Pfarrkirche St. Clara

Gazing at Pfarrkirche St. Clara, imagine attending mass in a simple room. In 1837, just 20 Catholic families lived in Rixdorf. Journeying to St. Hedwig’s or St. Michael’s Church for mass was a considerable trek. So, they created a “room chapel” in a Karl-Marx-Straße apartment. Pfarrkirche St. Clara’s journey began in these humble beginnings. This first room chapel soon overflowed. A larger room in a neighboring house became the second chapel in 1848. Rent increases forced another move in 1860, to their “third room chapel.” By 1876, yet another move was needed, this time to a former carpenter’s workshop. Finally, land was purchased on Briesestraße in 1880. A small chapel with 150 seats was built. It was consecrated in 1881. A priest from St. Michael’s would visit once a month to celebrate mass. The growing Catholic population, however, quickly outgrew this space. Pfarrkirche St. Clara, as we know it today, began construction in March 1895. Costing 125,000 marks (about 1,080,000 euros today), it was designed by architect August Menken. Interestingly, the original chapel remained standing and in use while the new church was built around it. Only at the end of 1895, when this arrangement became impractical, was the chapel demolished. Services then moved to the Hermannstraße cemetery chapel until Pfarrkirche St. Clara’s completion. Pfarrkirche St. Clara was inaugurated on June 24, 1897. The church features a striking red-brick façade and a 57-meter tower. The tower, part of the gable wall, marks the corner of the plot. An octagonal helm, surrounded by four small turrets, rises above the bell chamber. A cross and weathercock top the tower. Inside, the two-aisled hall can accommodate 1200 people. Four slender columns support the ribbed vault. The sanctuary has a scallop-shaped apse. Side chapels and a narthex complete the layout. The church also boasts a rich history of furnishings and artwork, much of which was added or changed over the years. From humble “room chapels” to a magnificent structure, Pfarrkirche St. Clara stands as a testament to the growth and dedication of Neukölln’s Catholic community.