The Little Church in the Green, or “Kirchlein im Gruenen” as it is called in German, is a tiny, picturesque place of worship tucked into the forest outside the small village of Alt Placht. Alt Placht is located near the town of Templin in the northeastern part of the State of Brandenburg, Germany. The area is part of the water-rich Uckermark Lakes Nature Park, a 350 square mile reserve north of Berlin. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, grew up in this area. Her father, pastor Horst Kasner was instrumental in saving the quaint little church from demolition.
The Little Church in the Green (Kleines Kirchlein in Gruenen) is a magical place in the village of Placht, not far from Templin in the northeastern part of the State of Brandenburg in Germany. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2019. www.walled-in-berlin.com
Origin of the Little Church in the Green
The Kirchlein im Gruenen is truly a magical place. Surrounded by linden trees that are older than the church itself (the trees date back to the 1500s), it looks like something straight out of a fairytale. Already during the Middle Ages, a small church stood on this spot. Then, around 1700, a small house of worship was constructed to serve as a chapel to the Alt Placht manor. The present-day Little Church in the Green was built on the foundation of the original manor chapel. Its architectural style corresponds to the half-timbered buildings in northern France. Therefore, historians believe that this charming little chapel was built by Huguenot refugees.
The Kirchlein im Gruenen Undergoes a Period of Decay
With time, the little church fell into disrepair, and from 1970 on it was in partial ruins. Vandals stole its antique box locks and door fittings. Its bronze bell, dating from 1721, was sold to the St. Elisabeth Abbey in Berlin in 1980. Eventually, the Kirchlein im Gruenen became such an eyesore that it was slated for demolition. But there was no money to knock it down.
Rescue and Restoration of the Little Church in the Green
After the Fall of the Wall in 1989 and the German reunification in 1990, a citizen group formed with the goal of restoring the little church to its former glory. A West Berlin architect who had fond childhood memories of the Little Church in the Green, started the initiative. Pastor Horst Kasner, Merkel’s father, chaired the group from 1997 until his death in 2011. Renovation began in 1993. The first service took place a year later. There had been no service for 30 years. The bell was brought back in 1995, and the restoration project was largely completed by 1997. In 2002, the organ was consecrated. Since then, baptisms, intimate weddings, Easter and Christmas services and concerts are held on a regular basis.
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Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
