No buyers for Steckelsdorf Church: What will happen to the church?

No buyers for Steckelsdorf Church: What will happen to the church?

An unusual scenario recently took place in Steckelsdorf, a tranquil town in Havelland. The Catholic church there was put up for auction on June 27, 2025. But despite 75 inquiries from interested buyers, not a single bid was made. The minimum bid of 295,000 euros for the company site including 6,000 square meters of land, a church building and a rectory remained unreached. Michael Plettner, board member of Deutscheimmobilienauktionen AG (DGA), comments on this phenomenon: “The reasons for the lack of a buyer are unclear; the price, the condition of the property or other factors may play a role.”

Although the two buildings are in fair condition, they urgently need renovations. Since January 1, 2025, the parish of Tangermünde with Steckelsdorf has been part of the parish of St. Anna in Stendal. The church has already been de-dedicated and the last service took place at the end of 2024. A dismal outcome for the small congregation, which consists of around 20 people and has since held its services in the Neue Schleuse Evangelical Community Center in Rathenow.

The sale of houses

The fate of the Catholic Church in Steckelsdorf is not isolated. In Germany, numerous churches will be up for sale in the coming decades, many of them listed. Over the past twenty years, the number of citizens who belong to one of the two major religious denominations has fallen from three-quarters to less than half. The reasons are clear: the use of churches is declining and the financial means to maintain these historic buildings are often no longer available. The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) reported 380,000 resignations in 2023, underscoring the need for austerity programs that are often based on buildings. Pastor Mario Lukes says: “The sale is a logical step to avoid high maintenance costs.”

Selling churches and church properties brings with it challenges. Certain uses of the buildings are excluded, such as brothels or arcades. If the building is demolished, the foundation stone must also be integrated into the new building. In Eschwege, three churches belonging to a Catholic parish are offered for sale with prices between 50,000 and 220,000 euros. Projects such as converting a former church into a climbing hall also show that creative reuse is possible, even though financial aspects often play a major role.

Marketplace for church real estate

For those interested in church real estate, there are now online platforms such as kirchengrundstuecke.de, which are used by various parishes of the Evangelical Church in Germany. This website offers a wide range of church buildings, residential properties and commercial areas and aims to bring together both providers and interested parties. Anyone interested in purchasing such an object can use it to request an order form and submit their request. The office is in Magdeburg, where the Evangelical Church in Central Germany is based, and contact can be made easily by telephone or email.

The parish in Steckelsdorf is now on sale and is being offered privately. This phase, during which there is still hope of finding a buyer, will last two months. If no buyer appears during this time, a lower price or a second auction could potentially come into play. The challenge of preserving these walls and their history could prove to be one of the greatest tests for the local community.