Jena City Church will remain closed until further notice due to demolition of the plaster!

Jena City Church will remain closed until further notice due to demolition of the plaster!

There is currently a lull in the town church of St. Michael in Jena: a piece of plaster more than the size of a palm recently broke off from the nave. The scratches on the historic structure alarmed the parish, and experts were commissioned to investigate the causes of this damage. Although these measures are necessary, they will be time-consuming and could extend over several weeks ekmd.de reported.

At the same time, scaffolding was erected on the main portal inside the church so that restorers have access to the other parts of the vault. Georg Elsner, the chairman of the parish church council, is optimistic about working with an experienced restorer. “It is crucial to examine all vault ribs in detail in order to make the right decisions to secure and renovate our Gothic hall church,” explains Elsner.

Financing requirements have increased sharply

The costs for researching the cause and checking other potential areas of damage are now over 20,000 euros. This financial burden is hitting the parish hard, which is why they are asking for donations. Fundraising is currently the order of the day to secure the historic walls of St. Michael and make them accessible to the general public again.

The church, whose construction dates back to the 14th and 16th centuries, was completely closed to the public at the beginning of June. Only very limited uses, such as organ lessons or rehearsals in the basement of the church tower, are possible under strict security regulations. All services and events had to be moved to alternative locations, which the congregation did not decide lightly.

Historical significance in focus

The town church, extensively renovated in 2011 in terms of tower, roof and facade, has since then gained in importance and appeal. However, future renovation work is urgently needed, and the interior of the church also needs fundamental renovation. The electric heating is out of order due to serious technical defects and the parish is forced to take emergency measures in order to be able to hold at least some events in November and December. In a previous project, the costs for electrical, heating, lighting and painting work were estimated at 1.15 million euros, although support from funding programs for interior renovation is severely limited kirchbauverein-jena.de.

An appeal is made to the citizens and friends of Jena: take the opportunity to give back some of your blessing and preserve the valuable history of the city church of St. Michael. Together, the community can ensure that the doors to these treasures can be reopened.