Kirche Heilige Familie, Catholic parish church in Prenzlauer Berg, Germany.
Kirche Heilige Familie is a parish church in Pankow with a large structure built from clinker bricks and a prominent portal and tower. The interior features a vaulted ceiling with light-colored walls and decorative brick bands that create the main visual impression.
This building was designed by a noted architect in the 1920s and completed and dedicated a few years later. Its construction followed the establishment of a new parish that had separated from a previous congregation.
The church's name comes from its carved oak altarpiece by Josef Dorls, which shows the Holy Family: the child Jesus between Mary and Joseph, flanked by King David and the prophet Isaiah, with God the Father and a dove above. The altarpiece was originally gilded; the gilding was removed around 1958, while the gold-tinted clinker strips on the interior piers remain.
Visitors can view the building during opening hours, with services held at set times throughout the week. It helps to check current visiting conditions beforehand, as churches sometimes close for private events or maintenance.
The tower, 40 metres high and tapering in steps to a tent roof, was nicknamed "the praying giant" and recalls Romanesque westworks. Its four iron bells were cast in 1929 by Schilling & Lattermann and still ring at noon and 6 pm for the Angelus.
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