Modernist concerned closure of modern churches is destroying post-Conciliar liturgy

After 1945, church construction in Germany experienced a boom. Theologian Andreas Poschmann explains why post-war churches are often undervalued today, which liturgical ideas shape them, and why their loss through desecration and demolition would be a problem.

For many people, post-war churches are a rather ugly relic of the 1950s and 1960s. But these places of worship are more than just concrete and glass: They reflect, among other things, the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council and tell the story of congregations that grew together again after the war. Theologian Andreas Poschmann, who initiated the "Street of Modernism" project for church buildings of the 20th and 21st centuries a few years ago, explains why post-war churches are often underestimated today – and why their loss would be a cultural and liturgical problem.

Question: Mr. Poschmann, how significant was the period after World War II for church construction in Germany?

Poschmann: It was an absolute boom time, because many churches were completely destroyed in the war. The need for new places of worship was further intensified by the approximately twelve million refugees from Germany's eastern territories, who, above all, radically changed the religious landscape of what would later become the Federal Republic: Protestants now settled in traditionally Catholic areas, and Catholics in traditionally Protestant areas. This gave rise to many new congregations that needed new churches. This further fueled the church building boom after World War II.

Question: The churches built after the war are usually quite different from older places of worship. What guiding principles shaped church architecture and design after 1945?

Poschmann: The development began earlier: In the 1920s, people turned away from Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romanesque styles and sought new forms. A milestone in this regard was Rudolf Schwarz's  Corpus Christi Church in Aachen. This modern approach continued after the war and was further reinforced by the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council. 

Corpus Christi, Aachen.  Consecrated 1930!   Just to prove the modernists were eagerly at work even then.

 

After the war, Rudolf Schwarz was involved in the reconstruction of Churches destroyed by Allied bombing

This!

Replaced Saint Antonius Frohnhausen

But modernity by its very nature perishes

"Now the parish of St Antonius has to fear for its church once again. Due to constantly declining numbers of worshippers, St Anthony's Church and St Elisabeth's Church, just one kilometre away, are being put to the test. One argument in favour of St. Anthony's Church is that it is a listed building. "Rudolf Schwarz's ideas are still commonplace in architecture today," says Ricken. And the furnishings of the church, designed by his wife Maria, are also part of the preservation order and carry weight, "so the building could hardly be used for any other purpose". A decision is expected to be made in the next few years; the realisation should be completed by 2030."

Places of worship were no longer primarily intended to reflect hierarchical structures, but rather to make the community of believers visible. The altar was moved to the centre of the church, and the arrangement of the pews around the altar suddenly allowed the faithful to look each other in the eye, instead of sitting one behind the other like on a bus. Many believers perceived this as progress and a strengthening of the community experience.

Question: Do you have a favorite church from this era of church building?

Poschmann: I'm fascinated by the Holy Cross Church in Mainz. 

It was built in the 1950s and has a clear, central assembly room. The architect Richard Jörg had previously overseen the reconstruction of the Mainz City Theater – today's State Theater – and was clearly inspired by the theater's design when planning the church.

 The most exciting aspect, in my opinion, is that you enter the circular church space from the side and practically have to turn around to reach the altar – so even entering involves a turning movement. I have attended services there several times and find the space very impressive.

"Concrete, glass, and steel seem austere, cold, and uninviting to many people – especially compared to a Gothic or Baroque church." — Quote: Andreas Poschmann

St Andreas Neckarhausen also Richard Jörg.   Ghastly within and without.

In the third photo, the Church that they abandoned to move into this monster can just be seen.

Now a community centre

Question: Today, many post-war churches don't have the best reputation. While Gothic and Baroque churches are generally admired and considered beautiful, many people consider post-World War II churches ugly and dispensable due to their architecture and the materials used. What do you think of this?

