The History of the Schifferkirche

Who was the young architect who designed one of the most unusual postwar modernist church buildings in the Baltic resort of Ahrenshoop in 1950–51? How did the project come to fruition at a time of limited resources and government opposition, and what makes the Schifferkirche a special place on Fischland-Darß-Zingst to this day? A lecture followed by a discussion will explore the construction history, architecture, and significance of Hardt-Waltherr Hämer’s thatched-roof wooden structure.

Three experts, each with their own perspective, will share their insights. Bernd Reimers, an architect at the Berlin firm Autzen & Reimers, was responsible—together with Hämer—for the restoration and expansion of the Schifferkirche from 2005 to 2012 and knows the building’s structural details better than almost anyone else. Dr. Andrea Gleiniger, an art and architecture historian who teaches at the Zurich University of the Arts, places the Schifferkirche within the architectural-historical context of Modernism. Ulrich Kasparick, a theologian and longtime pastor in Ahrenshoop, will provide insights from the perspectives of church and local history.

The evening is aimed at anyone interested in architecture, postwar history, and the cultural history of the artists’ village of Ahrenshoop—from visitors experiencing the Schifferkirche for the first time to locals who have long shared the village and its stories.