Astonishment might be the first reaction, learning that this neo-Gothic brick building, St. Simeon, was once the first refugee church in Germany. Let me tell you about the fascinating history of St. Simeon. This church stands embedded in the street front on Wassertorstraße in Berlin.
Franz Schwechten designed St. Simeon between 1893 and 1897. Schwechten was a royal building advisor. The church’s Gothic style is now under monument protection. St. Simeon’s history is intertwined with other local churches.
Before 2013, St. Simeon was part of the Berlin City Center Church District. It belonged to the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia. St. Petri Church in Cölln, Berlin’s sister city, was its origin. In 1694, a congregation split from St. Petri. This new congregation became known as the Luisenstadt congregation in 1802.
In 1845, the New Luisenstadt congregation formed from the Luisenstadt congregation. It later became St. Jacobi congregation. This was for the 13000 members living in the Köpenicker Feld city expansion. By 1868, St. Jacobi had over 60000 members. St. Simeon then split off. The initial plan was ambitious. They wanted to build St. Simeon as a bridge structure over the Luisenstadt Canal. However, this idea was not feasible.
The cornerstone for the new church was laid on October 31, 1893. It was located at Wassertorstraße 21a. St. Simeon was finally consecrated on December 8, 1897. An emergency chapel built in 1869 was moved to the back of the property. This made space for the new construction.
The construction of St. Simeon cost 515000 marks. Today, that’s about 4.45 million Euros. 90000 marks were for the community center. The church is named after Simeon. According to the Gospel of Luke, Simeon saw the future savior. The St. Simeon and St. Lukas Cemetery was established in 1897. It was used for burials.
During an Allied air raid on February 3, 1945, St. Simeon suffered damage. Reconstruction after World War II was slow. Bishop Otto Dibelius rededicated the church on February 26, 1961. The church’s reconstruction happened in stages. Initially, Jorcke and Berndt oversaw the work. Later, architect Willy Rossa took over. The large nave was divided horizontally. The ground floor gained community rooms.
A new addition with a staircase replaced the altar area. This provided access to the upper floor where the church space is located. The altar area is now on the tower side. The spire was rebuilt in a simpler form. In 1956, the tower regained its gilded cross. The front community center was restored a year later. The front and tower were renovated between 1981 and 1984.
Schwechten chose Gothic forms for the brick building. He based his design on the “Eisenach Regulativ” of 1861. Critics saw it as exploiting architectural history. They also viewed it as simply following Wilhelm II’s architectural tastes. However, his industrial buildings were considered groundbreaking.
A four-story building serves as the entrance and community center. It aligns with the street. The symmetrical facade has five bays. The outer bays project forward. Pillars flank them and gables top them. Red Rathenow bricks clad the masonry. Brown and green glazed bricks add detail. The 76.5-meter-high square tower rises from the central section. It features an octagonal pointed helmet.
The portal showcases two sandstone figures. These are life-size representations of Simeon and Hannah. A cruciform hall church with a transept and rectangular choir extends to the rear. The aisles were reduced to passageways. The first bay of the nave and the transept arms had galleries. The walls were plastered and painted. Red bricks formed the structural elements. Sandstone was used for the columns and capitals. The wooden ceiling exposed the beams and rafters. A large rose window adorned the north side of the nave.
Originally, St. Simeon had an organ made by Schlag & Söhne. It had three manuals and 43 stops. This organ was destroyed in 1945. A new organ was built in 1965 by Karl Schuke. It has 22 stops on two manuals and a pedal. The tower has large openwork arcades for the bell chamber. Above that is the clock. Three cast steel bells from 1897 hang in the tower. They survived both world wars.
Since 2015, the congregation no longer uses St. Simeon for regular services. On October 8, 2015, Bishop Markus Dröge opened St. Simeon as Germany’s first refugee church. This created a place for people. People could meet regardless of origin or status. They could receive help with any issues.
Dagmar Apel became the pastor for migration and integration in 2016. She serves as a consultant for the Berlin Mission Society. St. Simeon stands not just as a church. It is a testament to faith, resilience, and service to the community.