Almost two years ago, the "Concept for the use and structural development of the Civic Church of St. Mary" was adopted by the city council. In it the specification is contained for the production of a regular report for the conversion of the measures. After their January meeting, the steering committee is now taking stock for the first time.
Great progress has been made, especially in the area of structural development, because with the partial repair of the tower and West Building, a comprehensive construction project could be successfully completed as early as November 2022.
"We are pleased that the city of Frankfurt (Oder) has succeeded in using funds amounting to 280,000 euros for this urgently needed construction measure. Thus, the running surface on the viewing platform could also still be renewed," it says from the steering committee Citizen Church of St. Mary.
Of the total of 69 short-, medium- and long-term measures, eight were implemented and 13 started in the past year. On the credit side, in addition to the important restoration of safety at the tower, is the establishment of climate measuring points. For this purpose, a climate measuring device was purchased for the triptych, the wall painting on the outside of the choir room. Furthermore, in addition to the steering committee, the board of trustees has also been constituted as a central working and monitoring body and has begun its work.
In addition, the events in the summer half-year 2022 were advertised for the first time bundled in a flyer. Double-page special publications in the guest magazines "Seeblick" and "Grenzenlos unterwegs" with a nationwide circulation of 50,000 copies ensured increased attention, as did event tips that could be accessed online on the travel portal of Tourismus-Marketing Brandenburg (TMB) GmbH.
In addition, last year a special anniversary attracted thousands of visitors to St. Mary's Church: the festive event including a two-week accompanying program on the 20th anniversary of the return of the medieval leaded glass windows from Russia, which the city organized together with Messe und Veranstaltungs GmbH. Well-known and established formats such as the "Day of Brick Gothic," the "Short Night of Frankfurt Museums," the benefit series "Frankfurter für St. Marien" with six lecture events, the Christmas market "Advent in St. Marien," the German-Polish Christmas caroling, and the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve services of the Protestant parish also recorded a good response in 2022.
The attendance figures of the pre-Corona years could not be reached in 2022, but with 34,400 there are 19,740 more visitors than in 2021.
The conclusion of the steering committee:St. Mary's Church has lived up to its claim of being a vibrant civic church.
With a view to the future, it is stated that especially the structural development depends significantly on the further development of the financial situation of the city as well as other framework conditions. Here it is all the more important to use the funds with foresight, carefully and in a coordinated manner and to successfully acquire third-party funding.
The cultural office would like to dedicate itself as next project to the restoration of the lattice door of the sacrament box in the north chapel. At the concert "Music Schools Open Churches" in September 2023, donations are to be collected for this purpose. In addition, the three bells of the clock chime cast in Innsbruck are to be put into service with a ceremony in the summer of 2023.
The marketing of St. Mary's Church as a landmark of the city and the largest hall church of North German brick Gothic - including the associated signage - is expected to be expanded as part of a cross-border tourism conference in March 2023.
The full report of the steering committee will be presented to the Board of Trustees as well as the city councils in the coming weeks.