The Friedhofskirche, a landmark in Balingen, has become a place that opens its doors wide: Not only funeral services are to be held there, as was the case until now. The oldest building in the city has become a place for culture, clubs and institutions.
Balingen – The church tower is now the scaffolding of blue hit and cordoned cut and many site fences. Dean Beatus Widmann explains: “The plaster is crumbling, the stones are even falling.” It is urgent to renovate the tower. A cartographer is now assessing the extent of the damage.
The tower is just the beginning
However, a renovated tower is only the beginning of a big project: the cemetery church, where he used to get married for decades, is to “become a civil church”, as the dean explained with anticipation.
Widmann is a founding member of a new development association. With him, there are other “normal Balingen citizens who care about the church” and are trying to find the gem together.
They are not really “normal”.
But the citizens are not quite “normal” after all: Balingen veteran Irmgard Priester too, ex-mayor Reinhold Schäfer, city archivist Yvonne Arras and ex-sakton Volker Kolbus. Business woman Gerlinde Gess, doctor Christiane Triebener-Windrich, former board member of the Sparkasse Zollernalb, Claus Kimmerle, and the deputy president of the Protestant parish, Martin Büttner, as well.
What is the plan?
What is the plan? Widmann says: “We are looking for fellow campaigners and we must collect donations. Because apart from a renovated church tower, the historic building needs a heating system, new technology, presentation options as well as a hallway and bathrooms if it wants a place for concerts, exhibitions, readings, weddings and other festive events. We appreciate every donation, big or small, says Widmann.
Not possible without donations
One third of the necessary funds come from the evangelical church community and the association. “But even this third cannot be managed without donations,” says Widmann. The other two thirds are raised by the church district or by the regional church.
However, the amount of money needed for all projects can currently only be roughly estimated and therefore cannot yet be quantified. Because: “The damage mapper only recently started working on the church tower,” Widmann continued.
An ambitious goal
However, the association already has a very ambitious goal – at least to finish the renovation of the church tower: “The work should be finished at the beginning of the garden show on May 5th next year,” hopes Widmann. He knows it is a “broken” goal. New heating, technology, kitchen and more are initially in the back.
INFO: donations
Anyone who would like to participate and make a donation can contact the evangelical parish hall, Charlottenstraße 16, Balingen (phone 07433/7010).