Imagine a sanctuary rising from the heart of Körne. This is St. Martin, a Roman Catholic church in Dortmund. Its story is one of resilience. It is a testament to faith.
St. Martin stands on Gabelsbergerstraße 32. Martin of Tours is its patron saint. He is a celebrated figure in the Catholic Church.
The church’s origins trace back to 1928. The St. Liborius community desired a new church. They wanted to honor the connection to their mother parish. They also wished to show their allegiance to the Diocese of Paderborn. Thus, they named the new church St. Martin. This symbolized St. Martin’s friendship with St. Liborius.
The community’s first Holy Mass occurred in 1931. Around 300 believers gathered in the attic hall of the “Elektrohof”. They had to prepare and dismantle the space for each service. In 1932, the St. Martin Chapel opened. It was once an office building for a construction firm.
In 1939, the community broke ground for a new garrison church. It would serve both the parish and the barracks. Political pressure halted and reversed the construction.
A bombing raid in 1944 damaged the Martinskapelle. The community relocated to the Scherer family’s home basement. It served as a temporary chapel.
After World War II, the community rebuilt the Martinskapelle. Architect Alfred Kalmbacher designed it. Propst Aufenanger reconsecrated the rebuilt chapel in 1948. St. Martin became a parish vicariate in 1949. It gained independent parish status in 1952.
In 1958, the city exchanged a property. An architectural competition was held for a parish center. It was to include a church, sacristy, parish hall, youth center, and kindergarten. Theo Schwill won the competition.
Prelate Lorenz Henneke laid the foundation stone for the current St. Martin church in 1959. Archbishop Lorenz Jaeger of Paderborn consecrated it in 1960.
Pastor Fritz Hermann celebrated the liturgy “versus populum”. He faced the community two years before the Second Vatican Council. This practice later became standard.
St. Martin features a clear cubical space. It includes brick walls made of brown-yellow clinkers. The north side is almost entirely glass. Curved concrete segments form the ceiling. The space is entirely free of supports. A weekday chapel adjoins the west side. A corridor connects the sacristy to the parish house.
The altar is a four-ton block of Anröchte dolomite. Sculptor Hildegard Domizlaff created it. Alabaster stones adorn the altar. The relics of Saint Theodora lie beneath the image of Kyrios. Kyrios is Christ the Ruler. He holds the Gospel with the inscription “Pax – Frieden”. This symbolizes peace and friendship with God through Jesus Christ.
Rudolf Krüger designed eight square stained glass windows. The Deppen & Söhne company created them. They depict scenes from St. Martin’s life. These include the division of the cloak and his death.
The Hillebrand organ was ordered in 1968. It was dedicated in 1970. It features an asymmetrical prospect on its own gallery. The organ has about 2,600 pipes for 36 stops.
In 1962, the St. Martin community acquired four cast steel bells. They were a donation. The Bochumer Verein cast them. The bells are tuned to d’-f’-g’-a’. They bear inscriptions. These honor St. Martin, St. Joseph, St. Mary, and St. Reinold.
St. Martin stands not only as a church but as a vibrant symbol of faith. It is a beacon of community. It represents artistic expression. It is a place where history and spirituality converge.