The Sophienkirche is a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

church in the

Spandauer Vorstadt Spandauer Vorstadt ("Spandauer suburb", formerly also called Spandauer Quarter or Spandauer Viertel) is a historic district in what is now the Mitte (locality), Mitte district of Berlin. Geography The Spandauer neighborhood is bordered in the ...

part of the

Berlin-Mitte Mitte (; German for "middle" or "center") is a central section () of Berlin, Germany, in the eponymous Boroughs of Berlin, borough () of Mitte. Until 2001, it was itself an autonomous district. Mitte proper comprises the historic center of Old ...

region of

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, eastern

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. One of its associated cemeteries is the

Friedhof II der Sophiengemeinde Berlin The Friedhof II der Sophiengemeinde Berlin is a Protestant cemetery of the Sophienkirche (Berlin), Sophienkirche in Berlin-Mitte, Germany. Notable interments (*) = An Ehrengrab awarded by the "Landes Berlin" * Adam Weishaupt German philosopher ...

History

Philipp Gerlach Johann Philipp Gerlach (24 July 1679 – 17 September 1748) was a Prussia, Prussian court architect, who built churches and public buildings in and around Berlin and Potsdam. Career Gerlach was born in Berlin-Spandau, Spandau. In 1707, he succe ...

, its foundation stone was laid by

Frederick I of Prussia Frederick I (; 11 July 1657 – 25 February 1713), of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was (as Frederick III) List of margraves and electors of Brandenburg, Elector of Brandenburg (1688–1713) and Duke of Prussia in personal union (Brandenburg–Pr ...

. After the death of her husband, Frederick's third wife Sophie Luise von Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1685–1735), did not (as originally intended) have the church named after her at the consecration ceremony presided over by Frederick's successor Frederick William I on 25 February 1713. On 18 June 1713 the church was dedicated as the ''Spandauische Kirche''. It was first named after Sophie Luise under his successor Frederick II, and has been called the Sophienkirche ever since. A baroque tower was added in 1732–1734 by

Johann Friedrich Grael Johann, typically a male given name, is the German language, German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin language, Latin form of the Greek language, Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew language, Hebrew name ''Johanan (name ...

. In 1891–1892 the church was rebuilt to designs by

Friedrich Schulze Friedrich Schulze, Friedrich Schulze-Colbitz or Friedrich Schulze-Kolbitz (8 or 18 March 1843 in Colbitz – 30 July 1912 in Steglitz near Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and ...

by the practice Kyllmann & Heyden, overseen by Kurt Berndt. The roof was raised and an altar niche added at the east end, and the surviving interior decoration is almost entirely from this restoration. There is a memorial to the poet

Karl Wilhelm Ramler Karl Wilhelm Ramler (25 February 1725 – 11 April 1798) was a German poet who was the Berlin Cadet School master. Ramler was born in Kolobrzeg, Kolberg. After graduating from the University of Halle, he went to Berlin, where, in 1748, he w ...

on the outside wall of the church's sacristy and one on the exterior north wall of the church to the poet Anna Luise Karsch. Prominent graves in the churchyard include those of

Carl Friedrich Zelter Carl Friedrich Zelter (11 December 1758 15 May 1832)Grove/Fuller-Datei:Carl-Friedrich-Zelter.jpegMaitland, 1910. The Zelter entry takes up parts of pages 593-595 of Volume V. was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music. Working in his ...

, founder of the

Sing-Akademie zu Berlin The Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, also known as the Berliner Singakademie, is a musical (originally choral) society founded in Berlin in 1791 by Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch, harpsichordist to the court of Prussia, on the model of the 18th-centu ...

, and graves from the last days of the Second World War in the adjacent Sophienstraß.

Bibliography

* * Institut für Denkmalpflege (Hg.): ''Die Bau- und Kunstdenkmale in der DDR. Hauptstadt Berlin I''; Henschelverlag: Berlin 2. Aufl. 1984; S. 294–297. * *

External links

Sophienkirche The Sophienkirche (Saint Sophia's Church) was a church in Dresden. It was located on the northeast corner of the Postplatz (post office square) in the old town before it was severely damaged in the Dresden bombing in 1945 and subsequently des ...

Heritage sites in Berlin Buildings and structures in Mitte Berlin Sophienkirche Berlin Sophienkirche Baroque architecture in Berlin 1713 establishments in Prussia Frederick I of Prussia {{Germany-Lutheran-church-stub