Kreuzkirche

Kreuzkirche tickets: which one to buy

The Kreuzkirche is a Protestant church in the Vorderer Westen district of Kassel, Germany, a residential quarter west of the city centre known for its late nineteenth and early twentieth century houses, and it is used both for worship and as a concert venue. Most visitors come for a concert rather than for sightseeing: gala concerts of classical music are held in the church and sold as tickets in advance, and they are the easiest way to see the building. Outside concerts and services, the church is not always open, so check with the parish before travelling.

Kassel is best known for the Wilhelmshöhe Mountain Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its Hercules monument and water features, the Brothers Grimm museum, and the documenta contemporary art exhibition, held every five years, and a concert evening at the Kreuzkirche can be combined with a day at those sights. Trams run from the city centre to the Vorderer Westen. Restaurants and cafés along the Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse are convenient for dinner before or after a concert.

Visiting Kreuzkirche: what to see

The Vorderer Westen grew quickly around 1900 as a new residential district, and its Protestant population needed a church of its own. The Kassel architects Anton Karst and Hans Fanghänel designed the church as a centralised building with a dome-like tower. During construction the neo-baroque ornament was reduced in favour of the Jugendstil, the German art nouveau, and the building's form recalled the Frauenkirche in Dresden. The foundation stone was laid in 1904, and the church was consecrated on 7 November 1906. It was completely destroyed in the bombing of Kassel in 1943, and a new church was built on the same site and consecrated in 1959, in the style of post-war church architecture.

The post-war church is simpler than its predecessor, with a bright interior designed for both worship and music, and its acoustics suit choral and orchestral concerts. The parish runs a community programme, and the church hosts choirs and organ recitals. Photographs of the original Jugendstil church show its rich decoration, which was lost in the war. The surrounding streets of the Vorderer Westen, around the Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse, are lined with restored villas and apartment buildings from the same period as the first church, and they are pleasant for a walk before a concert.

Kreuzkirche opening hours and the best time to go

Concerts at the Kreuzkirche are held in the evenings on selected dates, and the programme is published by the organisers and the parish. Kassel is busiest during the documenta years, when hotels fill up months ahead, and in summer, when the water features of the Wilhelmshöhe Mountain Park run on Wednesday, Sunday and holiday afternoons from May to October. The Christmas market in the city centre is popular in December. Winters are cold. Allow the length of a concert for the visit, and spend the day at the Wilhelmshöhe park and palace. Arrive about half an hour before a concert to find a seat, as seating is often unreserved.