Die Dorfkirchen von Berlin
Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 1950. First edition. Hardcover. Quarto. 80 (2)pp. Original black quarter cloth over illustrated orange boards with black lettering on cover, gilt on spine, in photo-illustrated dustjacket. Vignette on title page. In the midst of the megacity some fifty small churches were hidden, that once belonged to the villages in front of the gates of Berlin. Some of them were built in the ninth century. Still today they are witnesses of the faithful drive of Christian communities, who settled here and built in honor of the Christian god. The war took its toll and left only few of them unharmed.
The author invites us to join on a tour through these fifty houses of prayer. He shows to us in his words and in pictures the artwork and historical memories still to be found in surprising numbers. Often small and unattractive from the outside, beautiful treasures were hidden behind the nondescript walls.
Türck's research began in 1938 and was scheduled to be published in 1942, but the war not only prevented the completion of this project but destroyed or damaged many of the churches and the research that had been done, including the manuscript and photographs for this publication. The reconfiguration of this book was difficult and time-consuming and it shows many of the churches that do not exist anymore. Profusely illustrated with b/w photographs of churches and their interiors, including a map showing the locations of these churches, marked here in orange. Contains descriptive listing of photographs at rear and was published with license of the Soviet Military Government.
Text in German, Gothic script. DJ with some chipping at head of spine and along top edge, rubbed. Binding with very light wear along edges. Light age-toning of block, not affecting images. DJ in good-, binding in good+, interior in very good condition. g- to vg. Item #44764
Price: $175.00