Friedenskirche (Monheim-Baumberg)

Consequently, in the 1960s, a spacious development area was elaborated under the leadership of the union-owned construction company "Neue Heimat" adjacent to the historic center.

The Frankfurt architect Ernst May was involved in the planning of this area, which included a center for the protestant parish, grown to around 3,000 members in the post-war years.

Following a competition, the Protestant Church in the Rhineland decided in favor of a design by the Swiss architect Walter Maria Foerderer.

He directed personally the construction work in the early years, but later transferred the supervision to his office and to the Monheim architect Dietrich Mallwitz, who more or less independently implemented the concept for the adjacent buildings.

Examples are the Protestant parish hall in Moers-Hochstrass, St. John in Lucerne and the Holy Cross Church in Chur, whose alpine silhouette is reminiscent of the Friedenskirche.

Geometric forms with partly religious meaning were built with elaborated techniques, and the cross is repeated in numerous outer and inner walls.

Foerderer intended the active involvement of church members in the organization of the service and thus wanted to invite for an intensive discussion of the Bible.