Erlöserkirche

The Church of the Redeemer was commissioned in 1897 and completed in 1909 by architect Franz Schwechten, builder of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Emperor Wilhelm Memorial Church) in Berlin. At that time the church, which is faced with red sandstone, was regarded as the "largest and most beautiful church in the Rhineland". It is a neo-Romanesque style hall church with a transept, a circular gallery and an impressive west façade. After being damaged during the War, the church was reconstructed in 1957. The Romanesque baptismal font created in Italian style is the only item of the original church interior that has been preserved. The interior was designed by Prof. H. Kükelhaus. Concerts of Essen’s Bach choir and performances by the Folkwang chamber orchestra are held here on a regular basis.