The city of Berlin underwent rapid expansion during the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The new neighborhoods on the outskirts therefore had to be equipped with all kinds of public services to meet the needs of the growing population.
In the Mariendorf district, to the south of the city and close to Tempelhof airport, a church was planned to be built at the beginning of the 20th century. It was not until 1929 that the project really got off the ground.
Construction, however, did not begin until 1933, as part of the large number of public works launched by the new National Socialist regime to drastically reduce unemployment in the country. The church took two years to complete.
The construction of the church was carried out during the Nazi period, which caused the symbology of the new regime, very close to the radical anti-Semitic ideology of Martin Luther himself, to be found throughout the building.
On the walls there are numerous tiles with Christian and pagan symbols. One of the symbols present is the Nazi eagle with the swastika at its feet. In the pulpit you can also see the representation of Martin Luther surrounded by various figures, including a soldier, a member of the SA and a boy from the Hitler Youth.
As a last remarkable element, an imposing organ can be seen today. The instrument was designed and built for the place where it is today, but between 1934 and 1942 it was installed in the Luitpoldhalle in Nuremberg, where large meetings of the Nazi party took place as part of the party day celebration.
How to get to the Martin Luther Memorial Church
The church is located in the Mariendorf neighborhood, south of the city of Berlin. To get there we must take metro line 6 to the Westphalweg stop. . You can check the most direct route to the place in the following LINK.
Visit the Martin Luther Memorial Church
To visit the Martin Luther Memorial Church it is necessary to make an appointment at the parish office. Contact details can be found at the following LINK.