Chapel of Reconciliation (2000)

A Chapel to ensure that we vever forget the Berlin Wall

The Chapel of Reconciliation is part of the Berlin Wall Memorial ensemble and is a place for reflection and prayer. With the construction of the Berlin Wall, the former Church of Reconciliation was thrown into “no man’s land” and so the congregation were no longer able to visit this beautiful neo-Gothic building. In 1985, the GDR ordered the church to be destroyed. Eleven years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin architects Sassenroth and Reitermann redesigned the building in the Chapel of Reconciliation and in November 2000, it was declared open. Volunteers from around the world helped to restore this monumental Chapel. The Chapel regularly recalls the stories of individuals who died at the Berlin Wall and so puts emphasis on remembering this difficult period in Berlin history. Furthermore, a German charity, Open Houses, organises for volunteers from around the world to work at the chapel. The charity has highlighted that the monument should be a place for young people from different nations to meet and learn from each another.