Bockenheim’s Catholics struggled for places to worship before this church. St. Elisabeth Kirche stands as a testament to their faith. Let’s uncover its story.
St. Elisabeth is a Roman Catholic church. It resides in Frankfurt’s Bockenheim district. The church is dedicated to St. Elisabeth of Thuringia. It became part of the parish of Saint Marien in 2017.
Before St. Elisabeth was built, Bockenheim’s Catholics faced difficulties. They used makeshift chapels to celebrate their faith. One such chapel was in Bernhard Brentano’s castle.
Fidelis Müller arrived as Bockenheim’s first Catholic pastor. He initiated the construction of a proper church. Georg Gottlob Ungewitter designed it. The cornerstone was laid on August 16, 1868. The new church was consecrated on December 16, 1870.
The church was built in the neo-Gothic style. Columns divided the interior into a main nave and two aisles. Ernst Franz August Münzenberger donated a medieval high altar. It was described as a Saxon winged altar from around 1420. Between 1939 and 1944, Rudolf Schwarz and Johannes Krahn began redesigning the interior. This included a new altar table, baptismal font, pulpit, and tabernacle. The redesign was not fully completed due to the war.
British air raids damaged the church on March 22 and September 12, 1944. The figures from the medieval high altar were recovered from the rubble. The tabernacle and altar cross were also saved. Only the Maria-Schlaf-Altar survived unscathed.
Hermann Mäckler rebuilt the church starting in 1948. He used the ruins of the destroyed church. The church was reconsecrated on April 30, 1950.
The exterior facade and tower were renovated between 1978 and 1983. The interior was redesigned in 2014 and 2015. The organ was also overhauled. In 2022, a net was placed over the tower helmet. This was to protect against falling debris. The church was closed in April 2024 due to the tower helmet’s risk of collapse. Services have since been held in the community center. Renovation measures are planned for 2025.
The parish of St. Marien is discussing church property strategies since May 2024. This includes the potential closure of St. Elisabeth. High maintenance costs and declining church tax revenues contribute to this. The number of parishioners is also decreasing.
Today, only the main nave, a row of columns, and the right aisle with the Maria-Schlaf-Altar remain. The ceiling structure slopes on the left side. The original choir windows have been bricked up. The organ sits on the gallery above the main entrance, opposite the altar area.
The altar cross recovered after the war is now in the Cross Chapel. It is under the gallery. Opposite the Cross Chapel is the Baptistery. It features a marble baptismal font from 1939-1944. A carved apple wood figure of Saint Anna from around 1680 is present. A tapestry by Ortrud Diepen-Spatz from 1962 is also there.
The figures from the late Gothic high altar are mounted on the wall behind the altar table. Ernst Wirtl created the ambo, Easter candlestick, and altar floor candlesticks in 1968. The sacrificed Lamb of God is depicted in the center of the ambo.
The walls of the nave display images of the Stations of the Cross. These were made in 1962 as prints. They are based on woodcuts created by Peter Gitzinger in 1934 and 1935.
The Maria-Schlaf-Altar dates back to around 1380. It was donated by Ernst Franz August Münzenberger. It is a carved late Gothic group of figures. The twelve apostles surround the dying Mary. Christ holds the soul of the deceased in his hands. The altar includes two neo-Gothic wings with paintings from the 19th century.
Since 2002, a solar plant has been on the southern roof above the aisle.
St. Elisabeth stands as more than just a building. It is a symbol of faith, resilience, and community in Bockenheim. Its history reflects the challenges and triumphs of its parishioners.