Poschmann: My impression is also that post-war churches are less appreciated. That's why we launched the "Street of Modernism" project a few years ago to raise awareness of outstanding churches of the past 100 years and contribute to a greater appreciation of these places of worship. Of course, there is a wide variety of churches from this era: not only architectural masterpieces, but also more simple functional buildings. The fact that even less successful post-war churches are still standing today because, thank God, they were not destroyed by war, helps shape the image of this era of church construction. Added to this are the materials used: concrete, glass, and steel, which strike many people as austere, cold, and uninviting—especially compared to a Gothic or Baroque church. Although this comparison is actually unfair.

Question: Why?

Poschmann: Our image of earlier eras of church building is significantly influenced by the fact that, today, it is primarily the architectural highlights of these eras that still exist. When one thinks of the Gothic period, one immediately imagines outstanding cathedrals like Cologne Cathedral. "Gothic" translates as "alien" and "barbaric" – the term was once a derogatory term! Especially during the Renaissance, people had little regard for Gothic architecture, quite unlike today. This shows that the view of architecture changes over time and is also subject to the spirit of the times. I am very certain that the view of post-war churches will also change, and that we will increasingly learn to appreciate the architectural treasures of these churches. This is also a question of time.

Question: Churches in Germany are shrinking. As a result, more and more churches are being abandoned – often post-war churches. Is this era of church building in danger of disappearing?

Poschmann: It won't disappear completely, but there could be significant losses. In regions with many churches from earlier eras, post-war churches are more likely to be abandoned – partly because they are often located in the outskirts, and shrinking congregations are concentrated in city centers. In addition, many post-war churches now need to be comprehensively renovated for the first time. This quickly raises the question: "Can and do we want to afford this?"

Question: Would the widespread loss of post-war churches through desecration or even demolition also be a cultural and liturgical problem?

Poschmann: Yes, absolutely. Each of these churches is a testimony of faith, often built by congregations with great commitment. Many believers contributed to the construction. Simply "razing" them would be a loss not only for the church but for society as a whole. Furthermore, post-war churches were often designed for the post-conciliar liturgy. Demolishing them also destroys the liturgical reform that was built upon them. Of course, we don't need every church, and not every one is of architectural quality. But decisions about deconsecrating or even demolishing a church should definitely take architectural and liturgical aspects into account.

Question: Do you have an overview of how many post-war churches have already been lost?

Poschmann: No, as far as I know, concrete figures on this have not yet been published. A good 20 years ago, on behalf of the Liturgy Commission of the German Bishops' Conference, we surveyed the dioceses about how many churches they expected to deconsecrate in the next ten years. This survey didn't yield much results at the time, because de-consecration was still a fairly taboo subject. Things are different today because there's no other option. However, as I said, I don't know how many churches, especially those from the post-war period, have been abandoned and thus lost.

Question: Some churches that are deconsecrated find new uses – as libraries, apartments, or even climbing gyms. In your view, is this a good way to at least preserve a church that is no longer needed for liturgy as a building?

Poschmann: If it's only temporary and the conversion can be reversed, it can be a solution for preserving a building. But such conversions naturally have a certain element of misleading labeling: From the outside, it still looks like a church, but inside, there's no longer any sacred space. A problematic example, in my view, is the Trinity Church in Münster, which now houses offices and apartments. There's even a bus stop there that still refers to the "Trinity Church," even though there's no longer any sacred connection. I would like to see more sensitivity in this regard and the possibility of preserving at least small spaces for prayer even in deconsecrated churches. There are examples of this, too, but the search for good solutions is still in its early stages. But there are already a number of initiatives – not only from the heritage conservation authorities or the Protestant Church Building Day. The German Society for Christian Art has repeatedly addressed questions of church construction throughout its history: this year with an exhibition and publication on the architectural transformation of sacred spaces entitled "Resource, Research, Reset." Last but not least, I would also like to mention academic projects such as the Sacred Space Transformation research group at the University of Bonn under the direction of Albert Gerhards. Or the Church Manifesto, which was published last year to raise awareness of the issue among a wider public and to encourage civic engagement.

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