Offene Enden

Currently, the two largest Christian communities in Germany find themselves in a far-reaching process of disintegration, one that is not imposed from outside. Instead, the faithful themselves are leaving the churches of their own free will. They are voting with their feet, possibly bringing about the demise of Germany's largest cultural associations. This erosion is attributable to institutional realities rather than to lived religious experience. It therefore appears imaginable that Christian principles will soon be reconceived and practiced in new ways in the central buildings of our cities and villages. Offene Enden (Open Ends) investigates the new and to some extent hybrid programs for sacred buildings that were hitherto exclusively devoted to religious functions. Are we witnessing the beginnings of a different type of church, one no longer based solely on membership, but instead on the involvement of a variety of individuals over time? With contributions by Thomas Erne, Matthias Hamann (photo essay), Karl-Heinz Hörning, Hans Joas, Kerstin Menzel, Claudia Neu, Detlef Pollack, Andrée Volkmann (comics), and others - New perspectives regarding the reutilization of churches in Germany - The potential of church spaces as public places for communities - Features new and practical forms of parish work - Follow up to Ein neuer Typus Kirche and 500 Kirchen, 500 Ideen

Dr. Sonja Beeck (1965) is a scenographer and a co-owner of chezweitz, an architectural practice specializing in museum and urban scenography. She studied architecture at the RWTH Aachen, earning her doctorate in -Theming" (KIT). She was project manager for the IBA Stadtumbau (Urban Renewal) in Saxony-Anhalt in 2010 and has held guest professorships in urban and regional planning in Innsbruck and Kassel. Jürgen Willinghöfer (1972) studied primary school pedagogy and philosophy in Freiburg and Berlin. He worked as a teacher in Aberdeen and Lörrach and as a freelance journalist (FAZ, Welt, Monopol). Since 2013, he has developed projects and curatorial concepts for chezweitz. He is also active as an independent IT administrator and consultant.