Paul-Gerhardt Church/ Beit Tikwa Synagogue

Built in 1958, the Paul-Gerhardt Church in Bielefeld merged in 2005. Protests erupted in 2007 when it was sold to the Jewish community. After renovations, it became the Beit Tikwa synagogue in September 2008.

About this building

The Paul-Gerhardt Church in Bielefeld, Germany, was built in 1958 and had a divided congregation in 1958. In 2005, the church merged with another congregation, and shortly after, the decision to sell the building was made. The Jewish community expressed interest in acquiring the church, leading to protests from a citizen initiative concerned about the loss of their own church. After a three-month occupation and negotiations, the church was sold to the Jewish community in 2007.

The conversion into a synagogue began, involving the removal of the church's spire and bells. The renovation, completed in September 2008, maintained the original church structure, with alterations to accommodate the new purpose. The building, now known as Beit Tikwa (House of Hope), serves as a synagogue for the Jewish community in Bielefeld, with preserved elements like stained glass windows and an organ. The project received funding from the community, the city, and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Stained glass
  • Interior features

Visitors information

  • Bus stop within 100m
  • Level access to the main areas

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Andy1982

St. Mary's Church

This church began its construction in the 13th century, at the foot of the Sparrenburg fortress. The church gained its final appearance in the 15th century and is most noted by its two 78 meter tall gothic spires. These spires were replaced after the originals were destroyed in the Second World War. The church houses a 15th-century altarpiece done by an unknown artist that is considered one of the most valuable pieces of medieval art in Germany; two of its fragments are kept in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Wikimedia Commons/Rosa-Maria Rinkl

Abdinghof Monastery Church

The Abdinghof Monastery of St. Peter and Paul is a former Benedictine abbey founded in the 11th century. In the course of its existence, the monastery acquired cultural importance thanks to its library, its annexed school and its hospice. In addition, the monastery has long been the owner of land in the Weser region and along the Lower Rhine to the Netherlands. Secularised in 1803, the church is today a Protestant-Lutheran parish church.

Wikimedia Commons/H. Helmlechner

Gaukirche

The Gaukirche was built around 1170-80. The church became a monastery church in 1231, to which two chapels were added in the 14th century. In the 18th century, the architect Franz Christoph Nagel (1699-1764) redesigned the church in Baroque style. In 1810, at the time of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Westphalia, the monastery was secularized. Between 1883 and 1887, the church was extensively restored and the Baroque furniture was removed and fitted with neo-Gothic elements, which were themselves removed in 1938.