Minimalist St. Mauritz: German Church Gets a Modern Makeover
Most churches are known for adhering to tradition, and ornate historic churches are certainly beautiful. Sometimes, though, it’s refreshing to find a place of worship that feels current and modern, reflecting the fact that traditions evolve with the passage of time.
A recent renovation of the St. Moritz Church in Augsburg, Germany illustrates the contemporary development of a religious institution in a particularly poignant form. The structure’s history is remarkable—one of the oldest parishes in the town, it was founded in 1019 in honor of the patron saint of St. Moritz, survived a fire in 1084 and a partial collapse in 1299.
Over the next four centuries, it was rebuilt several times, gaining a bell tower, Gothic details, a square tower and a dome. In 1715, the church was entirely reconstructed in magnificent Baroque style, but most of its newly embellished interior was destroyed by bombs on February 24 and 25, 1944. The tower and external walls remained intact, and the interiors underwent a series of changes and expansions throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
Completed between 2008 and 2013, the result is nothing less than stunning. With cleaner lines, brilliant natural light and a studied contrast of dark and light, the new interiors offer an updated perspective on what a church can look like, drawing a line between past, present and future.
