St. Christophorus, Catholic church in Delmenhorst, Germany.
St. Christophorus is a brick church in Delmenhorst with functional architecture oriented toward industrial-era requirements. The building accommodates about 300 people and features a simple but solid construction made of red bricks.
Catholic workers moved to Delmenhorst during its industrialisation from the mid-19th century, drawn by the cigar industry, the Hanseatic jute spinning and weaving mill, the linoleum works and Nordwolle. They came from Silesia, Upper Silesia, the Eichsfeld, Poland, Bohemia and Galicia. A first chapel was built in 1879, St. Marien followed in 1903, and by 1950 its parish counted 13,500 Catholics. The new church, designed by Walter Kremer of Duisburg, was consecrated in 1952; it became an independent parish in 1963 and part of the St. Marien large parish again in 2015.
The parish takes its name from St. Christopher, who according to legend carried the Christ child across a river; a clay sculpture by Kurt Lettow sits on the entrance gable. The community has a church choir, a children's mass group, a gospel choir and a youth mass band, plus groups for seniors, women and young people. The convent of sisters was dissolved in 2011.
The church stands at Brendelweg 122 in the Brendel/Adelheide district, together with the parish house and the former sisters' convent and kindergarten, all listed monuments. The flat single-storey annexes around the main building hold the community rooms, so the complex is entered at ground level. The square tower reaches 23 metres and holds three bells.
The church is dedicated to St. Christopher, who according to legend carried the Christ Child across a river. A clay sculpture by Kurt Lettow showing this scene is mounted on the entrance gable, above the projecting porch beneath the clock. Inside, the Stations of the Cross in clay, a carved Pietà and some nativity figures also come from Lettow, while a Marian figure was carved by Georg Woehl of Delmenhorst.
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