Chapel of Reconciliation (Berlin)

Despite the demolition of the Church of Reconciliation in 1985 , its evangelical community continued to be active under the leadership of Pastor Manfred Fisher . After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the community and civic activists abandoned the expensive plan to rebuild the blown up church. Instead, the idea arose to erect a chapel of Reconciliation in the same place, which would organically combine a focus on the interests of both believers and numerous excursionists - visitors to the Berlin Wall memorial complex, which is important for preserving historical memory ^{[2] [3]} .

Construction of the Chapel of Reconciliation at Bernauer Strasse began in 1999 ^[4] according to the project of two Berlin architects Peter Sassenroth ( German Peter Sassenroth ) and Rudolf Reiterman ( German Rudolf Reitermann ), as well as Austrian clay architect and specialist Martin Rauch ( German Martin Rauch ) ^[5] .

The composition of the chapel is two oval buildings (one in the other) with offset axes. The outer oval is formed by a lattice wall of thin boards, which creates a feeling of involvement in the environment for visitors. The inner oval, closed by clay walls, with a preserved altar allows church services to be held here. In the afternoon, light enters the altar through a glazed roof opening.

When constructing the chapel, adobe was used. The clay soil material was also mixed with crushed fragments of bricks taken from the foundation of the blown up Church of Reconciliation. The Austrian Martin Rauch was assisted in this work by volunteers from 14 countries of Eastern and Western Europe. In 2000, the chapel was solemnly consecrated ^[6] .

The place where the blown up Church of Reconciliation stood was marked around the perimeter with a metal gutter on the ground. This allows us to understand that the location of the chapel of Reconciliation built corresponds to the choir of the disappeared church. At the place where the tower with the belfry originally stood, one can see behind the protective crate three bells cast at the end of the 19th century . The cross rescued from under the ruins is exhibited approximately where the bell tower fell, which he completed ^{[7] [8]} .

In the altar part of the chapel, a wooden relief on the theme of the Last Supper, strengthened under an openwork cross, is clearly visible.

Before entering the chapel, a composition called “Reconciliation” is noteworthy.

This is a copy of the work created by the English sculptor, painter and poet Josephine de Vasconcelos . Her bronze sculpture group was installed on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of the war near the ruins of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Coventry ^[9] , as well as in the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima ^[7] .

In the summer, wheat ripples near the chapel of Reconciliation, which Pastor Manfred Fisher talks about with enthusiasm ^[10] .

Numerous visitors to the memorial have the opportunity to get acquainted with the photographs and documents collected here ^{[1] [11]} .

Starting August 13, 2005, the Reconciliation Chapel reads a 15-minute prayer for the victims of the Berlin Wall every week from Tuesday to Friday at 12 noon. At the center of each prayer is the fate of one of the victims, the list of which is constantly being updated thanks to the research project “Victims of the Berlin Wall”. Berliners and guests are free to attend prayer ^{[1] [12]} .

On November 9, 2014, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a memorial ceremony with the laying on of flowers and a service for those who died in the chapel of Reconciliation was held with the participation of Chancellor Angela Merkel , famous politicians, diplomats, and human rights defenders ^{[13] [14]} .

• Official website of the chapel of Reconciliation (in twelve languages)
• Website dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall (German)