruction of St Ulrich’s Church was founded. The historically important house of worship could be rebuilt on the original location without demolition of existing buildings. A referendum about the reconstruction, however, showed an overwhelming vote against the plans. Part of the failure can be found in the lack of a meaningful and relevant function for the intended reconstructed church.
Conclusion. During the socialist reconstruction of Magdeburg city centre half of the historic sacred architecture was sacrificed and pulled down. The historic axis of Breiter Weg (Broad Street) was cleansed from defining sacred architecture and the new axis was constructed demolishing two medieval houses of worship. The city’s iconic double tower fronts were reduced by half. Three were pulled down, St Ulrich’s, St James’ and St Catherine’s, and three were preserved : the cathedral, Our Lady and St John’s. Of these only the cathedral was in use as a house of worship, Our Lady had a cultural function and St John’s was largely a ruin. The skyline of Magdeburg was intentionally altered. Main streets and the new central square were purified from unwanted sacred architecture. Sacred architecture on the two main streets was raised to the ground, with the exception of St John’s. The defining towers of St Catherine’s were pulled down changing the appearance of Broad Street. But also St Nicolas’ was not preserved. Religious functions were pushed from the core of the city towards the margins, and from demanding churches with tall spires to the more modest ones on the edges. The catholic churches of St Sebastian and St Peter are relatively modest structures compared to those which were pulled down. The medieval trinity of Walloon church, St Peter’s and St Magadalen’s chapel are located on the edge of the north-eastern centre of Magdeburg. Church towers that were omnipresent in Old Magdeburg were pulled down and only those churches that did not tower above the new housing developments could retain their function as places of worship, with the exception of only the Cathedral. In the three decades after the fall of the socialist state, sacred architecture regained its place as cultural and religious heritage. The demolished churches reappeared as bronze models. Other churches were restored and plans were made for reconstruction. Brussels 2019 @ Marcus van der Meulen
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Selected Bibliography: Frank Betker: Einsicht in die Notwendigkeit. Kommunale Stadtplanung in der DDR und nach der Wende (1945–1994). Stadtgeschichte. Reihe: Beiträge zur Stadtgeschichte und Urbanisierungsforschung. Band 3. Steiner, Stuttgart 2005 Marina Dmitrieva, Alfrun Kliems (Hrsg.): The Post-Socialist City – Continuity and Change in Urban Space and Imagery, JOVIS Verlag, Berlin 2010 Werner Durth, Jörn Düwel, Niels Gutschow: Architektur und Städtebau der DDR. 2 Bände (1: Ostkreuz. Personen, Pläne, Perspektiven; 2: Aufbau. Städte, Themen, Dokumente). Campus, Frankfurt am Main u. a. 1998 Tobias Köppe, Die Magdeburger Ulrichskirche, Michael Imhof Verlag; Petersberg 2011 Hans-Joachim Krenzke: Kirchen und Klöster zu Magdeburg. Stadtplanungsamt Magdeburg, 2000 Eckhart W. Peters (Hrsg.): Magdeburg − Architektur und Städtebau. J. Stekovics, Halle an der Saale 2001 Oskar Schwarzer: Sozialistische Zentralplanwirtschaft in der SBZ, DDR. Ergebnisse eines ordnungspolitischen Experiments (1945–1989) (= Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte. Beihefte Nr. 143). Steiner, Stuttgart 1999 Gottfried Wentz, Berent Schwineköper: Die Kollegiatstifter St. Sebastian, St. Nicolai, St. Peter und St. Paul und St. Gandolf in Magdeburg.(= Germania Sacra. Die Bistümer der Kirchenprovinz Magdeburg. Das Erzbistum Magdeburg. Teil 2.) Berlin 1972
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