Creative ideas save Brandenburg's village churches from decay

Creative ideas save Brandenburg's village churches from decay

Kreuzbruch, Deutschland - In Brandenburg, over 1,500 village churches can be found, which not only have cultural importance, but also often also form the center of the communities. In view of the decline in church memberships, however, many of these churches are empty. Therefore, an RBB team shows creative approaches to maintain and revive these historical places.

A concise example is the church ruin in Kreuzbruch, which was saved by Horst-Werner Schneider. He acquired the dilapidated church in 1998 for 30,000 D-Marks and invested extensive means and time in its renovation. Today his home comprises a full kitchen, a bathroom and underfloor heating. Schneider also opens the church for events, although he is no longer a church member, like ARD Mediathek reported.

creative use of church ruins

Another example is the old church ruin in Kienitz, where Sandra Zank, a teacher, opened a seasonal café. The church, which was badly damaged in the Second World War, invites you to enjoy self-baked cakes between the historical walls, such as rbb-online.de

In Rieben, the village church, which had been closed for over 20 years due to dilapidation, was renovated with the support of the state and the EU. The front part of the church belongs to the parish, which uses him for church services, while the back of the municipality serves for municipal council meetings and meetings of pensioner groups.

Another remarkable project is the memorial in the whole of the police officer Axel Speepenning. The small manor band is used as a blue light church to commemorate fallen comrades. The chapel remains owned by the parish, but is used regularly.

In addition, the parish leases in Guben lands to wind power operators. The income is used for the maintenance of nine church buildings, including renovation work on facilities such as an organ.

in Barsikow has been a pilgrim hostel in the church tower for 13 years that hikers attracts on the Jakobsweg. This was supported by EU funding and offers pilgrims a place to stay on its way from Berlin to Bad Wilsnack.

The film, which documents these innovative initiatives, helps to raise awareness of the challenges and possibilities of maintaining the historical village churches in Brandenburg.