Neviges Mariendom / Gottfried Böhm | Classics On Architecture Lab

Architects: Gottfried Böhm
Year: 1968
Photography: Laurian Ghinitoiu, Yuri Palmin
Program / Use / Building Function: Churches, Monastery, Memorial Center
City: Velbert
Country: Germany

Neviges Mariendom designed by Gottfried Böhm in Velbert, Germany transformed a historical pilgrimage site with its monumental concrete structure, accommodating a significant influx of visitors post-World War II. Completed in 1968, the cathedral reflects Modernist influences and the evolving liturgical practices of the time, emphasizing inclusivity and openness. Despite its remote location, the Mariendom remains a prominent architectural landmark, symbolizing both historical continuity and post-war reconstruction.

Standing like a concrete mountain amid a wood, the jagged concrete volume of the Neviges Mariendom (“Cathedral of Saint Mary of Neviges”) towers over its surroundings. Built on a popular pilgrimage site in western Germany, the Mariendom is the latest iteration of a monastery that has drawn countless visitors and pilgrims from across the world for centuries. Unlike its medieval and Baroque predecessors, the unabashedly Modernist Mariendom reflects a significant shift in the outlook of its creators, symbolizing a new way of thinking for both the people of post-war Germany and the wider Catholic Church.

Neviges mariendom / gottfried böhm | classics on architecture lab

Pilgrims have journeyed to Neviges since the late 18th Century, when the church first played host to an Immaculata, a venerated copper engraving depicting the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. The site’s popularity overwhelmed the existing Baroque monastery, leading to the construction of an annex in the early 20th Century. Despite this, a post-World War II surge in pilgrimages again exceeded the church’s capacity. In 1960, it was decided that a new pilgrimage church would be built to handle the influx of visitors.

The Archbishopric of Köln (Cologne) organized an architectural competition between 1963 and 1964 to address this need. The contest called for a church building with seats for 900 worshippers and standing room for 3,000 more. Other required elements included two chapels, a confessional church, a sacristy, a bell tower, and ancillary spaces. The winner, chosen by both the jury and particularly by Köln’s Archbishop Josef Frings, was German architect Gottfried Böhm.

Frings had overseen extensive church construction in the Köln area since becoming Archbishop in 1942, as part of efforts to rebuild Germany after World War II. This included many churches built in the Modernist style, reflecting post-war austerity and changing liturgical practices. Frings advocated for a greater emphasis on the public celebration of Mass, with the altar as a free-standing table among the congregation. This drive toward inclusivity and openness found pronounced expression in Böhm’s design.

Despite being in a small, remote community, the Mariendom is monumental in scale. Böhm, a noted German Expressionist, believed sacred architecture should elicit emotion in the viewer. Approaching by rail, road, or foot, one sees a mountain-like peak of concrete from afar. The path to the church is lined on one side by a wall and by the offices and convent on the other, creating a formal procession for pilgrims.

Without the metal cross adorning its highest peak, the imposing concrete structure might not be recognized as a church. Composed of compressed concrete cubes and pyramids, the jagged, amorphous mass was designed to reflect the mountainous terrain of the region. However, casual observers often note that the Mariendom more closely resembles a concrete iceberg than the rounded, verdant hilltops of the Rhineland.

Inside, the towering mass of the building is briefly obscured by a low-ceilinged foyer, providing a moment of visual suspense before entering the cavernous worship space. The interior, like the exterior, consists of geometrically irregular concrete on a cathedral scale. Angled roof plane joints are interspersed with louvers allowing natural light into the space. The altar, although not on axis with the main entrance, is centrally placed as per Archbishop Frings’ preference. Three stories of galleries line the right side, allowing pilgrims views and proximity to the altar even when crowded. On the left, shrouded in relative darkness, are two chapels, including the Marienkapelle housing the copper relic.

In keeping with Böhm’s style, the gray expanses of concrete are punctuated with windows of brilliantly colored stained glass. Primarily red, blue, and green, the windows—designed by Böhm—depict typical Marian themes abstractly, including a large red rose. For the Marienkapelle, Böhm created an elaborate composition centered around the Ichthys, the symbolic fish representing Christ. Scattered throughout the church are sculptural works by other artists, including a marble column and altar by Elmar Hillebrand; Böhm’s son, Markus, was responsible for painting the lower church.

Consecrated in 1968, the Neviges Mariendom became Germany’s second-largest church, outdone only by the Gothic cathedral in Köln. Despite its imposing concrete mass, the building began to leak by the 1980s due to concrete’s natural tendency to crack. Initial patchwork during the 1980s was criticized for ruining the building’s aesthetic purity. A second effort to patch the concrete, supervised by the architect’s son Peter Böhm, aims to resolve the issue while maintaining the church’s original outward appearance for both pilgrims and architectural enthusiasts alike.

References

[1] Altvater, Ricarda, ‘Mariendom Neviges’, Nachkriegsarchitektur in Nordrhein-Westfalen, <https://nachkriegsmoderne.org>.

[2] ‘Velbert-Neviges | Maria, Königin des Friedens’, Straße der Moderne, <https://strasse-der-moderne.de>.

[3] James-Chakraborty, Kathleen, ‘Abstract forms were espoused more quickly by the German church than by industries’, The Architectural Review <https://www.architectural-review.com>.

[4] Voogt-Müller, Bärbel, ‘Mariendom: Der ‘Betonfelsen’ ist undicht’, Westdeutsche Zeitung <https://www.wz.de>.