Considerable structural damage to the old Provost Church in Leipzig made the construction of a new church inevitable. The Catholic Provost community will be returning to the city centre of Leipzig where the new church will face the new town hall. The community was displaced from the old church after the 2nd World War.
For the Catholic Provost community, the new church will mark the beginning of a new chapter in its history. The community currently comprises 4,500 members. With an average age of just 37 years and an annual increase of about 150 members, the Trinitatis community is the largest in the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen and one of the youngest and most vibrant Catholic communities in Germany. The new building will be the largest new church building in eastern Germany since the fall of the Wall. It will cost about 15 million euros; the church itself will be contributing significantly to this. The Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) (Federal Foundation for the Environment) also helps fund sustainable and environmentally-conscious construction methods.
The church was built with reinforced concrete. As with many important buildings in Leipzig, the façade of the new Provost Church will remain true to tradition and be constructed with Rochlitz porphyry tuff – a natural stone from the region. The Saxon kings allowed this tuff to be used for their prestigious buildings; and centuries later it still characterises the appearance of the buildings with its reddish colouration.
To support the large façade, which is approximately 4800 sqm of natural stone, JORDAHL GmbH brickwork support brackets will be used. 1650 consoles of different versions were used for this. Different stone thicknesses (12, 14, 16 cm) also had to be taken into consideration and meant special custom-made productions were necessary. JVA+ F, JVA+ FAR, JVA+ P and JVA+ NU consoles were used in load categories 3.5, 7.0 and 10.5 kN, as well as type Q scaffolding anchors.
© schulz & schulz, Leipzig
