Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is the newest Church of the Old City, and the second Protestant Church inside the Old City walls, after Christ Church near Jaffa Gate. During the Crusader period of the early 12th century, this part of the Old City housed the Knights Hospitallers of St. John, who used this are as their living quarters, a hostel, and a hospital to care for the sick or wounded. Muristan, the name given to this area of the Old City, is derived from the Persian word for Hospital. After the Mamluk conquest in 1267CE the Muristan area lay in ruins until the time of the Ottomans, when the eastern section was given as a gift to Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm in 1869 in order to build a church for the German-speaking community. Originally it was thought that the Church would be rebuilt from the ruins of the Crusader period Church of St. Maria Latina, but during excavations it was found to be more feasible to construct a new church on its place. Conrad Schick, an architect and prominent archaeologist of the time believed that he had discovered in his excavation work of the area a wall under the Church dating to the time of Herod (37-4BCE) and the foundation stone of the Church was set on this site in 1893. Between 1893 and 1898, the Church was built according to the plans of architect Friedrich Adler and sat 2 meters above the ruined Crusader Church. It is constructed in the simple Romanesque-Revival style and was built on a longitudinal-basilica model with an east-west axis, its front facing to the east. On Reformation Day 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife Augusta Victoria arrived in the Old City of Jerusalem (through the opening made in the wall near Jaffa Gate) to inaugurate the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Today, much of this history has been preserved by the Church and can be observed by those visiting. In 2012, archaeological excavation done under the Church was opened to the public, where one can see the remains of mosaic floors from the St. Maria Latina Church, cobble stone streets and even a quarry believed to be from the time of Herod the Great. A museum on site tells the history of the Muristan area dating back to pre-Christian times. Visitors can also ascend the Church’s prominent bell tower for unparalleled views over the Old City. A circular staircase leads up 40 meters to the top, offering a panoramic view of all of the sites of the Old City and even beyond its walls, this is really an unforgettable experience and not one to be missed.