Mater Dolorosa (Berlin-Lankwitz)
Encyclopedia
Mater Dolorosa is a Roman Catholic parish and church in Berlin-Lankwitz in Germany. Mater Dolorosa belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin
. It is named after Our Lady of Sorrows
(Latin: mater dolorosa).
.
by the architects Christoph Hehl (1847–1911) and his scholar and companion Carl Kühn (1873–1942) took place on 22 September 1912 by the Auxiliary Bishop of Breslau Karl Augustin (1847–1919).
, which was consecrated on 1 November 1773.
The new bronze bells of 1963 dedicated to Maria Magdalena
, Mater Dolorosa and John the Apostle
are tuned in the beginning notes of the Gregorian Te Deum
e - g - a.
– was church musician. The first organ was destroyed in 1943 after the bombing. The current organ was built in 1977 by the Freiburg
organ builder Hartwig Späth and it was extended twice in 1987 and 1995. Today it has three manual
s and more than 2500 organ pipes.
Furthermore, there is a smaller organ of the organ builder Paul Ott in the left lateral nave.
The parish has a mixed choir, a children's choir, a gospel choir and a Gregorian choir.
Dr. Johannes Pinsk
(born 4 February 1891, † 21 May 1957, ordained priest on 13 June 1915) was leading the parish from 1939 to 1954.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin
The Archdiocese of Berlin is a Roman Catholic archdiocese, seated in Berlin and covering the northeast of Germany.As of 2004 the archdiocese has 386,279 Catholics out of the population of Berlin, most of Brandenburg and Hither Pomerania, i. e. the German part of Pomerania...
. It is named after Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...
(Latin: mater dolorosa).
Location and urban environment
The parish church is located between single and multi-family houses in the western part of the district of Lankwitz, about a kilometre south-east of the regional and suburban railway station LichterfeldeLichterfelde
Lichterfelde may refer to:* Berlin Lichterfelde* Lichterfelde West elegant residential area in Berlin* the municipality of Lichterfelde, Saxony-Anhalt in the Stendhal District, Germany* VfB Lichterfelde...
.
History
The parish was founded in 1911 and the church was built in 1912 by the Catholic priest Maximilian Beyer of the responsible parent parish in Berlin-Lichterfelde. On 21 May 1921 it became an independent parish. The consecration of the church designed as a basilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
by the architects Christoph Hehl (1847–1911) and his scholar and companion Carl Kühn (1873–1942) took place on 22 September 1912 by the Auxiliary Bishop of Breslau Karl Augustin (1847–1919).
Dedication
The consecration is celebrated on the first Sunday in November together with the Catholic cathedral of Berlin, St. Hedwig's CathedralSt. Hedwig's Cathedral
St. Hedwig's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral on the Bebelplatz in Berlin, Germany. It is the seat of the archbishop of Berlin.It was built in the 18th century as the first Catholic church in Prussia after the Protestant Reformation by permission of King Frederick II...
, which was consecrated on 1 November 1773.
Destruction and Reconstruction of the Church
During the night of 23 to 24 August 1943 the church building was destroyed severely after a bomb attack and could not be used any more. On Palm Sunday 1950 the first church service was celebrated in a partly rebuilt church. In the years 1968 to 1970 the whole building and in 1983 to 1984 the original ground plan of the basilica were reconstructed.The new bronze bells of 1963 dedicated to Maria Magdalena
María Magdalena
María Magdalena is a 1954 Argentine film....
, Mater Dolorosa and John the Apostle
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
are tuned in the beginning notes of the Gregorian Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
e - g - a.
Foundation of other parishes in the district
Two other Catholic parishes in Berlin-Lankwitz and one quasi parish in Berlin-Lichterfelde were founded by Mater Dolorosa:- St. Benedikt (English: St. Benedict), LankwitzLankwitzLankwitz is a German locality within the borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Berlin. Until 2001 it was part of the former borough of Steglitz.-History:The locality was first mentioned in 1239 with the name of Lankowice...
(dedication 1968) - Von der Auferstehung Christi (English: Of the Resurrection of Christ), LankwitzLankwitzLankwitz is a German locality within the borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Berlin. Until 2001 it was part of the former borough of Steglitz.-History:The locality was first mentioned in 1239 with the name of Lankowice...
(dedication 1970) - Maria Mutter vom Guten Rat (English: Mother Mary of Good Counsel), LichterfeldeLichterfeldeLichterfelde may refer to:* Berlin Lichterfelde* Lichterfelde West elegant residential area in Berlin* the municipality of Lichterfelde, Saxony-Anhalt in the Stendhal District, Germany* VfB Lichterfelde...
-Süd (dedication 1980)
Church music
From 1926 to 1942 the composer Max Walter – a scholar of Arnold SchoenbergArnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
– was church musician. The first organ was destroyed in 1943 after the bombing. The current organ was built in 1977 by the Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
organ builder Hartwig Späth and it was extended twice in 1987 and 1995. Today it has three manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
s and more than 2500 organ pipes.
Furthermore, there is a smaller organ of the organ builder Paul Ott in the left lateral nave.
The parish has a mixed choir, a children's choir, a gospel choir and a Gregorian choir.
Persons
The German theologian and honorary professor at the Free University of BerlinFree University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
Dr. Johannes Pinsk
Johannes Pinsk
Johannes Pinsk was a German Catholic theologian and professor.Pinsk studied theology in Breslau and was ordained priest 13th Juni 1915. 1923 he has got his doctorate in theology....
(born 4 February 1891, † 21 May 1957, ordained priest on 13 June 1915) was leading the parish from 1939 to 1954.
Other well-known members of the parish
- Johann Baptist GradlJohann Baptist GradlJohann Baptist Gradl was a German politician and member of the German party Christian Democratic Union....
(1904–1988), German politician - Hanna-Renate LaurienHanna-Renate LaurienHanna-Renate Laurien was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union.- Biography :Laurien was born in Danzig...
(1928–2010), German politician - Michael LindenMichael LindenMichael Linden is a German psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy in the Charité University Hospital in Berlin....
(born 1948), German neurologist and professor of psychiatry - Daniel StabrawaDaniel StabrawaDaniel Stabrawa is a Polish violinist and conductor.-Life:Stabrawa Daniel began playing the violin at the age of seven and studied playing the violin at the Music Academy in Kraków with Zbigniew Szlezer. In 1979 he became concertmaster of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Kraków. In 1983 he...
(born 1955), Polish musician (1st Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic) - Lorenz Weinrich (born 1929), German professor of history
Parochial life
The parish comprises about 4500 souls. The duties of the parish are supported by the Association of Friends of Mater Dolorosa and the legal, independent foundation Stiftung Mater Dolorosa Berlin-Lankwitz.External references
- Website of the parish in German