Remember the year 1953. The Dreifaltigkeitskirche in Freiburg im Breisgau was built then. It stands as the Catholic parish church for the Waldsee district. This was Freiburg’s first new Catholic church after World War II.
Gregor Schroeder, an architect from the community, designed the Dreifaltigkeitskirche. Bishop Eugen Seiterich consecrated it on October 18, 1953.
Let’s look at its structure. The Dreifaltigkeitskirche is a basilica. It stretches 43.40 meters long and 18.62 meters wide, oriented north to south. The church tower rises 36.40 meters high on the west side. It has five bells. A side chapel on the east honors Saint Nicholas of Flüe and Saint Charles Borromeo.
Notice the north facade. It features a vestibule and a six-meter-diameter rose window above it. Alfred Erhart’s 24 bronze panels adorn the main portal. They depict “ECCLESIA PRAEFIGURATA” Old Testament images of the Church. Side entrances are used for regular entry. The east portal provides wheelchair access.
Inside the Dreifaltigkeitskirche is simple. It once seated 600. Rounded arches are a key design feature. A large arch separates the choir from the nave. Rounded arches also divide the side aisles. Tall, narrow windows feature tinted glass ornaments. These also have rounded tops.
As you enter, Rudolf Kaufhold’s fresco dominates the choir wall. It stands 13 meters high and nearly 10 meters wide. It shows Christ as a young man. He is in a large, round mandorla. Saints surround him. Mary and John the Baptist are easily recognized. Above the mandorla are symbols. These are of God the Father as an eye and the Holy Spirit as a dove. Two winged beings support the mandorla. The lighter one looks up. The darker one bows deeply. Eyes cover their wings, encircled by rings. They recall the four living creatures. These have wings full of eyes from the Book of Revelation.
In the right aisle, there is a copy of a wooden Gothic Madonna statue with child. The original is in Freiburg’s Augustinermuseum.
After Vatican II, changes were made. The altar moved closer to the congregation. The ambos and communion rail were removed. The side chapel was also altered and enlarged.
In 2017, the altar moved into the nave. This brought the service closer to the congregation. Some seating was lost. The baptismal font was moved. It now stands in the choir before the mural. It was previously in the center aisle near the entrance.
Albert Birkle designed the rose window. It depicts heavenly Jerusalem in medieval colors. Karl Rißler created the liturgical items.
The Dreifaltigkeitskirche’s organ has a symmetrical arrangement of pipes. These are on the rear gallery around the rose window. Willy Dold built it in 1955. It has 25 stops, two manuals, and pedals.
Originally, in 1953, only one bell hung in the tower. It was on loan from Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling’s bell foundry. In 1958, the Angelus bell was added. By 1962, four more bells completed the set. All bells came from the Schilling foundry. They hang in a steel frame. The bells were renovated in 2019/20. New clappers and wooden yokes improved the sound.
The Dreifaltigkeitsglocke is the largest. It was cast in 1962. Its inscription honors the Holy Trinity. The Marienglocke from 1958 honors Mary. The Michaelsglocke from 1962 invokes Saint Michael. The Pfarrheiligenglocke from 1962 honors local saints. The Angelusglocke from 1958 announces the coming of grace.
In 1950, the community began as a parish curacy. It was part of the Maria-Hilf parish. Eugen Walter, the first curate, shaped the community. He was an advocate of the Liturgical Movement. Before the church was built, services were in the St. Carolus Chapel. In 1961, the community became a parish. Since January 1, 2015, it is part of the Catholic Parish of Freiburg East.
South of the Dreifaltigkeitskirche are the community hall and the “Cella”. The Erlenbad Franciscan Sisters run this spiritual center. The parish office is also there. These buildings were built in the 1990s.
Under the tower and choir are youth rooms. The KjG and altar servers use them. They are in the “former parish hall”. The Dreifaltigkeitskirche stands as a testament to faith and community. It has a rich history. It reflects artistic and liturgical changes over time.