St.-Simeon-Kirche, Neo-Gothic church in Kreuzberg, Germany.
St.-Simeon-Kirche is a Neo-Gothic church built from red Rathenower bricks with a symmetrical facade and prominent pillars facing the street. The interior contains community rooms on the ground floor, and the altar area is positioned at the tower side of the building.
Construction of the church began in 1893 under architect Franz Schwechten and was completed in 1897. The building arose from the need to serve a growing community during the industrial expansion of the area.
The name refers to Simeon, who according to the Gospel of Luke saw the future Saviour with his own eyes. Since 8 October 2015, when Bishop Markus Dröge opened it, the building has served as Germany's first refugee church: a meeting place for people regardless of origin, denomination, language, legal status, age or gender, with counselling offered on site.
The church stands in the closed street front on Wassertorstraße 21a in Kreuzberg. Since 2015 it has served as Germany's first refugee church, offering advice and help regardless of origin, faith, language or legal status. The former nave was divided horizontally: community rooms occupy the ground floor, the worship space the upper floor, reached by a stair annex where the chancel once stood.
The tower's three cast-steel bells were made by the Bochumer Verein foundry in 1897 and were not melted down for munitions in either World War. The tower reaches 76.5 metres, and its belfry stage is formed by large open tracery arcades, with the clock set directly above them.
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