Erlöserkirche, Gothic Revival parish church in Potsdam, Germany
The Erlöserkirche is a Gothic Revival parish church in Potsdam's Brandenburger Vorstadt, built 1896–1898 to designs by Gotthilf Ludwig Möckel, Ferdinand Krüger and Arthur Kickton. Its 74-metre brick tower has a balustraded band, three clock faces and a slate-grey pyramidal spire. Inside, a red rib-vaulted ceiling with star motifs and a central sunburst covers a hall seating about 900, with dark wooden pews facing the altar.
The Gothic Revival church was built between 1896 and 1898 to plans by Gotthilf Ludwig Möckel, Ferdinand Krüger and Arthur Kickton, together with the surrounding community buildings. Damaged in the final days of the Second World War, it was repaired by 1947. The interior was fully renovated in the early 1960s, and from 1998 the historic interior decoration, including the chancel painting, was gradually recovered.
Church music has shaped the Erlöserkirche for nearly five decades. Until the mid-1990s it was tied to church music director Friedrich Meinel and his wife Annemarie Meinel; since late 1997 the conductor Ud Joffe has led the Potsdamer Kantorei and the music at the church. The 1964 Schuke organ has 36 stops on three manuals and pedal.
The building is located at the corner of Nansenstraße and Meistersingerstraße in a residential area. Visitors should check for concerts and services in advance, as these events affect when you can best explore the interior.
The two larger of the three bronze bells are on permanent loan from the former Garnisonkirche; the smallest was cast in 1991 to complete the three-note peal. The organ, built by Alexander Schuke in 1964, has 36 stops on three manuals and pedal, replacing the 1898 Wilhelm Sauer instrument of 43 stops.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,983 contributors worldwide.
