Dedicated in 1958, Sankt Konrad Kirche stands here in Berlin’s Schöneberg district. It is a testament to faith and resilience. Imagine, if you will, the Catholics of Schöneberg in 1915. They negotiated with the city for land to build a church.
However, the purchase fell through in the 1920s. A congregation could not form at that time. In 1935, Catholics living in southern Schöneberg tried again. The Bishop of Berlin approved a new parish. A chaplain from the Rosenkranz-Basilika ministered to 1,500 Catholics. Early services took place in a restaurant then in a temporary church.
The St. Konrad parish was founded in 1936. It became a curacy a year later. It finally became a parish in 1956. The temporary chapel was destroyed in 1943. Services then occurred in the Nathanael Church’s community hall. In 1947, the community built a temporary church on leased land. Only in 1957 could they buy land with ruins to build a church complex.
The purchase involved lengthy negotiations for financial compensation. This was due to former Jewish owners. The present Sankt Konrad Kirche was built according to the plans. It was consecrated in 1958. The St. Konrad parish was dissolved on July 1, 2004. It merged into the St. Norbert parish. However, Sankt Konrad remains a place for services.
Architect Hans Schaefers designed Sankt Konrad Kirche. It is now a listed monument. In 2010, the Catholic community gave the church to the Syriac Orthodox Mor Dodo community. This community was based in Schöneberg.
The church has a unique layout. It consists of two trapezoids connected at their narrow bases. A structure sits over the smaller trapezoid. The main building expands towards the recessed altar area. The nave extends into the front structure. The building has a butterfly roof.
Three steps lead from the street to the open part of the structure. Six doors provide access to the entrance under the gallery. The frame comprises reinforced concrete. It features supports and beams dividing the interior into five sections. Wall panels between projecting beams hold windows. Some windows are colored. There are also plastered masonry. A glazed concrete grid is above the entrance. It is also in the stairwell of the tower. The altar area’s flat roof has twelve skylights.
Buildings for community rooms and a kindergarten connect to the church. The freestanding bell tower aligns with the street. A residential building connects to it. A pergola links both at the back. The tower serves as the staircase for the residential building. A large cross tops the sound openings of the gabled tower. Petit & Gebr. Edelbrock cast three bronze bells in 1957.
The bells had different tones, weights, diameters, heights and inscriptions. The two larger bells were given to St. George’s Church in Piran in 2013. This was because of structural concerns. The original high altar remains. It features a simple wooden cross on the back wall. Sankt Konrad Kirche stands as a testament to faith. It also shows the strength of community in the face of adversity. It is a place where history and spirituality meet.