German churches decommission amid religion decline

In the small Catholic Church of St. Anna, Gildehaus, the last mass on its final day is a moment of profound sorrow. A choir sings as the sound of the organ fills the air, but as the service ends, the church is stripped of its sacred relics—signaling the end of a long era. St. Anna’s is just one of many churches in Germany now facing decommissioning due to the rapid decline in church membership.

The decline in church attendance and membership is a growing issue in Germany, where millions of Christians have left their congregations in recent years, DW writes.

In 2024 alone, over a million people left the Catholic and Protestant churches, leading to a rapid decrease in the number of active members. Currently, less than 45% of Germans belong to these churches, down from nearly 69% three decades ago. As a result, church buildings like St. Anna’s are being decommissioned and repurposed.

On the final day of mass at St. Anna’s, the gravity of the moment became clear. Worshippers slowly removed relics from the altar—small pieces of textiles or bone fragments embedded in the altar during the church’s consecration.

Catholic pastor Hubertus Goldbeck, deeply moved by the moment, told DW, “It affects the heart and the eyes. It's moving,” wiping away a tear.

For many devout Christians, the closure of churches is an emotional experience. Since 2000, hundreds of Catholic and Protestant churches have been decommissioned.

According to the German Bishops' Conference, 611 Catholic churches were closed between 2000 and 2024. The Protestant Church estimates that 300 to 350 churches were permanently shut in the same period.

What happens to these former places of worship? Some churches, especially in large cities like Berlin, have been repurposed by growing Orthodox Christian congregations. However, this is the exception rather than the rule. Many churches are put up for sale, and some are demolished. In other cases, these spaces are transformed into commercial ventures.

For example, in Jülich, the St. Rochus Catholic Church now houses Toms Bike Center, a bicycle store. Owner Thomas Oellers told DW that the parish approached him to take over the building, which he had attended as a child. Despite the changes inside, the church’s exterior remains largely unchanged.

In Wettringen, a former abbey has been converted into a “soccer church,” while the Protestant Church of the Resurrection in Kleve has become a boxing gym. Other churches have been transformed into pubs, libraries, and even hotels. In Düsseldorf, a former convent now operates as a hotel named “Mutterhaus,” a nod to its original purpose.

One of the more striking conversions is the St. Luke's Church in Essen, which was decommissioned in 2008 and converted into apartments between 2012 and 2013. Resident Alexandra Schröder, who lives in the building, remarked, “No one would have thought that I would be living above an altar.” The church’s abstract-colored windows and stairwell plaques serve as a reminder of its past.

The repurposing of churches can also have an impact on the surrounding community. Some residents lament the loss of church bells or the quieting of the church clocks. Art historian Klaus-Martin Bresgott, who studied church repurposing, noted that former church buildings can still serve vital community functions, especially in areas that lack public spaces. He pointed to the example of St. Stephen’s Church in Berlin, which was once too large but still could play a role in revitalizing the community.

“We must not immediately panic and say: close down, give up,” Bresgott cautioned, emphasizing that churches, even when no longer used for worship, can remain important to society.

As more churches face closure, it is clear that their role in modern German society is shifting, and their future remains uncertain. Whether converted into homes, businesses, or community centers, these former houses of worship continue to hold meaning for those who remember them as sacred spaces.

By Sabina Mammadli