POI #5 - St. Nicholas Church - Life in the GDR



 


 


 


 

Description of St. Nicholas Church

The St. Nicholas church or the Nikolaikirche is one of the oldest landmarks in Berlin. Located in the city’s centre it is recognizable by its iconic twin towers and medieval appeal[i]. Built almost 800 years ago it served as a church and cultural centre for years until 1939 when it stopped functioning as a church and was damaged by allied bombing during WWII[ii]. The church persisted in its damaged state until the 1980’s when plans to restore the church and some of the surrounding district were approved by the SED (Socialist Unity party of Germany)[iii] . After its restoration finished in 1987 the church was repurposed into a museum about the church, its history and that of the surrounding district[iv]. In our period the church’s reconstruction gives an interesting look into the competition between the West and the East. With the 750th anniversary of Berlin looming in 1987 the GDR decided to begin a restoration project of part of Berlin’s traditional city centre; the Nikolai quarter[v]. This restoration effort would showcase the SED’s commitment to the city and the GDR’s cultural heritage[vi]. Restoring the Nikolai quarter would also reinforce that East Germany controlled this traditional heart of Berlin. At its core the decision to repair St. Nicholas church was to emphasize the GDR’s control over an important area central to Berlin and its history.

The timing of St. Nicholas Church's reconstruction is also important as it is largely reflective of a change in policy towards religion and churches in general within the GDR. Typically in communists states religion is oppressed as Communism is an atheistic system[vii]. In the 1950s-1960s the GDR tried to limit and control the church and its role within society. In practice the goal was to push churches and religion to the fringes of society and limit their influence to be exclusively in the religious sphere[viii]. However, the SED did recognize the relevance of the Church within the lives of GDR citizens as over two-thirds of the population belonged to religious communities[ix]. In the 1980's, despite earlier efforts, it was recognized that churches did play a vital role in the lives of the populace and changed tactics and began trying to work with the Church[x][xi]. The GDR gave the Church autonomy, making it the only institution not controlled by the state in East Germany, and in exchange expected the Church to help keep the peace and work for the best interest of East Germany[xii]. This period of coexistence is when "new churches were being built, and old churches damaged in the war were being rebuilt"[xiii].

For the citizens of the GDR the Church not only served their spiritual needs, but also provided a chance to get together in large numbers[xiv]. Such an activity was typically forbidden, but special laws allowed people to gather together for church run events[xv]. For youth especially, times to gather at church festivals and youth groups provided a chance for them to meet together and "listen to their own music or hear young writers without state intervention"[xvi]. The social importance of these events can be seen clearly as participation in some church events by non-Christians could be as high as fifty percent[xvii]. Engagement in these events highlight a need that obviously was not being met by state sponsored organizations and give context as to why the GDR's policy first tried to control the Church before deciding to instead work in tandem with them.

[i] "St. Nicholas' Church Museum" Stadtmuseum Berlin. Retrieved from https://www.en.stadtmuseum.de/st-nicholas-church-museum on November 24, 2017.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Brian Ladd. "Soocialist Planning and the Rediscovery of the Old City In the German Democratic Republic". Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/009614420102700502. Pg 595.

[iv] "St. Nicholas' Church Museum" Stadtmuseum Berlin. Retrieved from https://www.en.stadtmuseum.de/st-nicholas-church-museum on November 24, 2017.

[v] Ladd. Pg 597.

[vi] Emily Pugh. "Architeture, Politics, and Identity in Divided Berlin". Pittsburg, PA: University of Pittsburg Press, 2014. Pg 318.

[vii] Jim Willis. "Daily Life Behind the Iron Curtain". Santa Barbara, California: The Greenwood Press, 2013. Pg 69-77.

[viii] Kurt, Sontheimer. "The Church on the Fringe of Society", in The Government and Politics of East Germany. London: Hutchinson, 1975. Pg 122.

[ix] Ibid

[x] Sharon L. Kegerreis, "A Church within Socialism: Religion in the GDR Today." RAD Background Report, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, October 8,1980. Retrieved from http://osaarchivum.org/files/holdings/300/8/3/text/26-10-22.shtml on November 24, 2017.

[xi] Kunter, Katharina. "Between Active Opposition, Dialogue, and Loyalty: Churches in the German Democratic Republic 1970-1989/90." Theological Review 35, no. 1/2 2014. Pg 101-108.

[xii] Willis.

[xiii] Ibid

[xiv] Ibid

[xv] Ibid

[xvi] Kegerreis.

[xvii] Willis.

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