Berger Kirche, Renaissance and baroque church in Altstadt, Germany

Berger Kirche in Düsseldorf combines Renaissance and baroque elements in a structure built from red brick with an intricately designed facade. The building displays characteristic features of both architectural styles and stands out through its solid walls and structured exterior surfaces.

Built from 1683 and consecrated on 31 August 1687, the Berger Kirche was the first church the Lutherans erected in Düsseldorf. It was designed as a "court church", banished to a backyard off Wallstraße because Lutherans were merely tolerated in the re-Catholicised city. After the Johanneskirche opened it served only for special occasions; in 1943 war damage largely destroyed it, and it was rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1966.

Since 2003 the interior has been reshaped by Frankfurt artist Tobias Rehberger: a white acrylic-glass altar is electronically linked to the Johanneskirche and St. Lambertus, and sensors pick up sound in those churches so that lamps make the altar glow brighter. Above it hangs a red-orange light sphere, and geometrically patterned, colour-graded wall hangings cover the side walls.

The church is located in Düsseldorf's old city and can be easily reached on foot when exploring the historic streets. Visitors will find a quiet place to spend time there, and visiting hours should be checked in advance.

The white acrylic glass altar by Frankfurt artist Tobias Rehberger, installed from 2003, is wired electronically to the Johanneskirche and to the Catholic St. Lambertus church: sensors pick up sounds in those churches and make lamps inside the altar glow brighter. A red-orange light sphere hangs above it.