Transformations of Sacredness: Religious Architecture in Urban Space in 21st Century Germany

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Religious transformations in the wake of migration and pluralization influence the role of sacred architecture in urban space. Many churches, for instance, are in the process of re-use, closure, or even demolition. At the same time, there has been an increase of newly built mosques and a re-orientation in the architecture of synagogues in the last twenty years in Germany. The three mentioned religious traditions undergo transitions with regard to the de-sign and style of their places of worship. Often, these new designs are not easily understand-able to visitors and believers alike. In addition, the role of contemporary sacred architecture in its relation to urban space is changing: Which meanings do sacred buildings convey, how do they position themselves in urban space, and how do they structure it? In a cooperation of the study of religions and the history of architecture, we seek to study the transformations of both material and symbolic design of contemporary sacred architecture in Germany in a compara-tive manner. We will survey Christian, Islamic, and Jewish sacred buildings, i.e. new con-structions, re-used and demolished buildings since 1990 in Germany. Selected buildings will be studied in detail regarding their meaning and position in urban space.