Freising saves electricity: even the cathedral is now in darkness

Created: 08/13/2022, 08:00

By: Helmut Hobmaier

Freising Cathedral lies in the dark of night.

All headlights are off.

© Lehmann

In Freising it's time to turn off the lights: all the churches are plunged into deep darkness at night because of the energy crisis.

Even the landmark: the cathedral.

Freising

- Municipal buildings such as the Freising town hall are no longer illuminated.

And even the cathedral and all other churches are plunged into deep darkness at night because of the energy crisis.

You want to save electricity.

But there are other – important – reasons.

In most cases, the municipality is responsible for the facade lighting of churches, reports Ursula Hinterberger from the press office of the archbishop's ordinariate.

That's why cathedral rector Marc-Aeilko Aris contacted the city of Freising and spoke out in favor of the lighting in Freising Cathedral being switched off.

However, not only to save energy, but also because of the forthcoming scaffolding of the cathedral at the end of August.

According to Hinterberger, the cathedral towers and the rest of the facade will be painted in September and October in order to beautify the cathedral with a view to the diocesan anniversary and the state exhibition.

As is well known, Freising will be the venue for the Bavarian State Exhibition in 2024.

Title: "Bavaria in Freising".

And: The diocese's jubilee is celebrated - 1300 years after Saint Corbinian came to Freising and thus created the conditions for the creation of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

Hence the extensive repainting of the cathedral.

All churches are plunged in darkness

At the beginning of this week, the city reported to the ordinariate that the cathedral would no longer be illuminated and that all other church lighting in Freising would also be switched off at night, spokeswoman Ursula Hinterberger reports.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

City spokeswoman Christl Steinhart confirms this. The city had already considered "currently forgoing the spotlighting/illuminating of the city buildings for reasons of energy saving as a result of the gas shortage".

So it was agreed that in this context, in addition to the cathedral and neighboring buildings on the Domberg, St. George (town center), St. Peter and Paul (Neustift), St. Lantpert (Lerchenfeld) and the Ascension Day would also be illuminated - set up church.

Steinhart: "The lighting of these buildings, which are striking and formative for the cityscape, is carried out by the city and the municipal utilities and will or has already been discontinued in the course of this week."

The shutdown should have a signal effect

And the town hall lighting?

Steinhart reports that it had already been dismantled in early summer in preparation for the new lighting concept for the city centre.

That means: The town hall facades on Hauptstrasse and Marienplatz have not been illuminated for weeks.

And that will now – keyword energy crisis – stay that way for the time being.

Therefore, the city administration will also stop the lighting of the Marian column and the main fire station - based on the "Earth Hour" in March.

The shutdown should "have a signal effect - as a commitment to the global importance of more climate and environmental protection," as Steinhart emphasizes.

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You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.