Rumor has it that the inspiration for St. Michael’s unique design came from an unexpected source. Today we will explore St. Michael in Frankfurt. This Roman Catholic church stands in Frankfurt’s Nordend district. It has been a branch church of St. Josef Frankfurt am Main since 2007. St. Michael serves as the center for grief pastoral care for the Diocese of Limburg. The church is also a cultural monument.
In 1934, plans arose to relieve the already existing St. Bernhard church. In 1937, Bishop Antonius Hilfrich chose Archangel Michael as the patron saint. The land was acquired in 1939 through an exchange. Bishop Wilhelm Kempf approved the new building in 1952. St. Michael was planned as a parish church involving the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri.
An architectural competition in 1952 selected Rudolf Schwarz’s design. He was known as a master builder of the Liturgical Movement. The Oratorians found a suitable architect for their ambitious project. The design placed the altar at the center of the room. This arrangement became common about ten years later with the Second Vatican Council.
The groundbreaking took place on July 22, 1953. The foundation stone was laid on August 23, 1953. It came from the mother church, St. Bernhard. The topping-out ceremony was celebrated on December 14, 1953. Bishop Wilhelm Kempf consecrated the church on October 23 and 24, 1954. Relics were placed in the main altar. St. Michael became an independent parish on November 1, 1954. Alfons Kirchgässner was the pastor from its founding until 1972. The parish house was completed in 1956. The Frankfurt Oratory was based there from September 27, 1956, until 2019.
The church’s organ with 30 stops was built in 1960. It was made by the company Förster & Nicolaus. The architect Wimmenauer added the bell tower in 1962. The church bells were consecrated on March 15, 1964.
Later, ground settlements were repeatedly corrected. The glass brick light band was repaired. The underfloor heating was renewed and the parish house was extended. The interior was renovated. The church tower was also renovated. The building was renovated in 2009.
In 2007, St. Michael lost its role as a parish church. It became the center for grief pastoral care. Since the summer of 2007, St. Michael has been a branch church of St. Josef. The former parish area was divided among St. Bernhard, St. Josef, and St. Christophorus.
St. Michael stands in a residential area. It is located at the transition between 1920s expressionist buildings and post-war housing. The church faces north-south and has a rounded cross shape. The curved shape stands out. Yet, the clinker facade relates to the brick expressionist houses. The supporting structure is a skeleton with reinforced concrete columns. The elliptical nave ends in the north with a triple-rounded choir. The cylindrical bell tower stands on the southwest church square.
Red clinker walls and slender gray concrete ribs mark the church’s exterior. A band of glass bricks divides the facade below the flat roof’s eaves. Two low entrances in the south repeat the main design motif with their semicircular shape.
Inside, a low entrance zone leads to the wide curved interior. Schwarz’s idea for the room’s sequence and lighting came from a walk through the Aare Gorge. The interior is brightly plastered with gray-green concrete ribs. The high light band of glass bricks provides even lighting from above. The flat sky-blue ceiling is divided by golden bars. These bars are designed like a vault. The floor is covered with black slate slabs.
Maria Schwarz designed the altar in the center. It is raised by three steps. The organ is in the eastern conch. A weekday chapel is in the western conch. The low 3-meter-high crypt under the altar island has four strong columns. It contains an altar with relics of the Apostle Matthias. Three stained glass windows light the lower church. Georg Meistermann created these windows.
The transformation into a grief center led to liturgical changes. A place for baptismal remembrance and a place for memorializing the dead were established. The baptismal area includes a baptismal font. It stands at the intersection of the two entrances. A stone stele complements it. It serves as a candle holder for the Easter candle. The floor mosaic by Ludwig Becker was moved to the center’s entrance area. The place for memorializing the dead is in front of the altar area. It consists of a sandstone slab inserted into the slate floor. Four candle holders surround it. The book of the dead with names of the deceased is placed there.