Heilandskirche
The Evangelische Heilandskirche, also known as Sankt Jakobi Kirche is an abandoned church with severe structural damage. The big inauguration ceremony of the church was more than 125 years ago.
The Evangelische Heilandskirche was built in the year 1899. The opening of the church was a big event. The celebration lasted for three days. Children had no school, and there was a big meal in the village inn.
‘Heilandskirche’ means ‘Church of the Savior’. These churches are under the name of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer.
The church was designed by architect Fredrich Fahro from Halle. He lived from 1857 to 1930. The design of the building is very special. It has two levels. On the lower floor, there were rooms for people to meet and live. The church area was on the upper floor. This layout is not common for churches.
A Church in Decay
Today, the church is in very bad shape. The building is full of black mold. It covers about 90% of the inside walls. Every day, the damage gets worse. The roof is falling in. The outside bricks are wet and falling apart.
Fixing the church is very expensive. Experts say it would cost about 1.5 million euros. Even regular maintenance would cost around 4,000 euros each year. Because of this, many people, including Pastor Bartsch, think demolition is the only option. But tearing it down also costs money—almost 200,000 euros.
A New Future?
Still, some people have hope. There are ideas to give the church a new life. Maybe it can become a kindergarten, a school, a home for older people, or even a restaurant. If the building is removed, some parts must be saved. This includes the old bell and the organ, which still works.
The Heilandskirche shows the hard truth about old buildings. Time, weather, and high costs make it hard to save them. But the local people still try. They want to keep their history alive. I visited this abandoned church in 2021. It is a sad but beautiful place.
