Pause for a moment here before the Maria-Frieden-Kirche. This Roman Catholic pilgrimage church holds a captivating story. It is located in the Mariendorf district of Berlin. The church’s history is deeply intertwined with themes of peace and remembrance.
Let’s step back to August 10, 1919. A new parish was founded with 2,000 members. Their first services were held in a former military barrack. The name Maria Frieden was chosen to connect with the Marian devotion in neighboring Marienfelde. The church was named Maria Queen of Peace. This name not only honored the traditional Marian veneration since the time of the Templar foundation. The young Catholic community also wanted to commemorate the end of World War I.
In 1929, Mariendorf was elevated to a curacy. A simple yet appealing emergency church was built in 1934. This was designed by the master builder Martin Braunstorfinger. The parish house, which included a community hall, followed in 1940. The curacy became a parish in 1940. The emergency church was partially damaged but not destroyed during World War II. It was renovated in 1947.
The community continued to grow. By 1967, there were 5,060 members. This necessitated a new church building. The foundation stone for the new Maria-Frieden-Kirche was laid in April 1967. The church with 335 seats was designed by architect Günter Maiwald. Alfred Cardinal Bengsch consecrated it on April 20, 1969. The organ from the emergency church was used in the new building as a temporary solution. The old emergency church was converted into a community center in 1973.
Since January 1, 2022, Maria-Frieden-Kirche has been part of a larger parish. It includes the churches Herz-Jesu and Judas-Thaddäus in Tempelhof. Also Salvator in Lichtenrade and St. Theresia vom Kinde Jesu in Buckow. This large parish is under the patronage of St. Pope John XXIII. The parish is called Catholic Parish of St. Johannes XXIII. Tempelhof-Buckow. Arduino Marra is the leading pastor.
Maria-Frieden-Kirche became a pilgrimage church. On January 7, 1988, Joachim Cardinal Meisner entrusted the church with a special artwork. It is the three-part image Madonna before Barbed Wire and Rubble with Paul and Peter. Otto Dix, deemed a degenerate artist by the Nazis, painted it in 1945. He was then in French captivity.
In 1987, the Senate of Berlin acquired the painting. It had been considered lost for a long time. This was done on Meisner’s initiative. The cost was 650,000 Mark. Today that would be around 707,000 euros. The painting was given to the church as a permanent loan. The artwork measuring 1.11 m × 1.64 m is displayed in a glazed case designed by Paul Brandenburg. You can find it in the Marien Chapel.
Since then, a monthly pilgrimage service has been held on the first Thursday of each month. Various clergymen lead the service. These include cardinals, bishops, and abbots. Examples are Cardinal Barbarin from Lyon and Bishop Scheele from Würzburg. Also Bishop Müller from Görlitz, and the Apostolic Nuntius Lajolo.
Inside Maria-Frieden-Kirche, the altar is made of white Greek marble. It is designed to resemble a lamb prepared for sacrifice. The tabernacle and the side surfaces of the ambo are made of aluminum. These were created by the sculptor Paul Brandenburg from Berlin.
The Stations of the Cross and the organ were taken from the old emergency church. The organ was replaced in 1979. The 14 panels of the Stations of the Cross contain artificial stone reliefs. They are illustrative and simple, yet each appears monumental.
A bronze statue of Mary was donated by parishioners in July 1970. It is a work by Werner Gailis from the Berlin Art Academy. The statue depicts Mary as the mediator of peace. She points to the heavenly Jerusalem, a symbol of eternal peace. The aluminum church portal panels with the theme “Maria Frieden” were designed by the artist Paul Corazolla. The statue of Saint Anthony of Padua, erected on April 30, 1972, is also a work by Werner Gailis.
The precious windows, designed by the Berlin painter Paul Ohnsorge, fill the church with color and light. A motif of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is above the altar.
The campanile, erected in 1969, has three bronze bells. They were cast in 1968 by the Rudolf Perner bell foundry in Passau. The bells’ arrangement consists of the first three notes of the Te Deum.
The Klais organ dates from 1979. It has 34 stops and a Rückpositiv on three manuals.
Maria-Frieden-Kirche stands as a testament to faith. It embodies the community’s desire for peace after times of conflict. It is a place of pilgrimage and reflection.