Volker Stephan: Altmark is losing its monument protection titan!

Volker Stephan: Altmark is losing its monument protection titan!

An era is coming to an end: Volker Stephan, the first local curator in Saxony-Anhalt, is entering his well-deserved retirement at the age of 87. For almost four decades he worked tirelessly to preserve monuments in the Altmark and made the Altmark in particular his central concern. His travels, for example to Stolberg in the Harz Mountains to the Martinikirche, not only shaped his perspective, but also that of many others who are active in the area of ​​monument rescue. His commitment will never be forgotten, especially the last steps when he delivered four funding checks to the Johanneskirche in Werben to finance the church roof, which had become badly damaged, reports the MDR.

Volker Stephan is particularly fond of the Johanneskirche in Werben, a late Gothic hall basilica. This 15th century church is not only in remarkable architectural condition, but is also considered a cultural gem of the region. Today, funds amounting to 60,000 euros have been made available for the tower renovation, facilitated by the Gisela and Ernst Alers Foundation. These financial reserves are a ray of hope in a region with a high need for renovation of medieval village churches, confirms the German Monument Protection Foundation.

Challenges for monument preservation

But not everything is easy in the Altmark. The donation yield there is comparatively modest. While Volker Stephan's colleagues in North Rhine-Westphalia raised large amounts of donations, the commitment in Saxony-Anhalt often remains in the shadows. This makes the task of the local curators, including Stephan, even more important. They are the driving forces behind raising funds for the preservation of monuments - and this is a job that requires a lot of patience and perseverance.

Together with his successor Bärbel Hornemann, chairwoman of the Stendal St. Mary's Church support association, the hope for a better future for monument preservation in the Altmark is kept alive. The challenges are enormous, but the passion for history and culture remains unbroken. After all, since the founding of the German Foundation for Monument Protection - the largest private organization for monument preservation in Germany, we have literally been sitting on a gold heap of sensors that are constantly providing new funding projects. Since it was founded in Cologne in 1985, the foundation has provided over 750 million euros, supports over 7,500 monuments and runs numerous projects for the preservation of cultural monuments under the patronage of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, such as Wikipedia explained in summary.

It remains to be hoped that the high level of commitment of people like Volker Stephan and his successor will inspire the next generation to work towards preserving and maintaining our historical documents. After all, this is not only important for the places themselves, but also for the identity and historical awareness of our society.