Kirche, Lutheran church in Bad Kissingen, Germany.
The Erlöserkirche is a Lutheran church in Bad Kissingen showcasing Bavarian architectural characteristics. Its exterior and interior display stone masonry, geometric patterns, and traditional regional construction details.
King Ludwig I authorised a summer "Badeprediger" in 1840 after Protestant spa guests rose from 800 to 4,000 between 1830 and 1839. He funded a small prayer house by court architect Friedrich von Gärtner in 1845/1846 for 40,000 gulden, consecrated on 6 June 1847. Enlarged in 1890–1891 by August Thiersch and Bruno Specht, it was consecrated on 25 October 1891.
The church's name, Erlöserkirche (Church of the Redeemer), was only adopted after the second renovation in 1980; before that it was simply the Protestant church of the spa town. Its 1885 Steinmeyer organ was rebuilt in 1910 as a concert organ, and the parish grew from 250 members in 1863 to 600 by 1890.
The church stands at the corner of Prinzregentenstraße and Martin-Luther-Straße in the town centre, a short walk from the spa buildings. The interior is entered from the street side; the 1891 extension added 800 seats and a choir 18 metres deep. A third renovation, estimated at about three million euros, is still pending, so some surfaces may look worn.
The church only received its official name Erlöserkirche after its second renovation in 1980; before that it was simply known as the Protestant church. Its 40-metre bell tower once held three bells, two of which were melted down in the First World War.
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