Mariä Heimsuchung, Wiesbaden, Catholic church in Kohlheck district, Wiesbaden, Germany
Mariä Heimsuchung is a Catholic church in Kohlheck, part of Wiesbaden's Dotzheim district, consecrated in 1966 and built to plans by Berlin architect Johannes Jackel. Its 41-metre exposed-concrete tower is visible from afar; the outline forms a large M for Mary, while the floor plan is a Star of David. Concrete, slate and glass are the main materials, and light enters from the west through the glazed tower side onto the wall behind the altar.
After World War II, Bishop Wilhelm Kempf founded the parish in 1960 to serve the growing Catholic population from eastern regions settling in Wiesbaden. The building emerged during this postwar period as a new gathering place for the community.
The name refers to the Visitation, Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth. The Wiesbaden painter Otto Ritschl, classed as degenerate from 1933 to 1945, made the two triptychs flanking the altar in 1973 and 1976 as late works; their interlocking fields of bright colour are meant for meditation and prayer.
The church stands in Kohlheck, part of Dotzheim in western Wiesbaden, and its 41-metre concrete tower is visible from afar. Since 1 January 2013 it has been a Kirchort of the parish St. Peter und Paul in Wiesbaden-Schierstein, so services follow that parish's schedule. Light enters from the west through the glazed tower side and falls on the wall behind the altar.
The building's floor plan follows the Star of David pattern, a geometric form that gives the sacred space special meaning. Light enters from the west and illuminates the altar wall to the east, revealing intentional architectural planning.
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