Siegfried Zimmermann’s bronze altar cross shimmers before us. This cross is inside the Matthiaskirche. Welcome. The Matthiaskirche stands in Hanover’s Grou00df-Buchholz district. It serves as the church for the local Evangelical Lutheran congregation.
The history of this congregation stretches back centuries. Grou00df-Buchholz began as a settlement in the 1300s. Residents built the Antonius Chapel. Initially, the area belonged to the Jakobikirche in Kirchrode. Later, it became associated with Bothfeld. As Grou00df-Buchholz grew, it remained connected to Bothfeld ecclesiastically.
After Grou00df- and Klein-Buchholz joined Hanover in 1907, the population increased. Plans for an independent church in Grou00df-Buchholz emerged around 1935. In 1940, the Bothfeld parish acquired a building. This building would house a second clergy position. This clergyman would focus on Grou00df-Buchholz and Lahe. From 1952 to 1957, services occurred in a refugee camp dining hall. These services alternated between Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox traditions. The formal establishment of the independent parish happened in 1958. Finally, the Matthiaskirche was consecrated on March 14, 1964.
The Matthiaskirche underwent further developments. Between 1970 and 1980, a kindergarten was built. Also a community center was built. A youth center followed. In 2009, the Matthiaskirche parish merged. It joined with the Messias Church parish. Together, they formed the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
A new horseshoe-shaped community building appeared around the Matthiaskirche in 2014. This replaced an older structure from 1957.
Inside the Matthiaskirche, art captivates. Siegfried Zimmermann created the altar image and bronze altar cross. Gerhard Hausmann from Hamburg designed the stained glass windows. The altar, pulpit, lectern, and baptismal font are made from Eifel millstone lava.
The Matthiaskirche’s organ was built in 1966. The company Schmidt & Thiemann from Hanover constructed it. It features 28 registers and roughly 2000 pipes.
The Matthiaskirche’s tower houses nine bells. An antique bell over 100 years old resides in the community building’s roof truss. This bell originated from the old Antonius Chapel. The tower bells ring via a push-button system. They also ring automatically at set times. These times are 7:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM on weekdays. Smaller bells came from the former Messias Church. The community house bell rings during the Lord’s Prayer. Before the church’s construction, services took place in the community building.
Klaus Meine, Scorpions’ frontman, performed his first gig in the community house’s youth room. This happened in 1966 with his band Mushroom. Today, the Matthiaskirche continues as a welcoming spiritual center.