A church combining styles? That’s exactly what you will find here at St. Jürgen. St. Jürgen is an Evangelical church in Hamburg-Langenhorn. It stands near Hamburg’s northern border.
Consecrated on March 19, 1939, St. Jürgen has been a protected monument since August 4, 2003. Let’s delve into the history and unique architecture of St. Jürgen.
Architect Gerhard Langmaack designed St. Jürgen between 1938 and 1939. It was his first church in Hamburg. Langmaack combined the Heimatschutzstil of the Nazi era with elements of the New Building style. The dominant material is brick. The nave seats 240 people. It was designed as an east-facing hall church with a steep gable roof.
The 35-meter-high tower is integrated into the church building. It shows the castle and defensive character typical of the Heimatschutzstil. In 1997, a solar panel system was installed on the roof. This creates a contrast. The combination of church and parsonage into one building was unusual. It was also controversial for the time.
In 1961 and 1962, the group construction of church and parsonage was expanded. A community center and an administration building were added. Langmaack also supplied the designs for both buildings. Despite the time difference, a uniform architectural style was maintained.
The name St. Jürgen is a Low German form of St. Georg. The Hospital St. Georg owned Langenhorn until 1829. Let’s take a look inside St. Jürgen.
The church features a wooden pulpit. An organ loft sits above the main entrance. You enter the main room through the ground floor of the tower. The side windows are rectangular with colored glass. Above the altar is a colorful round window. Claus Wallner designed it. It depicts motifs from the Revelation of John.
Due to its construction shortly before World War II, mostly wooden beams were used inside. This saved steel. The barrel vault ceiling contrasts with the rectangular choir.
Three bells reside in the tower of St. Jürgen. The largest bell has a diameter of 945 mm. Its mass is 72 kg. It strikes a G sharp note. The middle bell has a diameter of 866 mm. Its mass is 53 kg. It strikes an A sharp note. The small bell has a diameter of 732 mm. Its mass is 3 kg. It strikes a C sharp note.
The church’s first organ was built in 1939. W. Sauer Orgelbau Frankfurt Oder constructed it. Since 1976, the church has a new organ. The company Eule / Bautzen built it. In 1992, a Rohrschalmey 8′ was added. Now, it has 16 stops. These are distributed across 2 manuals and a pedal.
St. Jürgen stands as a testament to architectural adaptation. It bridges tradition and necessity in a unique way. It reflects the history of its time. It continues to serve its community today.