We are delighted to share with you the conference “The Transformation of Sacred Spaces. Patterns and Paths across Europe” which will take place on 15-16 May in Leipzig, Germany.
This is the 5th Annual Conference of the DFG Research Group 2733 – TRANSARA of the University of Bonn, dedicated to investigate the transformation of sacred space from various perspectives through 7 research projects with the participation of various research universities.
About the conference
Thinking about the adapted reuse of church buildings, some binary differentiations seem self-evident:
- “Protestant churches are more easily used cooperatively because they are connected with a different understanding of sacrality than
Catholic churches.” - “Secularization is connected with a continuing loss of sacred spaces.”
- “In the cities, successful transformation is more likely because of a variety of stakeholders present.”
However, the work of the last years in the research group illustrates a complication of confessional, religious, and urban-rural binaries that initiated our comparative endeavor with the selection of the two research areas in East and West Germany. Effects of minority-/majority-confession came into view as well as differences in building culture. Not only did the economic capital appear as a cross-sectional dimension, but also potential for tourism, engagement cultures, and guiding images of the church.
The conference aims to develop a more complex web of transformation paths and patterns and situate it in the European context. Emerging propositions from the inner-German ecumenical comparison will be discussed in relation to perspectives from academic research and experiences in church practice/religious heritage preservation in different parts of Europe.
More information on: https://www.transara.uni-bonn.de/de/veranstaltungsseiten/transara-jahrestagung-2025
Online participation
The conference will take place on 15 and 16 May 2025 at the Heilandskirche – Stadtteilzentrum Westkreuz in Leipzig, Germany. It will be held in English. Registrations for in-person participation are already closed. However, interested participants can follow the livestream via Zoom.
To register for online participation, please complete this form: https://forms.monday.com/forms/62864cb4abbcb2d0abb9aad4a45a28cb?r=use1
Please note that if you follow the conference online, you will be able to watch the presentations but you won’t be able to asks questions or interact with other participants.
Programme
Thursday, 15th May 2025
12.00 – Get-together and Snacks
13.00 – Welcome Stream
- Prof. Dr. Albert Gerhards (TRANSARA Spokesperson, Subproject 1)
- Prof. Dr. Stefanie Lieb (TRANSARA Deputy Spokesperson, Subproject 3)
- Prof. Dr. Alexander Deeg (TRANSARA Subproject 2, Leipzig)
13.15 – Patterns and Paths. Hypotheses from the work of the research group (30 min, 15 discussion)
- Dr. Kerstin Menzel (TRANSARA Subproject 2)
- Elisabeth März (TRANSARA Subproject 2)
- Martina Schmitz (TRANSARA Project Coordinator, Subproject 3)
- Dr. Manuela Klauser (TRANSARA Subproject 1)
14.00 – Comparative European Perspectives. Part I (3 lectures 25 min, 30 min discussion)
Moderation: Susanne Hanika (TRANSARA Subproject 3)
- Sweden: Dr. Henrik Lindblad, Department of Art History, Uppsala Universiteit
- Switzerland: Prof. Dr. Johannes Stückelberger, Neuere Kunstgeschichte, Universität Basel / Institut für Praktische Theologie, Universität Bern
- United Kingdom: Dr. Linda Monckton, Policy Development Department, Policy and Evidence Group, Historic England
16.00 – Coffee Break
16.30 – Comparative European Perspectives. Part II
(3 lectures 25 min, 30 min discussion)
Moderation: Dr. Manuela Klauser (TRANSARA Subproject 1)
- Czech Republic: Mgr. Barbora Spalova, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, Charles University Prague
- Belgium: Prof. Sven Sterken, Ph.D., Faculty of Architecture, KU Leuven
- Poland: Marcus van der Meulen, Faculty of Architecture RWTH Aachen/ FRH Europe
18.30 – Dinner
19.30 – Roundtable: Responses from Practice Experts
Moderation: Dr. Kerstin Menzel (TRANSARA Subproject 2)
- Martin Reichenbach, Kirkerådet / Nordic conference on extended and new use of church
buildings, Oslo - Lilian Grootswagers-Theuns, Advisory Board President FRH, Erfgoed.nu
- Greg Pickup, Chief Executive of the Churches Conservation Trust, Northampton, UK
- Ivo Hermann, Director of Buildings Department, Diocese of Eichstätt
Friday, 16th May 2025
9.00 – Resumée and Questions
9.15 – Reflection Groups: Mapping the Landscape of Transformation
10.30 – Vectors of Comparison. Part I
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Alexander Deeg (TRANSARA Subproject 2)
- Secularization: Prof. Dr. Monika Wohlrab-Sahr, Institut für Kulturwissenschaften,
Universität Leipzig - Church and the Wider Society: Prof. Dr. Bernd Hillebrand, Katholisch-Theologische Fakultät,
Universität Graz
12.00 – Lunch
13.00 – Vectors of comparison. Part II
Moderation: Johann Weiß (TRANSARA Subproject 5)
- Paradigms of Architecture: Prof. Andrea Longhi, Politecnico di Turino
- Religious Heritage: Dr. Eva Schäfer, ArchitekturGeschichten, Bern
14.30 – Coffee
14.45 – Roundtable II: Responses from Practice Experts
Moderation: Elisabeth März (TRANSARA Subproject 2)
15.30 – Review and Closing Discussion
- Prof. Dr. Albert Gerhards (TRANSARA Spokesperson, Subproject 1)
- Prof. Dr. Stefanie Lieb (TRANSARA Deputy Spokesperson, Subproject 3)
Moderation: NN
16.00 – End
During the conference, the insights will continuously be transferred into a map of the landscape of transformation.
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