Between the church tower and the housing estate: a panel discussion about two communities in the socialist housing estate

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The GDR leadership deliberately had more than 60 church buildings blown up or demolished. In Leipzig-Grünau, however, two new ones were built in the 1980s – in a large socialist housing estate, of all places. How was this possible, and what shaped parish life at the Evangelical Lutheran Pauluskirche and the Catholic St Martin’s Church in this particular neighbourhood? What changes were brought about by the Peaceful Revolution and reunification, and how do the neighbouring churches continue to work together to this day?

Contemporary witnesses and experts will discuss these and other questions at St Paul’s Church. The event is part of the programme of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Leipzig-Grünau.

With Matthias Möbius (former vicar of the Pauluskirche parish), Christoph Käßle (long-standing member of the Pauluskirche parish trombone choir), Wolfgang Lamm (long-standing member of the parish council of St Martin’s), Prof. Dr Günther Fitzl (long-standing chair of the parish council of St Martin’s Parish) and Prof. Dr Klaus Fitschen (Head of the Institute for Church History, University of Leipzig). Moderator: Carolin Haentjes (journalist, Leipzig)

Both churches will be open from 6.00 pm and can be visited. Representatives from the parishes will be happy to answer questions about the architecture and highlight any special features. The churches were designed with the architectural guiding principle of being ‘God’s tent amongst people’.

A collaboration between the Leipzig Forum for Contemporary History and the Leipzig Museum of City History, the Evangelical Lutheran Pauluskirche parish and the Catholic parish of St Martin.

Between the church tower and the prefabricated housing estate. Two parishes in the socialist housing estate. Panel discussion on Friday 25 September at 7.00 pm at the Pauluskirche Grünau (Alte Salzstraße 185). Admission: free.