What if these stones of the Ev. Siedlungskirche Teltow could talk? They would tell a story of faith and resilience. This is the Ev. Siedlungskirche Teltow. It stands as a testament to a community’s spirit. It is located on Mahlower Straße in Teltow.
The Ev. Siedlungskirche Teltow’s story begins in the late 1920s. Berlin was expanding. New settlements emerged around the city. Superintendent Max Diestel recognized the need for pastoral care in these areas. The existing local churches could not handle the growing population. In 1928, the district synod decided to appoint a “district pastor for settlements”.
One of these settlements was in Teltow. It lay just outside Berlin’s city limits. In 1935, during the tenure of the third district pastor Hans Böhm, a building was erected. This building provided space for a kindergarten and a meeting room. It could hold 120 people. There was also a sister station with an apartment. A workroom for the settlement pastor was included. The local church provided the land for this project. Architect Prof. Winfried Wendland oversaw the design and construction.
Dr. Hans Böhm was a pastor of the Confessing Church. During the Church Struggle he was arrested five times by the Nazis. He gathered a Confessing congregation around the Ev. Siedlungskirche Teltow. They had a council of brethren as their leadership. Kurt Scharf the leader of the Confessing Synod spoke at the chapel’s inauguration. Artists later deemed “degenerate” by the Nazis contributed to the chapel’s design. Hans Mettel designed the door. Moriz Melzer painted the altar wall.
In 1937, a wooden bell tower was erected on the chapel’s eastern side. Two bronze bells were purchased from Franz Schilling’s bell foundry. One bell weighing 260 kg had the tone “C”. Its inscription read “O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord”. The other bell weighing 150 kg had the tone “Es”. Its inscription read “Pray without ceasing”. In 1942, both bells were seized for war purposes.
After World War II, Pastor Dr. Böhm arranged for their return. Instead, two bells from Neudamm now Dębno Poland were delivered. This was discovered when the wooden structure needed repair. In September 2011 the congregation returned the bells to Dębno. This was done as a sign of international understanding. It was part of an ecumenical German-Polish meeting.
In 1948, the district settlement parish was dissolved. The parish was assigned to the local church congregation. The settlement congregation continued with its own church council. An organ from the Alexander Schuke company was installed in 1964.
During the 1980s, the Ev. Siedlungskirche Teltow hosted concerts and events. These featured leading opposition figures from East Germany. They included Freya Klier, Stephan Krawczyk and Bettina Wegner. Also attending were pastors Rainer Eppelmann and Friedrich Schorlemmer. In 1989 and 1990, Pastor Ute Bindemann hosted a “Round Table” for Teltow. In 1990, the local citizens’ initiative Teltow was founded here.
After reunification, a two-story annex was built in 1994 and 1995. It housed an administrative office for the Teltow church district. When the district was dissolved, the annex went to the church congregation. The building complex is now a listed monument.
Today, the Ev. Siedlungskirche Teltow continues to be a vibrant center. It is for the community. In June 2020, construction began on a new daycare center. It is located behind the historic building complex.
The Ev. Siedlungskirche Teltow stands as a reminder. It is of the power of faith. It is a community’s resilience. Its story echoes through the years. It reminds us of the importance of hope.