A bridge between tradition and modernity is what you see before you. This is the Guter Hirte church in Mannheim. Completed in 1953, Guter Hirte was Mannheim’s first new Catholic church after World War II.
The Guter Hirte stands in the center of Schönaus. But before this church, there was a need. After World War I, unauthorized settlements arose here. The area became the Schönausiedlung in the 1930s. Catholics initially belonged to the St. Franziskus parish.
From 1938, the new Protestant community center was used for services. This meant a change to the St. Bartholomäus parish. After World War II, a wooden barrack served as a temporary church in 1948. It was dedicated to the Good Shepherd.
In 1949, Archbishop Wendelin Rauch made Schönaus a parish. The land for the temporary church belonged to a housing association. The city wanted to build apartments there. In 1951, Mannheim ordered the church to be vacated.
The first groundbreaking for the Guter Hirte church took place in 1952. On November 22, 1953, Bishop Augustin Olbert consecrated it. Architect Hans Rolli designed the church. The Guter Hirte’s architecture connects traditional building methods with modern design. It is a hall church with a flat gable roof. A low aisle is on the south side. The church is 16.30 meters wide, 42.50 meters long and 13.50 meters high. The concrete skeleton is visible inside and outside.
In 1959, the bell tower was built. Archbishop Hermann Schäufele elevated the parish in 1962. In 2003, the Guter Hirte, St. Michael and St. Bartholomäus parishes merged. They formed the Sandhofen-Schönau pastoral care unit.
The 38-meter-high tower has a cross on top. Franz Bernhard created a ceramic artwork on the front. It shows Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Inside, Willy Oeser created a large depiction of the Last Supper on the altar wall. He also designed two windows. They depict the Resurrection of Christ and the raising of Jairus’ daughter. Oeser also created the Stations of the Cross in 1957.
The Guter Hirte’s organ was built in 1966. Xaver Mönch & Sons built it. It has 34 stops and 2,560 pipes. The bells were cast by Hamm in Frankenthal in 1959. The five bronze bells weigh three tons.
Near the Guter Hirte, you will find the Caritas Center Guter Hirte. It offers assisted living and nursing care. The Caritas Center provides a community space. The Guter Hirte church and the Caritas center show the community’s commitment to faith and care. They stand as landmarks in Schönau. They offer spiritual and social support.