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St. Nicolai Klettenberg (2016)
Zukunft StadtLand: Kirche. Querdenker für Thüringen 2017.
Klettenberg, a small village in the rural district of Nordhausen, Germany, is home to an ancient protestant castle church, St. Nicolai. It was built in 1647 and has become a church for all residents of the village and castle since 1706. The large building without a bell tower in the former castle garden has four entrances, which were once assigned to selected persons. The building has a barrel vault and a carved altar wall. On the east gable, outside the church, the underground burial ground of the Count of Klettenberg is located. Instead of a tower there is a belfry next to the building.
Less than four percent of Protestant Christians in Germany belong to the Protestant Church of central Germany (EKM) - but 20 percent of all church buildings are located here. In Thuringia, about 2.000 church buildings belong to the EKM. 99 percent of them are listed buildings. Half of all churches here are older than 500 years, many show Romanesque traces.
How do you deal with this heritage? What importance do the time-honoured buildings still have in everyday life, when due to the rapid social change there is no visible need for more sacred spaces? Are our church buildings now left over or superfluous? In Germany, one is well aware of the cultural value of its monuments and churches and tries to preserve and cultivate them.
The community of Klettenberg had relatively low demands on St. Nicolai. Beside a toilet and barrier-free access they wished for a heated room for church service and small events. In this proposal, a room with a kitchen has been separated by glazed walls and fitted with infrared heating panels. Loose instead of previously fixed seating and a large, elevated stage-like area allows for performances, concerts, weddings, and community gatherings. The gallery would be outfitted with additional seating and a showcase to display the buildings impressive history. Among other smaller improvements inside and outside the church, special attention has been paid to new beautiful atmospheric lighting.
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