The soaring spire of the Mittendrin ev Apostel Kirche Harburg pierces the Hamburg sky. A testament to faith and resilience it stands proudly. This isn’t just any church. It’s a place woven into the very fabric of Harburg’s history.
The Mittendrin ev Apostel Kirche Harburg wasn’t always here. Its predecessor the Dreifaltigkeitskirche held a significant place in Harburg’s past. Built between 1650 and 1652 it replaced the Marienkirche. The Marienkirche had to be demolished to make way for Harburg Castle’s expansion and the Lotsekanal. The Dreifaltigkeitskirche’s pastors even served as Generalsuperintendents for the Harburg Generaldiocese until 1903. Imagine the weight of that history.
Sadly the Dreifaltigkeitskirche met a tragic end. Bombs destroyed it in November 1944. Only the west wall remains. It bears a baroque entrance portal and a fragment of a Christ figure from 1652. These remnants stand as silent witnesses to the war’s devastation. Several gravestones including those from the ducal family’s crypt still lie there. They are a poignant reminder of lives lived and lost.
Few original artifacts survived the bombing. Parts of the altar from 1688 found new homes in the St Johannis Church Curslack and the Kreuzkirche in Hamburg Wilhelmsburg. A crown chandelier possibly from the old Marienkirche now graces the Archaeological Museum Hamburg. Other pieces found their way into the new church building.
Between 1962 and 1966 a new church was built. It was constructed behind the old portal. Ingeborg and Friedrich Spengelin designed the new building. A new free-standing bell tower was added. In 1977 the church and congregation joined the Hamburg diocese of the newly formed Northern Elbe Evangelical Lutheran Church. The old church wall and the new buildings were given protected status in 1999.
The Mittendrin ev Apostel Kirche Harburg holds a remarkable baptismal font. It dates back to around 1767. It came from a church in Ballethen East Prussia. It was found in 1993 serving as a bird bath. After restoration it found a new home in Harburg. The church served as a concert venue until 2013. It was known as Hamburg’s Klangkirche a musical landmark.
Stand here today and reflect. Feel the weight of the past. See the hope of the future. The Mittendrin ev Apostel Kirche Harburg isn’t just a building. It’s a living history lesson a testament to faith and endurance. It’s a story waiting to be rediscovered.