The soul of the city – Churches
Churches form the soul of cities and are an expression of the respective understanding of the times and their social significance. The reconstruction of churches reflects their significance in the now current geographical-political and temporal environment.
Brest
Before the bombing, there were five churches in Brest; of these, one was badly damaged and repaired, two were destroyed and rebuilt modified until 1958. In addition, new churches were built in the 1960s in line with population growth.
Temporary
In Brest, temporary shanty towns were built outside the former ring of fortifications, with extensive urban infrastructure such as schools, shops, health centres and also churches.
In Bouguen, one of the largest shanty towns, the provisional church, a large wooden building painted black with a basilical cross-section, was inaugurated on 8th December 1946. This was replaced between 1966 and 1968 by Notre Dame du Bouguen, a modern prefabricated concrete building, on the border of the Kerbernier district. Both the triptych (by Jim Sévellec) and the Stations of the Cross painted by André Muriel-Bussy in 1949 were relocated from the barrack church to the newly built church.
11.1 Shanty town Brest-Bouguen, temporary church, ca. 1950
11.2 Saint-Louis provisional church, ca. 1955
Monumental modern new building on old site
The Saint-Louis Church was built from 1686-1702 and was visible from afar with its high steeple. The flight of steps in front of the main entrance jutted out into “rue Kerand” (Kerand street). Although the outer walls were still largely intact in 1944, the church, like all the buildings across the town centre area, was demolished in favour of radical new urban planning. Parallel to the first housing developments in the western innercity area, a large temporary church was built southwest of the present site (1950 – early 1970s), with a large flight of steps and a three-part entrance façade.
In 1948, a two-stage competition was held for a new building, which was won by the office of Yves Michel. Due to controversy, a trip was made to southern Germany and Switzerland in 1952 to study modern church building. In 1958, the church was completed over the remains that are still accessible today. The yellow-reddish sandstone used is intended to evoke the “sea of flames” of 1944.
11.3 Saint-Louis Church, façade and square, early 20th century
11.4 Saint-Louis Church, reconstruction, photo: 1965
11.5 Saint-Louis Church, interior, reconstruction, photo 2021
11.6 Saint-Louis Church, substructures with ruins of the old church, 2021
Simplified new building in an important urban location
The “Temple Protestant” (Protestant Temple), the smallest church building in Brest before 1944, was built from 1861-1863 in neo-Gothic style. It was elongated, very narrow and high with a high gable roof. The new building with simple forms and a flat hipped roof was built from 1952-1955 about 50 metres further northeast in the transverse axis of the town.
11.7 Old Protestant Temple, ca. 1900
11.8 Protestant Temple, reconstruction, rue Voltaire, 1989
11.9 Protestant Temple, reconstruction, interior, ca. 1955
Dresden
In the predominantly Protestant city of Dresden, 23 churches were affected by the war: Five churches were rebuilt, one of which was renovated to its former glory; four churches were converted. Of the severely or totally ruined churches, eleven were demolished between 1945 and 1963, often for political reasons. Only one new church was built in Dresden during this period for a congregation that had not previously had its own church building: St Peter’s Church in the Strehlen district.
Identically rebuilt
The Catholic Court Church in Dresden was built for the Saxon Elector Friedrich August II, who converted to the Catholic faith, between 1739 and 1755. The church, which was badly damaged in 1945, was fully renovated to its former glory between 1945 and 1962 following a strong initiative from the church congregation who considered it a part of the city’s important historical buildings on Theaterplatz.
11.10 Catholic Court Church, war damage, view of the organ choir, 1947
11.11 Catholic Court Church, view of the altar, 2007
11.12 Catholic Court Church, view from the north, 2011
Purifyingly rebuilt
The Kreuzkirche was built from 1764-1792, and the interior was redesigned in lavish neo-baroque style after a fire in 1897. After 1945, the church was rebuilt for the parish, but above all as a concert hall for the world-famous Kreuzchor. The décor that remained after the severe destruction of 1945 was completely removed from 1946-1955 in accordance with contemporary tastes. Attempts are currently underway to gradually reverse this.
11.13 Kreuzkirche, view of the altar, before 1936
11.14 Kreuzkirche, view of the altar after reconstruction, 1957
Reconstruction within the framework of the Emergency Church Programme
From 1945-1947, the Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen in Deutschland (HEKD) (Aid Organisation of the Protestant Churches in Germany) organised a relief campaign to support church congregations with church rooms that needed to be built quickly. In 1947, the HEKD commissioned the architect Otto Bartning to design emergency churches. Bartning developed four variants whose roof structure consisted of prefabricated three-hinged wooden trusses and whose surrounding walls were constructed independently of rubble stones. In the same year, the Reconstruction Committee of the World Council of Churches approved emergency churches for Berlin-East and Dresden.
The Friedenskirchgemeinde in Dresden-Löbtau was awarded the contract for an emergency church to replace its very badly damaged church building, which was erected in the Historicist style between 1889 and 1891. The emergency church with a polygonal end was built from 1949-1952 in the partially preserved surrounding walls. In the case of the Löbtau Peace Church, the special feature is that not only rubble stones but also the still upright east wall was used for the enclosure walls.
It is one of 43 churches built throughout Germany as part of Bartning’s Emergency Church Programme, financed by the World Federation of Churches and domestic and foreign donations.
11.15 Otto Bartning, emergency church type B, stages of completion
11.16 Dresden-Löbtau, Friedenskirche, 2008 11.17 Dresden-Löbtau, Friedenskirche, the interior of the emergency church, 2008
Churches form the soul of cities and are an expression of the respective understanding of the times and their social significance. The reconstruction of churches reflects their significance in the now current geographical-political and temporal environment.
