Church of the Holy Family, Kaliningrad

Church of the Holy Family
Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Kaliningrad. Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Kaliningrad.
Location	Kaliningrad
Country	Russia
Denomination	Roman Catholic

The Church of the Holy Family (Russian: Кирха Святого Семейства; German: Kirche zur Heiligen Familie) is a neogothic brick church in Kaliningrad. It was built in the Haberberg city district of Königsberg, near the Pregel river, between 1904 and 1907. The Kaliningrad authorities have refused to return the church to the Catholic community.

Architecture

The church was designed by architect Friedrich Heitmann and was built for the Catholic immigrants that were coming to Königsberg. The church remained largely unharmed during World War II. It was used by the Red Army as a lazaret immediately after the war, and then as a fertilizer depot. In the beginning of the 1980s the church was restored a little, and began to function as the concert hall of the Kaliningrad Philharmonic. This made possible the installation of a new organ, which with its 44 registers and 3,600 pipes became a favourite of even the best organists of the Saint Petersburg music academy. The clock of the Kreuzkirche was placed in the tower.

Image gallery

• Filarmonia1.jpg

  The current state of the church in Kaliningrad

• KbgKircheZurHeilFamilie.jpg

  The church in Königsberg

• Zur heiligen Familie 002.jpg

  In Königsberg

• NeuKathKirchOberhaberb.jpg

  In Königsberg

• KathKirchHeiligFamilie.jpg

  The choir

• KathKirchHeiligFam.jpg

  The rear of the church

• KathKirchHeiligFam2.jpg

  The altar of the church

References

• Robert Albinus: Königsberg-Lexikon. Würzburg 2002, ISBN 3-88189-441-1
• Richard Armstedt: Geschichte der königl. Haupt- und Residenzstadt Königsberg in Preußen. Reprint of the original edition, Stuttgart 1899.
• Fritz Gause: Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg in Preußen. 3 Bände, Köln 1996, ISBN 3-412-08896-X
• Jürgen Manthey: Königsberg – Geschichte einer Weltbürgerrepublik. Hanser 2005, ISBN 3-446-20619-1
• Gunnar Strunz: Königsberg entdecken, Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-89794-071-X
• Baldur Köster: Königsberg: Architektur aus deutscher Zeit. Husum Druck, 2000, ISBN 3-88042-923-5.