Refuge church torn down: New meeting center planned

Refuge church torn down: New meeting center planned

In a moving prayer on January 26, Pastor Axinia Schönfeld and superintendent Florian Kunz said goodbye to the refuge church, which was demolished last year. The church, which was built in 1964-1967 according to the plans of architect Bodo Fischer, was founded for refugees and bombed people from the time of the Second World War. The community church council chairwoman Ingrid Lawrenz symbolically handed over the property to Dr. Carola Brückner, district councilor for education, culture, sports and facility management.

The district had acquired the property in November 2021, and now the purchase is final. The property is located in the middle of the Falkenhagener Feld district at Westerwaldstraße 16 and is to be converted into a meeting center, which offers space for young and old. In addition to a senior meeting, the youth theater workshop is also planned to find new premises here.

by selling the property, with the exception of the living tract in the northern part, to the district and with the support of the State of Berlin, additional funding was promised. The building construction department in the district office is currently preparing a planning competition in which the service phases one to four are advertised, from the basic determination to approval planning.

The planned development of Westerwaldstraße 16/18 to 2030 provides for the construction of urgently needed social institutions that are adapted to the living development of the district. This reflects the endeavor to design the district into a livable and diverse place for all generations. For more information, Ms. Katharina Lingen from the Facility Management service unit is available at the specified email address and telephone number.

The closure of the refuge church and the upcoming construction of the meeting center mark a significant change for the residents of the district and symbolize adaptation to current needs. The historically relevant importance of the refuge church as a place of refuge for refugees and bombed people during the Second World War gives this change a special meaning. The plan to build a meeting center in this historical location underlines the importance of maintaining and redesigning places with historical importance for future generations.

As an attempt to convert a lost place of historical importance into a modern, lively center for the community, this plan is not only an important development step for the district, but also a remarkable example of the conversion of historical sites in the context of today's social needs.

| Planned location | Westerwaldstraße 16 |
| ——————— | ——————- |
| District | Falkenhagener Feld |
| Planned facilities | Meeting center, senior meeting, youth theater workshop |
| Intended completion | Until 2030 |

Source: www.berlin.de