Open Monument Day: St. Afra makes a big appearance after renovation!

Open Monument Day: St. Afra makes a big appearance after renovation!

On September 14, 2025, the city of Friedberg will present as part of theOpen Monument Daya diverse program that brings visitors closer to the historical significance of the local churches. The focus is particularly on thisPilgrimage church of St. Afra im Felde, which reopened after a three-year extensive renovation. This church is not only an architectural monument but also a place with a deep spiritual history as it stands on the site where Saint Afra was martyred in 304 AD. The renovation, which was carried out from 2021 to 2024, brought back the original color of the interior, which dates back to the time it was built between 1701 and 1712.

The history of St. Afra Church is unique. This is the fourth church building at this location, which was temporarily used as an ammunition magazine after secularization. In 1877 it was returned to church ownership. The refurnishing was carried out in the Nazarene style, followed by an extensive remodeling in the mid-1960s. The recent revision of the interior by the Ulrich Dochtermann workshop from Augsburg takes into account another chapter in the history of this important building.

Program highlights on Open Monument Day

The Open Monument Day will be celebrated with a...Sunday massopens at 11:30 a.m., which deals with the topic “Built by faith, supported by hope – what makes St. Afra so ‘valuable’ in the field.” Bishop Bertram will remember the challenges of today and the importance of freedom, which has been hard-won throughout history.

Various guided tours will take place throughout the afternoon:

• 13:00 Uhr: „Raum für das Heilige – wie Liturgie lebt und Räume prägt“ mit Pater Steffen Brühl (Dauer: 1 Stunde).
• 15:00 Uhr: „Bauen im Denkmal – die Sanierung von St. Afra“ mit Christian Huber, Architekt der Sanierungsmaßnahme.
• 16:30 Uhr: „Zwischen Weihrauch und Pulverdampf – Geschichte(n) aus St. Afra“ mit Karl Ritter, Mesner a.D.

The meeting point for the tours is in front of the church, and the program is accessible to both wheelchair users and those with walking difficulties.

The importance of the pilgrimage church and the challenges for church buildings

The exhibition of information boards on various topics, including the history of St. Afra and the renovation measure, underlines the educational value of Monument Day. The Maria Schnee pilgrimage church will also be integrated into the program, with guided tours at 2 p.m. This church, built around 1470 following initiatives by the Friedberg Council, has an eventful history that was also shaped by the Thirty Years' War.

In a broader social discussion about the preservation of church buildings, the need to protect them as community heritage is emphasized. The German Foundation for Monument Protection has oneChurch manifestolaunched, which brings responsibility for the church's heritage into the public debate. This manifesto encourages new support models to use and further develop churches as public spaces in a future-oriented society. The preservation of these cultural treasures is crucial as many churches in Germany and Europe are increasingly at risk.

Open Monument Day offers an excellent opportunity to celebrate the connection between history and present and to raise awareness of the value of church buildings as part of our cultural heritage. Initiatives such as those run by the German Foundation for Monument Protection will play an important role in raising awareness of the need to preserve these important buildings in society.

For further information about the events and the history of the churches in Friedberg, see Friedberg.de, Diocese of Augsburg and Deutsche Stiftung Monument protection.