Church of St. Trinitatis

Located in the street Am kleinen Hain not far from the Paul Gerhardt church, the Catholic Church of Lübben has existed since October 4, 1863: on this day it was solemnly consecrated in honour of the Holy Trinity (St. Trinitas). The first Catholic priest after the Reformation, Augustin Nickel, began work here one year earlier. At this time there were about 90 Catholics in Lübben (out of a population of some 4,500). The Reformation meant that for centuries there were virtually no Catholics in Lower Lusatia and Mark Brandenburg. The population adopted the Protestant faith. It was only in the wake of industrialisation that Catholic guest workers with a need for pastoral care also came to the Lübben area.

The church was extended to its present size in 1906. The friends’ association Bonifatiusverein Paderborn provided most of the funding.

Through its conversion and extension, the church acquired its neo-Gothic architectural style with the intersection and apse. Now it also has a pointed tower with a bell inside. The latter bears the inscription: “Ave Maria gratia plena – I was cast by Franz Schilling in Apolda in 1906”. The sound of the bell was heard for the first time when the church was solemnly consecrated on October 7, 1906.

The bombing of our town in April 1945 also inflicted enormous damage on the Catholic church and rectory. The church roof was partly destroyed, so makeshift repairs were carried out. Restoration work on and in the church dragged on for a long time and was not completed until 1950. In the course of this process, the east window in the chancel was also walled up.

Archpriest Janissek took the 90th anniversary of the church and parish as an opportunity to hold a religious week for the inner renewal of the parish. Six months later, a “Holy Mission” was carried out by two Franciscans (May 2 to 23, 1954). The mission cross was erected in front of the church as a memorial.
Women of the parish donated the statue of the Virgin Mary to the church in 1956. It was created by wood carving specialists Hertelt in Cottbus, who also made the figures for the nativity scene which the parish purchased in 1958. These replaced the previous nativity figures made of plaster.

In 1964 the church underwent major renovation according to new liturgical guidelines issued by the Second Vatican Council. This was preceded by the gradual lowering of the chancel, which is said to rest on oak piles. The interior of the church was thus altered and redesigned as can be seen today.

Some architectural embellishments and acquisitions were added over time. New leaded windows for the church were purchased in 1973/74. The artist was Dr. Nawroth from Görlitz. The windows were made by the Lübben-based company PGH Glas, formerly Fiedler. The Stations of the Cross were also created by Dr. Naworth. These 14 stations of the Passion of Christ were added to the church in 1977, while a small pipe organ with six stops was installed in October 1982. It was built by the Dresden-based company Jehmlich. The church and rectory roof were renovated in 1995/96 under Pastor Christoph Kliemank. The sacristy was refurbished, an electric bell system was fitted and the interior was given a new coat of paint. The rectory was modernised in 1997/98.