Germany: "House of One" a place of worship unique in the world
Audio 02:42
Site of the House of One project, in three to four years, the building will house a mosque, a synagogue and a church connected by a large common hall.
© RFI / Pascal Thibaut
By: Pascal Thibaut Follow
6 mins
The new wave of violence in the Middle East has shown how difficult but necessary the dialogue of religions is.
In Germany, anti-Semitic violence took place on the fringes of pro-Palestinian protests.
The laying of the first stone this week of a place of worship common to the Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions and presented as unique in the world in Berlin takes place at the right time as estimated by one of its officials.
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A rabbi, a pastor, an imam. Side by side, Andreas Nachama, Gregor Hohberg and Kadir Sanci are reunited for the laying of the foundation stone of “House of One”. Launched ten years ago, the project is reaching an important milestone, much later than expected. Right in the heart of historic Berlin, on the foundations of an old church damaged during the war and destroyed in the 1960s, a building that aims to be unique in its kind must rise. In the next three to four years, it should house a mosque, a synagogue and a church linked by a large common hall. An eminently symbolic project which undoubtedly explains the significant public funding, around three quarters of the 47 million euros planned. Berlin is one of the contributors.
“
Berlin wants to be a city of tolerance and openness to the world.
The “House of one” project symbolizes the dialogue of religions,
”explains city mayor Michael Müller.
Several speakers underlined how topical the project was, as recently illustrated again by the conflict in the Middle East with its repercussions in Germany.
The imam of the future Kadir Sanci mosque.
“
At a time when the polarization of supposedly religious people is gaining ground, this building is a positive symbol of faith and spirituality.
"
The new building will be built on the site of the old Protestant Saint Pétri church.
Rabbi Andreas Nachama, son of a Holocaust survivor, recalled how this place was symbolic of German history.
"
We want by this project in the center of Berlin where a Nazi pastor raged, to overcome this past by our unity
", he declared.
A pastor who in the ranks of the Nazi army boasted of having actively participated in the murder of hundreds of Jews, a unique case.
This dark past as the symbolic place of the old church motivated his successor Gregor Hohberg to take the initiative of the “House of One” project.
“
We want beyond our differences to highlight the unity that brings us together and that many share in the world
”.
“House of One” is not just a project, for several years now educational programs have been organized to contribute to interreligious dialogue in schools.
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