St. Martin Church, Modern church in Kaulsdorf, Germany.
St. Martin Church is a brick church built in 1929–1930 to designs by Josef Bachem and Heinrich Horvatin. Its 20-metre-long nave is flanked by a block-like tower split by a narrow vertical window slit, a reference to Martin dividing his cloak. Two cylindrical entrance chapels frame the stepped entrance, and a low rounded volume with a flat roof stands to the right.
The parish became independent in 1925, and in 1928 it took the name of Saint Martin. Architects Josef Bachem and Heinrich Horvatin designed an unornamented brick church modelled on Romanesque basilicas; the foundation stone was laid on 7 July 1929 and Bishop Christian Schreiber consecrated it on 3 August 1930. In the Second World War the parish hall was destroyed and the church, rectory and St. Martinsheim were badly damaged; a new parish hall followed in 1986.
The church holds a collection of medieval works donated by other parishes, among them a 15th-century marble tabernacle from northern Italy by Domenico Rosselli, a carved altarpiece from the late 15th century, a small 17th-century crucifix and a carved group of Saint Martin with a beggar. A pair of 16th-century brass candlesticks and painted panels add to the furnishings.
The building is located in a residential area and is open for public viewing, with the broad tower visible from a distance. The nearby facilities such as the parish hall give you a complete sense of the whole complex when you visit.
The tower's narrow vertical window slit is meant to recall Saint Martin cutting his cloak for a beggar; four rows of round windows flank it, and the top two, fitted with ornamental grilles, serve as sound openings for the bells. A projecting console carries the modern bronze cross. The three bronze bells were cast in 2011 at the Lauchhammer foundry.
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