Chapel of Reconciliation

The Chapel of Reconciliation on Bernauer Strasse stands on the foundation of the Church of Reconciliation, which the GDR blew up in 1985 after it had spent decades trapped in the death strip of the Berlin Wall. The oval rammed-earth chapel was completed in 2000 by architects Reitermann and Sassenroth. It forms the spiritual center of the Berlin Wall Memorial. The inner sanctuary of compressed clay holds the altar and the salvaged bells of the old church. A wooden outer ring envelops the clay core and points to transience. Today a midday service is held here every weekday, during which the names of those killed at the Wall are read aloud. Rusted steel rods in front of the chapel trace the footprint of the destroyed predecessor. The unusual choice of material, the restrained architecture, and the direct proximity to the preserved Wall strip make this one of Berlin's most affecting memorial sites.