“Ever heard of a church rising from the ashes?” I ask you. St. Annen-Kirche in Berlin-Lichterfelde is such a place. It stands as a testament to faith and resilience.
Let’s dive into the story of St. Annen. This Catholic church wasn’t built in a day. Construction spanned from 1932 to 1936. Siegfried Lukowski and Carl Anton Meckel were the architects behind it. They created a basilica that blends Heimatschutz architecture with Neoromanik and Gothic elements.
Imagine the early days. Catholics from Silesia and East Prussia formed their own parish in 1930. They initially gathered for services in the St. Ludwig Altersheim chapel. Finally, on June 14, 1936, St. Annen-Kirche was consecrated.
But St. Annen’s story doesn’t end there. World War II brought devastation. Brandbombs and Sprengbomben heavily damaged the church. Parishioners worshipped in the parish hall and side rooms until the church was rebuilt. On March 17, 1946, St. Annen was rededicated.
Notice the architecture as we admire St. Annen. It extends along the Gardeschützenweg. The church features a high nave with two narrow aisles. Light streams in through arched windows and a large rose window. The nave boasts a trapezoidal vaulted ceiling, a unique design element. A small transept houses a chapel next to the altar. Above it, you’ll spot the post-war organ. The bell tower rises on a square base. It transitions to an octagonal top with a pointed roof. Dark red bricks cover the entire structure.
Inside St. Annen, the altar area is separated by a narrow triumphal arch. Near the entrance, you can see the baptistery. Its design includes five walls and arched windows. The church’s furnishings come from different periods. The tabernacle, in the style of the Beuron Art School, is a highlight. It once stood on the high altar. The late Gothic baptismal font is also original to the church. Hans Breinlinger’s Stations of the Cross were added in the 1940s.
Listen closely and you may imagine the sound of the bronze bell. Franz Schilling cast it in 1935. It weighs 600 kg and its strike tone is A. The inscription reads: “EN PIOS VOCO PASTORIS BONI LOCO PIUS.”
The altar area was redesigned in 1972, and in 1995 a large mosaic was installed behind the high altar. This mosaic is a copy of the one in the apse of the Church of San Clemente in Rome. Originally made for a hospital in Karlshorst, it wasn’t used there and was stored for years. St. Annen’s parish received it as a gift and pieced together its 1.6 million stones.
Look for the two sculptures of Anna selbdritt. A wooden sculpture stands inside. The other is a relief above the portals made when the church was built.
St. Annen-Kirche continues to be a place of worship and community. It stands as a symbol of faith and perseverance. Its walls echo with stories of war, rebuilding, and enduring devotion.