Ever wondered about a church born from the shadows of a rising ideology? That’s the Lutherkirche. It stands here in Nuremberg on Hasenbuck. It’s the highest church in the city.
The Lutherkirche’s story began with Nuremberg’s booming industry. The population grew. The new Hasenbuck settlement needed a church. Residents traveled to the Gustav-Adolf-Gedächtniskirche in Lichtenhof. It became the Lutherkirche’s mother church.
Summer forest services started in 1924. They were held on Hasenbuck. This was because the Lichtenhof church was overcrowded. Pastor Georg Schönweiß planned a simple church. It would include a kindergarten. Construction began in 1936. Government architect Max Kälberer designed it. It was intended as a temporary solution. But it became a solid building with a roof turret.
Pastor Wei declared it the Lutherkirche on Hasenbuck at the topping-out ceremony. This happened on June 19 1936. The fresco wasn’t ready. Only a sketch existed. The dedication took place on July 25 1937. Architect Pastor Schmidt presented the key. Pastor Schönweiß was absent. The large fresco depicting the Sermon on the Mount was completed on September 26 1937.
Interestingly the Lutherkirche was built during the Nazi era. Only a few churches were built at this time. The church has features typical of buildings from that period. Artists with nationalistic views created the artwork.
Damage from World War II wasn’t fixed until 1951-52. In 1959, it became its own parish. This was thanks to Pastor Kurt Heimbucher. It even had two positions for pastors. A renovation happened in 1968. A main entrance with a foyer was added. The kindergarten became part of the church space. An apartment was turned into a gallery. It became a single-nave church. The chancel arch and fresco disappeared. A sandstone surface was added behind the altar and cross. Two colored panels were added to the sandstone in 2006.
Inside the Lutherkirche, the crucifix and baptismal font were created in 1937. Sculptor Hanns Leo Albert crafted them from limewood. The current organ was installed in 1970. The previous one was stored during the war. It was unusable afterward. A relief decorates the gallery.
The Lutherkirche’s bell hangs in the roof turret. Schilling bell foundry made it in 1936. It weighs 120 kg. Its diameter is 600 mm. The bell cost 337 Reichsmark.
The churchyard has various trees. Its ring wall was renovated in 2016. It hosts church events. This includes community festivals and forest Christmas celebrations.
Notably Pastor Karl Friedrich Stellbrink’s urn was buried here in 1949. He preached at the Lutherkirche. The Nazis later murdered him. He is one of the four Lübeck Martyrs. Since the 1980s, the congregation has explored its history. In 1993, the Lutherkirche became a listed building. Since 2014, an exhibit tells the story. It focuses on Pastor Stellbrink. Werner Mally redesigned the chancel in the same year. His art encourages reflection on the Nazi era.
Today the Lutherkirche is part of the Luther-Melanchthon parish. It was formed in 2000. The Lutherkirche stands as a testament to faith and reflection. It invites us to contemplate its complex history. It encourages us to engage with the past.