Stadtkirche Kaiserswerth, Fliednerstraße

Kaiserswerth – once an independent and decidedly catholic municipality – saw its first tiny Calvinist congregation in 1778 and a year later also a Lutheran one. As a consequence of the increasing interdependence of these two small congregations in Kaiserswerth (together amounting to no more than 10 - 15 families!), the construction of a Protestant church was begun in 1807. It was completed by 1811 and consecrated on 28^th July in that year.

The site of the church, humbly wedged between the vicarage and the sexton's or teacher's house meant that it blended inconspicuously with the street front facades of these residences: A poignant reminder of the minority status of the congregation. Unfortunately, an architect is not known. The church interior was kept in simple classicist style and then afforded space for about 120 worshippers.

The bells came from the then recently abandoned Cistercian Abbey of Düsselthal and bear the following inscriptions: "S.P. Bernarde ora pro nobis fractam refundi curavit Fr. Ambrosius Abbas", which translates as: "Holy Abbot Bernard: Pray for us. Fr. Ambrosius had the cracked bell repaired". One bell also displays the German inscription: "Bartholomaeus Gunder gos mich in Cöllen Anno 1767". The smaller bell is said to have been cast in 1699. Its inscription is a quotation from the Letter to the Romans, chapter 8: "Si deus pro nobis quis contra nos" (If God be for us, who shall be against us?). The pulpit (though without the pedestal) also originates from another church, probably the former Lutheran church hall, from where the organ was also taken.

After the debts of the congregations incurred by the construction of the church were graciously settled by the Prussian King in 1816 the two congregations formally united on 24^th August 1817. This is, strictly speaking, the actual foundation of the present congregation, unless one should prefer to view the joint effort of building the church as the common origin, which, in fact, was the conviction marked by the congregations’ bicentennial celebration in 2011.

It was Theodor Fliedner, pastor of Kaiserswerth Parish from 1822 to 1848, who finally succeeded in putting the congregation on a financially secure footing through his collection journeys, nowadays a prime example of incredibly successful fundraising.

In 1930 the church was extended by 8m and an apse-like choir was added, which, however, detracted from the proportionate original elegance of the classicist design.

There was considerable destruction at the rear of the building during the last days of WW II.

In 1949 the damage was repaired, the original vaulted ceiling restored, and the church as a whole renovated.

In 1963 a new organ, manufactured by Peter, was installed.

In 1977 the cabin adjacent to the vicarage, which had been acquired in 1927 and served as a parish hall for fifty years was finally replaced by a new, modern building.

Finally, in 1984, the church was restored to something approaching its original state, as part of a fundamental renovation. Its unornamented serenity makes it a place of intense spiritual experience, lacking all sensual diversions and thus conducive to mental and emotional concentration and reflection.

The restoration and in addition the refurbishment of the organ were completed in the jubilee year of 2011.

Since then, the church interior has also been accessible by lift.

By the way, a special gift idea from Kaiserswerth is the - perpetual - jubilee calendar with unusual views of the Stadtkirche! (Please ask at the Parish office!)

(foto: b.henter)