Conceived in a time of rebuilding, the church Zu den heiligen Zwölf Aposteln stands as a testament to faith. It also marks community in Berlin’s Schlachtensee. This church offers a welcoming presence. Its history is rooted in the early 20th century. Catholic life began here in 1908. Ursuline sisters created a retreat in a villa. This villa included a small chapel.
In 1923, the Grey Sisters of Saint Elizabeth took over. They had opened a nursing home nearby. As Schlachtensee grew in the 1930s, more Catholics arrived. The chapel became a place of worship for a new local community from 1934. This community had its own chaplain. By 1936, it became an official curacy.
The parish included Schlachtensee. It also took in Nikolassee and parts of Zehlendorf-West. A plot of land was acquired in 1936 for a church. But, the government denied permission to build in 1939. After World War II, the community bought the land back. The church building association was founded in 1950. The foundation stone was laid in 1953. The church was consecrated in June 1954. In 1955, the curacy became a parish.
In 2004, Zu den heiligen Zwölf Aposteln merged with St. Michael. Both church buildings remained open. Architect Julius Schmidt designed Zu den heiligen Zwölf Aposteln in the style of Heimatschutzarchitektur. This style features simple construction and local materials. The church evokes medieval village churches.
However, Zu den heiligen Zwölf Aposteln differs in some ways. The walls are plastered. The tower stands over the chancel. Traditional village churches often use fieldstones. Their towers usually face west.
The church’s portal lies in a rounded recess. The transept arms are under the eaves of the nave. A mosaic cross sits atop the apse’s roof. Inside Zu den heiligen Zwölf Aposteln, the nave has a flat ceiling. A framework supports the ceiling. Wooden statues of the twelve apostles stand on the lower beams. These statues carry the upper beam.
Hanns Schrott-Fiechtl carved these statues. The statue of Saint Peter was installed in 1954. The rest followed as funds allowed. Light enters the chancel indirectly through windows in the tower. Ludwig Peter Kowalski designed the mosaic in the apse. A reddish marble stele holds the tabernacle.
In the left transept, the Marienkapelle hosts weekday masses. A 17th-century sculpture of Mary and the Child adorns the wall. An ambo connects this chapel to the altar area. On the opposite side is a Russian icon of Christ Pantocrator.
The right transept features a marble baptismal font. Hanns Schrott-Fiechtl designed this. An early 19th-century painting of Christ on the Cross hangs above. Gerhard Winner’s Stations of the Cross are displayed since 1963.
The Zu den heiligen Zwölf Aposteln bells were cast in 1955. They were consecrated in November of the same year. The organ was inaugurated in 1960. It has 1471 pipes. Zu den heiligen Zwölf Aposteln stands as more than a building. It represents a vibrant community. It offers a space for worship. It is a place of history. It is an example of faith in action.