St. Michaelkirche, Cultural heritage church in Weiche, Flensburg, Germany.
St. Michaelkirche is a former Roman Catholic church on the Ochsenweg in Flensburg-Weiche, built in 1963/64 to designs by Wiesbaden architect Paul Johannbroer. It consists of a domed round building and a separate bell tower; the dome has been compared to that of Hagia Sophia. The coloured concrete-glass windows were made at the same time after a design by Johannes Beeck.
The church was built as a garrison church, reflecting the military presence in Flensburg's past. It arose from soldiers' need for a place of religious worship during their time in the city.
The church was named after St. Michael, patron saint of Germans and soldiers, and served as a Catholic garrison church for conscripts at the Briesen barracks. Its hemispherical dome earned it the nickname "Halbe Welt" (Half World). Since its closure and profanation in 2005, it has stood without religious use, and the citizens' group Gesunder Stadtteil Weiche campaigns for its preservation.
The church has been closed and profaned since 2005, so there are no opening hours or guided tours; it can only be viewed from the outside. It stands on the Ochsenweg at the entrance to Weiche, and its separate bell tower is visible from the access road. A buyer for the listed building is still being sought, so interior access is not possible.
Locals nicknamed the hemispherical dome "Halbe Welt" (Half World), a nod to its resemblance to the Hagia Sophia. The coloured concrete-glass windows were designed by Johannes Beeck and made at the same time as the church was built in 1963/64. The separate bell tower stands beside the domed rotunda on the Ochsenweg approach road.
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