Die Kirche im Dorf by Mirja Kuberka
The church in the village
In Germany more and more people are leaving the Christian Church. In 2022, for the first time, the majority of the population no longer belongs to the Church. The institution increasingly loses its social relevance nowadays. But what happens to the numerous church buildings that are left behind when the people leave?
Most of them will no longer be needed nor used as sacred spaces. Either they are subsequently rededicated, sold and repurposed. Moreover they remain in an empty state or getting demolished. Buildings nonetheless that are still visible in the cityscape, hardly changed externally, but in many places already are filled with new life.
The work deals with the phenomenon of church closures: converted, repurposed and also empty churches. What remains of the building and its appearance? What do the converted spaces tell us about current needs and developments of society? They can inspire us to reimagine possibilities with our own surroundings.
This book was made as Master’s thesis in HfK Bremen’s Studio Culture and Identity
96 pages, 21×28 cm, printed in an edition of 10 copies
