Devotion rises in the Salvator-Kirche. This Roman Catholic church stands in Berlin-Schmargendorf. It adjoins the older villa of the Salvatorians.
Let’s explore its history. Urbanization spurred the church’s creation. The streetcar to Schmargendorf opened in 1888. The number of residents increased rapidly. So did the number of Catholics. Since 1897, St. Ludwig had been available to them as a church. Since 1912, they often went to the Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche for Mass. Since 1914, they also visited St. Marien because these churches were closer.
The Salvatorian order acquired a villa in Schmargendorf in 1924. It was already under construction. The Salvatorians were called to Berlin in 1919 to lead Caritas work. More and more Catholics gathered on Sundays in the small house chapel. It was consecrated on October 12, 1924. The number of visitors steadily increased. The neighboring churches told the Schmargendorf residents to go to the Salvator Chapel. The priests had to hold three services on Sundays.
Initially, the order did not intend to take over a parish. The priests had other duties. In the autumn of 1927, they agreed to establish and take over the curacy in Schmargendorf. A church building association was founded on January 17, 1928. On May 2, 1931, the first curate was appointed. On January 1, 1932, the curacy of Schmargendorf was officially established. The foundation stone was laid for the Salvator-Kirche. It was dedicated to Jesus Christ as Salvator Mundi, meaning Savior of the World.
Wilhelm Fahlbusch designed the Salvator-Kirche. Construction began on October 16, 1932. The church was consecrated on May 25, 1933. Its style incorporates elements of modernism. The building measures 12 x 24 x 8 meters.
The plastered, longitudinal rectangular brick building is not a hall church. It is more of a basilica. There is a side aisle on the left. On the right, it is reduced to wall niches. A high bell tower is added in the corner between the retracted choir and the side aisle. Its gable roof is transverse to that of the nave. At the other end of the side aisle is a portal to the street, behind a vestibule. The main portal lies in a narrow extension reaching to the roof ridge. It is formed by deep wall tongues in front of the otherwise windowless gable wall. The nave has clerestory windows on both sides. These consist of two groups of six narrow rectangular windows. The choir receives daylight only through windows opposite the tower. The original wooden beam ceiling was replaced by a coffered ceiling in 1958.
Two steps lead to the ambo. Five more lead to the strongly retracted choir. Behind it is a short rectangular apse. The larger-than-life oak statue of the youthful Christ stands on a pedestal of Egyptian onyx marble. It is part of the original furnishings from 1933. The oak reliefs on the choir walls depict Maria vom Siege and Josef von Nazaret with St. Peter’s Basilica and Pope John XXIII. The nine Stations of the Cross in the wall niches came later. An organ from Johannes Klais Orgelbau was inaugurated on September 1, 1935. Around 1938, a Pietà was placed in the side aisle next to the choir. The baptismal font stands on the other side. According to the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, the altar area was redesigned. The two side altars and the pulpit were removed. The high altar, also made of Egyptian onyx marble, was moved down to the ambo as the people’s altar.
Three bells were hung in the belfry behind the large sound openings of the tower. They were consecrated on April 3, 1938. In 1942, the two largest bells were removed and melted down for armaments. They were replaced after the Second World War.
The Salvator-Kirche belongs to the parish of St. Karl Borromäus. It is part of the Pastoral Area of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in the Archdiocese of Berlin. The Salvator College is one of the five branches of the North German Province of the Salvatorians. The building serves as a community center and residence for some members of the religious order.
The Salvator-Kirche stands as a testament to faith. Its history reflects Berlin’s growth and resilience.