Kirche Zu den heiligen Märtyrern von Afrika, Catholic church in Lichtenrade, Berlin, Germany.
The Kirche zu den heiligen Märtyrern von Afrika is a steel-reinforced concrete skeleton building with a low square central structure covered by a flat concrete roof. Its truncated-cone dome has an aluminium roof carried by a skeleton of 24 beams, with a window band around its base and a horizontal window rose on top. Two opposite walls are windowless red-brown brick, while the street and courtyard sides are filled with thick glass.
The building was constructed between 1975 and 1977 following a design by architect Hans Schädel. The attached community center had been completed earlier in 1967, laying the foundation for the church that followed.
The patron saints are the 22 holy martyrs burned at the stake in Uganda between 1885 and 1887. In the courtyard, a fountain holds a statue of Thérèse of Lisieux, patroness of the world missions. The interior furnishings in concrete and bronze, including the tabernacle, ambo and Stations of the Cross, were made by Hans Wachter.
The building stands at Schwebelstraße 22 in Lichtenrade and now operates as a kindergarten. Access and viewing are therefore tied to the operating hours of a childcare facility.
Inside the church is a relic of martyr Karl Lwanga, connected to the place's African heritage. The interior furnishings in concrete and bronze were designed by Hans Wachter.
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