St George's German Lutheran Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St George's German Lutheran Church
Location	Alie Street, London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Denomination	Lutheran
History
Founded	1762
Founder(s)	Dietrich Beckman

St George's German Lutheran Church is a historic church located on Alie Street in Whitechapel, London. Built in 1762, it served as a special place of worship for German Lutherans living in London for over 200 years, until 1995.

Today, a small part of the church building is used as an office for the Historic Chapels Trust. The church itself can be rented for various events. St George's was the fifth Lutheran church built in London. It is now the oldest German Lutheran church still standing in the United Kingdom.

The Church's Beginning

The church was founded by Dietrich Beckman, a very successful sugar boiler. He provided half of the money needed to buy the land and build the church. Beckman's cousin, Gustav Anton Wachsel, became the first pastor.

When the church was built, the street was called "Little Ayliffe Street." The area was known as "Goodman's Fields." The street name changed to "Alie Street" around 1800. In the 1800s, many German sugar refiners lived in Whitechapel. Most of the church members came from these families. After 1853, the churchyard and crypt were no longer used for burials.

At its busiest time, about 16,000 German Lutherans lived in Whitechapel. People sometimes called the area "Little Germany." St George's Church is the last building left that shows this big wave of German people moving to East London.

In the 1930s, during the Nazi period, the church's pastor, Julius Rieger, helped Jewish refugees. He set up a special center at St George's to assist them. The famous theologian and anti-Nazi activist Dietrich Bonhoeffer also preached here for a short time in 1935. This happened after his own church nearby was destroyed.

Helping Refugees from the Virgin Islands

In 1763, about 600 Germans from areas like the Palatinate and Würzburg planned to travel to the Virgin Islands. They were going to St John and St Croix. Sadly, the officer in charge left them stranded in London. They had no money, no supplies, and did not speak English.

Gustav Anton Wachsel, the pastor of St George's Church, asked for help for these people. The Tower of London gave them 200 tents to protect them from the rain. People also donated 600 pounds to help. King George III stepped in and helped them travel to Carolina instead.

Inside the Church

North-facing view inside the church

The church still has many of its original furnishings from the 1700s. These include special box pews (seats with high backs and sides). There is also a tall, central, double-decker pulpit where the pastor would preach.

You can see the coat-of-arms of King George III (from before 1801) inside. There are also two carved wooden boards with the Ten Commandments written in German. These Royal Arms were usually found in Anglican churches. Other churches put them up voluntarily to show their loyalty to the King.

The church also has donation boards for the church and its old school. The King of Prussia is listed as one of the donors.

The organ was built in 1886 by the Walcker family. They used the wooden case from the church's older organ, which was from 1794. When the organ was rebuilt in 1937, the old case was used again.

The Bell Tower

The front of the church once had a fancy baroque bell tower made of timber covered in copper. This tower was taken down in the 1930s. Officials said it was unsafe and it has not been replaced. A plain brick front with a cement cross is there now. This change made the church's front look less grand. You can still see where the bell tower used to be in the brickwork. Luckily, the bell and the weathervane from the tower were saved. They are still kept inside the church.

Restoring the Church

The east aisle of the church

After the German Lutheran congregation stopped using the church, it was given to the Historic Chapels Trust in 1995. This trust started a big project to restore and repair the church. The work cost £600,000. English Heritage and several private groups, including the St Paul's German Evangelical Church Trust, helped with the funding.

The restoration included major repairs to the roof. They also carefully fixed the brick walls, which were showing signs of moving. Expert architects and engineers oversaw all the repair work.

What the Church is Used for Today

The church is now rented out for many different activities. These include organ concerts, filming, rehearsals, and other events. Sometimes, church groups that do not have their own building hold services here. The money earned from these rentals helps to keep the church building in good condition.

The small room called the vestry is an office for the Historic Chapels Trust. There is also a church committee room, named the Maezold Zimmer after a former pastor. This room can also be rented.

Couples who can get married in Tower Hamlets can have religious weddings here. Ceremonies can be held in German, English, or Latin.

A group called the Friends of St George's organizes public events at the church. They welcome new members to join them. You can also arrange guided visits for groups by appointment. The church also has regular open days throughout the year.

St. George's German Lutheran Church is currently being brought back to its original purpose as a place of worship. Holy Word Lutheran Church now holds services every Sunday at 11 AM. After the services, people can stay for informal social gatherings. The goal of this restoration is to make the church a community center for worship and friendship once again.

Church Library and Records

Detail at the north end of the church nave

Gustav von Anton, the first pastor, had a collection of books. These books, along with later additions, became part of the church's library. When the Historic Chapels Trust took over the building, they also took care of these books. There were about 750 books in total. This included old prints from the 1700s about the Waisenhaus (orphanage) in Halle. It also included Gottfried Keller's book Seldwyla Folks.

In 1995, someone tried to steal the books. After this, the books were moved to the British Library. They are now part of a special collection there and can be used by students.

Records for baptisms from 1763 to 1895, and other church records for family history research, are no longer kept at the church. You can find them at the Tower Hamlets Central Library.

See also

• List of chapels preserved by the Historic Chapels Trust