Hohenzollernplatz Church Change this

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Fritz Hoeger’s impressive brick church was built between the years 1930 to 1933. It has steep walls with a sleek, high tower which can be intimidating when up close. The red brick building with a green copper roof is an example of German brick expressionism as well as an example of expressionist church architecture. A key characteristic is the calculated dramatic lighting ("light as a building material"). Hoeger put the building parallel to the longitudinal axis of the Hohenzollern square and placed the tall, slender tower as the dominant reference point at the intersection of the axes of the two streets. Along with the recessed parish forms, there is a lateral longitudinal vessel as a church yard for the faithful. The exterior is defined by the strict syntax of the surfaces. "Bauedelsteine" was Hoeger’s technique to form the shell of the steel skeleton: red-violet, sometimes gold bricks, which provide different light levels for the living wall texture. To soften the monumentality of the facade, Hoeger, who was known for the use of dark red bricks in his buildings, has used gold stones and joints as decorative additions.

The entrance front is through a large pointed portal, with a stone staircase and semicircular aisles which frame and make their way to the sharp cut of gold. Thirteen steep arches of reinforced concrete make up the interior of the church. The church interior contrasts with the cubic compact exterior: neo-Gothic arches and the interplay of light and shadow zones form the interior.

There is a story to the naming of the church; Hoeger wanted his building named in a poetic tribute to the National Socialist spirit of the time, called the German Cathedral Spring. The members of the parochial church council then chose the present name only as an interim solution. Eventually people forgot the story and it has remained as the Hohenzollernplatz Church.

Restoration

The rich interior received heavy destruction during the Second World War, in particular by an air bomb aid in 1943. Many important pieces of equipment, such as frescoes and mural paintings, were destroyed in the flames. The church began to be rebuilt under a preservation order and was completed in 1966. Later in 1990-91 extensive restoration was carried out by Gerhard Schlotter, in the windows and the rooms have been redesigned. Also, the theater which the Berlin Philharmonic played in after the Second World War, has been renovated. It now has new stage equipment and the church complex includes a community center and Pastor House.

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