Brest
Before the bombing, there were five churches in Brest; of these, one was badly damaged and repaired, two were destroyed and rebuilt modified until 1958. In addition, new churches were built in the 1960s in line with population growth.
Temporary
In Brest, temporary shanty towns were built outside the former ring of fortifications, with extensive urban infrastructure such as schools, shops, health centres and also churches.
In Bouguen, one of the largest shanty towns, the provisional church, a large wooden building painted black with a basilical cross-section, was inaugurated on 8th December 1946. This was replaced between 1966 and 1968 by Notre Dame du Bouguen, a modern prefabricated concrete building, on the border of the Kerbernier district. Both the triptych (by Jim Sévellec) and the Stations of the Cross painted by André Muriel-Bussy in 1949 were relocated from the barrack church to the newly built church.
11.1 Shanty town Brest-Bouguen, temporary church, ca. 1950
11.2 Saint-Louis provisional church, ca. 1955
Monumental modern new building on old site
The Saint-Louis Church was built from 1686-1702 and was visible from afar with its high steeple. The flight of steps in front of the main entrance jutted out into “rue Kerand” (Kerand street). Although the outer walls were still largely intact in 1944, the church, like all the buildings across the town centre area, was demolished in favour of radical new urban planning. Parallel to the first housing developments in the western innercity area, a large temporary church was built southwest of the present site (1950 – early 1970s), with a large flight of steps and a three-part entrance façade.
In 1948, a two-stage competition was held for a new building, which was won by the office of Yves Michel. Due to controversy, a trip was made to southern Germany and Switzerland in 1952 to study modern church building. In 1958, the church was completed over the remains that are still accessible today. The yellow-reddish sandstone used is intended to evoke the “sea of flames” of 1944.
11.3 Saint-Louis Church, façade and square, early 20th century
11.4 Saint-Louis Church, reconstruction, photo: 1965
11.5 Saint-Louis Church, interior, reconstruction, photo 2021
11.6 Saint-Louis Church, substructures with ruins of the old church, 2021
Simplified new building in an important urban location
The “Temple Protestant” (Protestant Temple), the smallest church building in Brest before 1944, was built from 1861-1863 in neo-Gothic style. It was elongated, very narrow and high with a high gable roof. The new building with simple forms and a flat hipped roof was built from 1952-1955 about 50 metres further northeast in the transverse axis of the town.
11.7 Old Protestant Temple, ca. 1900
11.8 Protestant Temple, reconstruction, rue Voltaire, 1989
11.9 Protestant Temple, reconstruction, interior, ca. 1955
Dresden
In the predominantly Protestant city of Dresden, 23 churches were affected by the war: Five churches were rebuilt, one of which was renovated to its former glory; four churches were converted. Of the severely or totally ruined churches, eleven were demolished between 1945 and 1963, often for political reasons. Only one new church was built in Dresden during this period for a congregation that had not previously had its own church building: St Peter’s Church in the Strehlen district.
Identically rebuilt
The Catholic Court Church in Dresden was built for the Saxon Elector Friedrich August II, who converted to the Catholic faith, between 1739 and 1755. The church, which was badly damaged in 1945, was fully renovated to its former glory between 1945 and 1962 following a strong initiative from the church congregation who considered it a part of the city’s important historical buildings on Theaterplatz.
11.10 Catholic Court Church, war damage, view of the organ choir, 1947
11.11 Catholic Court Church, view of the altar, 2007
11.12 Catholic Court Church, view from the north, 2011
Purifyingly rebuilt
The Kreuzkirche was built from 1764-1792, and the interior was redesigned in lavish neo-baroque style after a fire in 1897. After 1945, the church was rebuilt for the parish, but above all as a concert hall for the world-famous Kreuzchor. The décor that remained after the severe destruction of 1945 was completely removed from 1946-1955 in accordance with contemporary tastes. Attempts are currently underway to gradually reverse this.
11.13 Kreuzkirche, view of the altar, before 1936
11.14 Kreuzkirche, view of the altar after reconstruction, 1957
Reconstruction within the framework of the Emergency Church Programme
From 1945-1947, the Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen in Deutschland (HEKD) (Aid Organisation of the Protestant Churches in Germany) organised a relief campaign to support church congregations with church rooms that needed to be built quickly. In 1947, the HEKD commissioned the architect Otto Bartning to design emergency churches. Bartning developed four variants whose roof structure consisted of prefabricated three-hinged wooden trusses and whose surrounding walls were constructed independently of rubble stones. In the same year, the Reconstruction Committee of the World Council of Churches approved emergency churches for Berlin-East and Dresden.
The Friedenskirchgemeinde in Dresden-Löbtau was awarded the contract for an emergency church to replace its very badly damaged church building, which was erected in the Historicist style between 1889 and 1891. The emergency church with a polygonal end was built from 1949-1952 in the partially preserved surrounding walls. In the case of the Löbtau Peace Church, the special feature is that not only rubble stones but also the still upright east wall was used for the enclosure walls.
It is one of 43 churches built throughout Germany as part of Bartning’s Emergency Church Programme, financed by the World Federation of Churches and domestic and foreign donations.
11.15 Otto Bartning, emergency church type B, stages of completion
11.16 Dresden-Löbtau, Friedenskirche, 2008 11.17 Dresden-Löbtau, Friedenskirche, the interior of the emergency church, 2008