The Kreuskirche Essen, one of our CCN partners in Germany, is involved in projects regarding the industrial history of their city and country. Essen once belonged to the pioneering steal factory towns of Germany; where the industrialist Krupp invented progressive machines, but also where a big amount of weapons were produced, which were death for thousands during the World Wars.
Two youth ministers from the Kreuzeskirche continue the traditional craftsmanship of metal production; however they want to set a sign for peace, and reconciliation in their projects with young people.
In 2005 young people produced a large Cross made out of an old tank gun, which now stands in front of the church. This project is linked to the Old Testament out cry of “beating swords into ploughshares”.
In 2007 the Kreuzeskirche became part of the CCN and members of the congregation also started to make Crosses of Nails. The youth ministers, Herbert Reichmann and Klaus Krapf, explain it with the following:
“First, the symbol of the Cross of Nails was a little bit bulky for us, because lots of non- Christian people live in Essen. However, producing nails is an old craftsmen tradition, the “nail smith” was a recognized craft. Nails are also things used to connect two things together strongly, without tying them together as a cross. This symbol was enough for us to qualify some volunteers to forge nails. These skills were used during church fairs and elsewhere.”
During the last Protestant Church Day in Hamburg, Germany (Kirchentag, a big biannual church festival), Herbert Reichmann and Klaus Krapf produced a metal bath and with this we casted the “Angel of Culture“.with some teenagers.
“The Angel of Culture is an art project, initiated by two artists from Germany, which strives to unite citizens of the three Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. […] The central component of the project is a wheel-shaped sculpture which contains […] - a Cross, a Crescent, and a Star of David. Together, these form the silhouette of an angel. The sculpture symbolises intercultural peace and tolerance, as well as the interdependence of faiths and cultures whereas a damage done to one group will also severely harm the others.”
(Taken from http://www.engel-der-kulturen.de/e_index.html)
The project on the Church Day was called “Melting pot”. Herbert Reichmann explains why:
“Essen belongs to one of Europe‘s biggest urban agglomerations, where people from different cultural and religious backgrounds live and work together. Our concern was to find and strengthen things we have in common; and recognising respectfully things which divide us. The symbol of the “Angel of Culture“ helped us to get into conversation and to value each other..”
Krapf and Reichmann emphasize their experience of being on a journey of understanding when people actually do and produce something together. This journey will continue in Coventry in summer 2014.
