Two destroyed churches and their fate

Comparison of the Frauenkirche in Dresden and the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche in Berlin


Both churches, the Frauenkirche in Dresden and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, are Protestant churches. The Frauenkirche was built between 1726 and 1743. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was completed in 1895. Both churches were destroyed in the Second World War. After the destruction of the Kaiser Wilhelm Church the NS government promised to rebuild the church after the end of the war. But after the end of the war the Allied powers had didn’t want to rebuild it, because Kaiser Wilhelm supported the national socialism in their eyes. In contrast to the Kaiser Wilhelm Church, the Frauenkirche was left standing as a memorial for over 40 years. In 1991 the reconstruction was started. Kaiser-Wilhelm Churchés highly endangered parts were torn down already after 12 years. In the year 1959 a new building of the church in modern style was decided to be built. The old main tower was left standing as a memorial.

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche 1964, 
CC-BY-SA 2.0, Photographer: Brian Harrington Spier,
www.wikipedia.org

The difference between the two churches is that both were long regarded as memorials but the Frauenkirche was rebuilt because the population exerted pressure. The Kaiser Wilhelm Church, on the other hand, was not rebuilt, as Kaiser Wilhelm was considered to be a NS supporter. A new church was built next to the ruin.

Ruin of the Frauenkirche in Dresden, CC-BY-SA 4.0, Photographer: Erich Braun, www.wikipedia.org