Friedrichswerder Church - an architectural landmark in the center of Berlin, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781–1841). This summer, it will reopen to the public as a sculpture museum almost eight years after the building had to be closed for repairs due to the collapse threat that arose as a result of the construction that began nearby..

The neo-Gothic red brick building is the only Schinkel church in the center of Berlin, whose facade and interior have come to us in its original form. However, like many other buildings in the German capital, it stands on sand and water - the root “werder” from its name translates as “island on the river”. Groundwater pumping can lead to shifts in soil structure. This is exactly what happened in 2012, when a few meters from the church, a construction company began excavation. As a result, cracks formed in the western part of the church. Its foundation, marble floors, brick walls, a masverk (a type of ornament) on two windows and internal arches were badly damaged..

The reconstruction, which was paid by the developer, required the introduction of a cement mortar into the foundation to stabilize the structure. According to Gottfried Graff, who supervised the work, after extensive testing, the restorers decided to use a new technology - to fill the widest crack in the floor with a mixture of wood and silicone. “It helped,” says Graf.. “We ourselves developed such a method and even thought that it would be nice to patent it”.

The Friedrichsverder Church was built from 1824 to 1830, at about the same time as the famous building of the Old Museum, designed by Schinkel. Inspired by antiquity and travels around Italy, he originally conceived the church as a kind of Roman temple with colonnades along the outer perimeter of the walls. But the customer, Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, wanted the building to be “Old German style”. In the end, they compromised by combining neo-Gothic arches with the clean lines of classicism.. The red brick of the exterior contrasts sharply with the interior, whose murals give the impression that the walls are made of sandstone. Grafe said that in order to recreate the original interior, restorers had to put on the walls more than 12 thousand. m lines simulating masonry seams.

Schinkel's classic inclinations found expression in palmette ornaments, a flat roof, and an internal balcony in the church. Perhaps the most revolutionary element was the stained-glass windows of the choirs, made in bright blue and red colors and depicting female angels. The graph explains that until then angels in churches were depicted as either masculine or asexual. The Crown Prince still found the church not neo-Gothic enough. By his order, Friedrich August Stuler, one of Schinkel’s former students, added sharp tips to squat pinnacles (decorative turrets) on the roof of the building.

The church was used not only by the German, but also by the French-speaking Protestant community, but its services ceased after it suffered during the bombing and shelling during World War II. The building was in ruins until the restoration under the direction of Graf, which began in 1979. The reopening, dedicated to the celebration of the 750th anniversary of Berlin, took place in 1987.. For the next quarter century, the former temple served as an exhibition site for the city's 19th-century sculpture collection..

According to the director of the Old National Gallery, Ralph Gleiss, as a result of the construction in the neighborhood, the church suffered even more than during the war. Now he directs the installation of sculptures from state collections in Berlin;

their authors include prominent contemporaries of Schinkel - Christian Daniel Rauch, Christian Friedrich Tick, Johann Gottfried Schadov. “We will present both familiar works and some new additions,” he says. Last winter, the church hosted open door days, and thousands of Berliners were able to look at the results of the restoration. Berlin's state museums rent a building from the Evangelical Church, a five-year contract is renewable. The opening of the sculptural exhibition for the general public is scheduled for the end of summer. Admission there will be free..

Source: theartnewspaper.