IAt the year-end service, Bishop Michael Gerber of Fulda distributed a photo of the interior of the Elizabeth Church in Kassel. It showed the rubble of the roof that collapsed in November, with the cross on the front of the church visible through it. The bishop preached that Jesus himself will show himself in the midst of the collapse of our lives and the church. Outside of the service, however, for the Diocese of Fulda, it is not a matter of symbolism, but rather an analysis of the glulam beam of the roof structure. Their samples will be examined at the Technical University of Munich.

The Kassel church is now secured with a safety roof. It will likely take until May to remove the old roof, according to the diocesan press office. The collapse, in which fortunately no one was injured, has drawn attention to the post-war church buildings, because in 1960 the Elizabeth Church was also consecrated. A number of new churches were built at this time, and not only because of war damage like in Kassel. In many places, refugees and displaced people displaced the old confessional majority and allowed communities to grow that needed space.

Currently, the Diocese of Fulda identifies, from among approximately 400 properties, those buildings with a glulam structure, a supporting structure opening of more than twelve meters and structures in the so-called cold area. Due to the large temperature differences, moisture can easily condense there. If the criteria are met, static tests are ordered, especially regarding the load-bearing capacity of the adhesive.

Now we need experts

The dioceses of Limburg and Mainz follow a similar approach, as the construction masters of the German diocese have drawn up a common recommendation for action. “If the year of construction and the scope are suitable, communities should hire external experts,” says Stefan Muth, construction master of the Diocese of Limburg. This can no longer be done by volunteers. “We are now awaiting relevant feedback.”

Most of the church buildings are owned by the communities, who also have to take care of their maintenance. 25-30 houses come together quickly. Many do not meet the test criteria from the start. Muth gives the example of a typical pastor with two apartments. So far, no churches have been closed in the Catholic dioceses of Hessen due to the risk of collapse.

The situation is different in the Evangelical Church of Hesse and Nassau (EKHN). The four churches in Darmstadt, Griesheim, Frankfurt and Kiedrich cannot be used at the moment. Of the 1,200 churches in their area, 70 are similar in construction to the collapsed Elisabeth Church in Kassel and are being inspected. The Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck (EKKW) is investigating together with the Diocese of Fulda, which inspection mechanisms should be recommended in addition to the mandatory annual inspection of the church council. A test at St. Stephen's Church in Bad Karlshafen, the northernmost tip of Hesse, built in 1962, showed that safety is not guaranteed under heavy snow loads. Therefore, an emergency support was installed at the end of 2021, as the spokesperson explains.