Versöhnungskirche

Versöhnungskirche stands in Leipzig’s Gohlis district as a Lutheran church shaped by New Objectivity. Its completely white façade presents a clear silhouette beside the modern Krochsiedlung residential area. A 39-metre bell tower rises on the western side, marked by narrow vertical window strips. The building runs from south to north because the surrounding plot determined its unusual orientation.

Hans Heinrich Grotjahn designed the church, built between 1930 and 1932 with a reinforced-concrete skeleton. Inside, a single nave leaves the main hall free of columns and piers. A triforium above the nave carries the restored Furtwängler and Hammer organ, returned to its original form in 2005. Restoration completed major stages by 2009, bringing the nave back to its historic colour scheme.

The entrance centres on a cross-shaped concrete window filled with coloured glass, designed by Matthias Klemm. Odo Tattenpach created the coloured glazing and interior colour scheme, while Max Alfred Brumme and Curt Metze shaped other liturgical elements. National Socialist officials criticised the modern design in the early 1930s, yet the protected church remains a significant example of modern ecclesiastical architecture. Its accessible interior and direct connection with community planning make the white tower a lasting landmark of Gohlis.