Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step into a place where history and modern faith meet? Well, you are standing right in front of St. Teresa Kirche, a beautiful church in the Heidelberg-Ziegelhausen neighborhood of Heidelberg, Germany.
St. Teresa Kirche is a relatively new church, built between 1995 and 1997. It was designed by Werner Wolf-Holzappfel, the deputy director of the Archdiocesan Building Office in Heidelberg. It was constructed to replace the old Laurentiuskirche, a small Baroque church in the village of Ziegelhausen.
The church has a unique design. It’s a central building with a hexagonal base, which is half an octagon. It is topped with a bell tower, which is crowned by a tent roof. You might be reminded of medieval choir tower churches when you see it.
St Teresa Kirche is built of reinforced concrete and brick. This makes it a unified design with the Parish Center, built earlier. And the church stands out with its sloping roofs and tower-like bell tower.
It is dedicated to Saint Teresa of Ávila, a Spanish mystic and writer. But it also incorporates art referencing Elijah, a biblical prophet.
Looking more closely at the church, you’ll notice that the church benches are arranged in a semi-circle around the altar. Imagine that you are inside. You would see that the light shines from above, filtering through the glass roof over the bell tower. The altar, the cross, the tabernacle, and the lectern are all carved from limestone by Bernd Stöcker. The limestone comes from near Hebron.
The church is full of creative and artistic details. The large abstract altar painting called the “Transfiguration of the Lord” is by Hanspeter Münch. The church also features a beautiful set of “Teresa windows” between the main church and the weekday chapel. They depict saints named Teresa, including the patron saint herself. You can also see a baroque Madonna on the left pillar near the altar.
St. Teresa is a church of contrasts: modern architecture honoring tradition. Its unique design attracts visitors as does the story of its predecessor, the old Laurentiuskirche.