Utting - The cause of the devastating full fire of the Protestant Christ Church in Uttinger Laibner Strasse is still a mystery. Fire investigators from the Fürstenfeldbruck criminal police and from the Augsburg police dog squadron with specially trained detection dogs could not find any evidence of fire accelerators or third-party negligence inside or around the ruin. Nevertheless, the fire rubble is examined in detail in the laboratory, which, according to the police headquarters of Upper Bavaria-North, will take several days. It is also unclear whether and what a technical defect could have triggered the fire. The police put the total damage after a first rough estimate at half to three quarters of a million euros.
The fire was discovered and reported by a newspaper deliverer early Wednesday morning. The Uttingen fire brigade, which arrived after just a few minutes, was initially unable to achieve anything, as the eastern church facade was already in full fire. Because the church in the rear part of the property cannot be approached directly with a turntable ladder, the firefighters had to extinguish using hand ladders. Under the direction of Florian Hoffmann, Uttings fire brigade commander and mayor, around one hundred emergency services were at work in the course of the extinguishing work, including from the neighboring fire brigades in Schondorf, Greifenberg, Dießen and Finning. Together they managed to prevent the flames from spreading to the directly adjacent community center. For this purpose, roof tiles were removed and windows smashed.The almost one hundred year old church, built in the style of Scandinavian wooden club churches, could no longer be saved. The bell tower's sound hatches created a suction effect like a chimney and accelerated the fire.
Melted organ
When the Uttingen pastor couple Alexandra and Jochen Eberhardt arrived at the church on Wednesday from their abruptly canceled Lake Garda vacation, they saw a sad picture of devastation: burned and charred wood and furniture, rubble, shards, ashes and even the melted organ pipes made of tin.
Because of the acute danger of collapse, the church was immediately sealed off with a site fence and police tape.
Only the fire investigators are allowed on the premises.
Despite all the horror of the accident, Pastor Alexandra Eberhardt was happy that no one was harmed.
She immediately informed the evangelical congregation about the disaster on the homepage with the introductory sentence “How do you put into words what you can't yet grasp yourself?” She was overwhelmed by the spontaneous wave of offers of help and the unanimous desire for the church to come soon rebuild. She quoted the words of a church leader: “Congregation, that's the people, that's us. And we didn't burn down. "
The first funds have already been received on the donation account set up immediately for the “Reconstruction of Christ Church” (IBAN DE66 7005 2060 0000 1055 69 - BIC BYLADEM1LLD).
The community will also contribute to the reconstruction with a financial injection.
Mayor Florian Hoffmann promised this at the “Farewell, Consolation and Hope Service” on Sunday on the meadow in front of the ruined fire.
A good two hundred members of the Protestant parish met for a moving mass under a tent roof made available by the Thainiger associations and smaller tents.
They then decorated the barriers with flowers and said goodbye to the church in a very personal devotion, where they saw baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals.
Shortly before the 100.
The historic Christ Church would have celebrated its centenary on July 10, 2027.
Initial considerations for a festival program had already been made in the church council.
Now one can think about the inauguration of the new church.
At the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, only a relatively small proportion of the Uttingen population was Protestant.
It was not until 1927 that the "Evangelische Verein Utting" received a prayer room made of wood, but still without a bell tower.
In the back there was a small community room where children's services, Bible studies, and choir rehearsals took place.
Four years later, the prayer room was extended with a tower for three bells, so it developed into a real church by popular standards.
In the next fifty years the face of the Church changed only slightly.
Because of the growing number of members, a community center had to be built.
Between 1987 and 1990 the church was renovated and was officially named "Christ Church".
The pews were banned and chairs were bought in order to be able to hold other events flexibly - such as exhibitions, classical concerts or even a poetry slam competition.
It is currently being clarified where the services of the evangelical community will be held until the new building.
The Catholic neighbors have already offered their Leonhardi Church on Dießener Strasse.
The corona test station has already moved from the community center to the citizens' meeting place "17 & Wir" in Bahnhofstrasse.