Sacred Heart Church (Berlin)

Sacred Heart Church (Berlin)
Herz-Jesu-Kirche
52°31′50″N 13°24′34″E
Location	Berlin
Country	Germany
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	www.herz-jesu-kirche.de
History
Founded	1898
Architecture
Architect(s)	Christoph Hehl
Architectural type	Neo-Romanesque
Completed	1896–1898

The Sacred Heart Church (German: Herz-Jesu-Kirche) is a Catholic church located in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, externally built in Neo-Romanesque style. Designed by Christoph Hehl, professor of medieval architecture, the building was completed after 16 months of constructions in 1898. The Neo-Byzantine-style murals inside the church were done by Friedrich Stummel.

• 
  Panorama of the interior
• 
  The altar surrounded by murals
• 
  Jesus as Christ Pantocrator in the apse
• 
  Mural of the Lamb of God with vexillum

Themes of the murals

The murals of the church:

• Choir:
  • Apse: Jesus as Christ Pantocrator, above the Hand of God
  • Ceiling of the choir: Sacred Heart, carried by two angels
  • Walls of the choir: Angels carrying Instruments of the Passion
• Arch of the choir:
  • Risen Christ with two adoring angels
  • Saints of the local parish: Meinrad of Einsiedeln, Aloysius Gonzaga, Elizabeth of Thuringia, Teresa of Ávila
• On the archway (left and right):
  • Ecclesia and Synagoga
  • John the Baptist and Simon Petrus
  • John the Evangelist and Paul the Apostle
• Dome:
  • Lamb of God with the Seven seals and a vexillum, adored by 24 presbyters
  • Spandrels (left and right): The Prophets Malachi, Isaia, Ezekiel and Jeremiah
• Eastern transept:
  • Mary, Mother of Jesus with two angels, the saints Agnes of Rome, Gertrude of Nivelles and Saint Monica, her son Augustine of Hippo and the saint Hedwig of Silesia
• Western transept:
  • Saint Joseph, Alphonsus Liguori, Pope Leo I, the Doctor of the Church Augustine of Hippo and Bernard of Clairvaux
• Under the transept:
  • East side: Doubting Thomas with Jesus
  • West side: Simon Petrus sinking in the water, Jesus walking on water
  • East side of nave: Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well
  • West side of nave: The sinner washing the feet of Jesus
  • Western wall of the central transept: Crucifixion of Jesus
  • Eastern wall does not have any murals
• Nave:
  • West side: Jesus as a friend of the children
  • Ostseite: Jesus is healing and comforting the needy

Bibliography

• Irmtraud Thierse. "Katholische Kirche Herz-Jesu Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg". Förderkreis der Herz-Jesu-Kirche in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg e. V. 1998.

External links

• "Herz-Jesu-Kirche", history and data about the Sacred Heart Church (Berlin) at the official website of the city of Berlin (in German)