Potsdam: Chapel inaugurated in the tower of the Garrison Church

Enlarge image

Pastor Jan Kingreen (M) stands in the Nail Cross Chapel in the tower of the garrison church

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa

Politically controversial place of faith: Accompanied by protests in front of the garrison church, the Protestant church inaugurated the chapel in the new tower of the controversial church on Easter Monday. Christian Stäblein, Bishop of the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia (EKBO) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Garnisonkirche Potsdam Foundation, gave a sermon at the opening service. The dedication of the Nail Cross Chapel was broadcast live on the Internet.

The rebuilt tower, which is approximately 90 meters high and will also be used for educational work, will not be opened until later. The planned period so far is early summer.

The chapel and tower are a place for the future because the past is not repressed, said Stäblein in his sermon. »Our task is and remains to critically examine our own history and to look at our own history critically again and again. “Never again is now.” This included words against everything ethnic, misanthropic and right-wing extremism, says Stäblein.

The bishop also sees the chapel as part of a new peace and reconciliation center. This is what the entire system and everything that happens in terms of educational work stands for this. “There is no chapel for traditional watch,” emphasized Stäblein.

Opponents are calling for the foundation to be dissolved

Around 250 people protested in front of the garrison church against the use of additional funds for the reconstruction of the church. They also called for the Garrison Church Foundation to be dissolved. "The church is a symbol of Prussian militarism, a place from which many wars originated and we do not see that the foundation can do justice to this history of the place," said the spokeswoman for the citizens' initiative "For a Potsdam without a garrison church," Sara War. No more money will flow into the project. “We don’t want to see any more tax money for this,” said the 35-year-old. The citizens' initiative had called for the protest.

Reconstruction has been controversial for years

The church project has been controversial for years: opponents of reconstruction see the historic building as a symbol of militarism and a meeting point for right-wing nationalist movements in the 1930s and 20s. They also refer to the historic “Day of Potsdam” in March 1933, when Reich President Paul von Hindenburg shook hands with the new Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler in front of the Garrison Church.

The garrison church was badly damaged during the Second World War and was blown up in 1968 at the behest of the GDR leadership. Several initiatives, including Christian ones, are opposing reconstruction.

dop/dpa