The Protestant Church in Solingen plans to separate from buildings

Solingen's Protestant Church Forced to Sell Buildings Amid Financial Strain

Congregants in Uproar Over Closure Plans

Which church buildings in Solingen will remain in the long term—and which will not? That was the question at the heart of a heated meeting on Wednesday evening (February 11) in the civic hall of the city's Protestant church. Some 350 people attended, including representatives from all ten congregations.

Tempers flared as no community wants to lose its buildings. The smallest congregations—Widdert, Rupelrath, Merscheid, and Ketzberg—are most at risk, while larger ones like Ohligs, Wald, Mitte, and Dorp face no immediate threat.

Emotions ran high after the proposals were presented. Hartmut Hoferichter, the former head of urban development and chair of the committee, presided over the discussion, which saw impassioned pleas to preserve each location.

Declining Membership Strains Church Finances

Richard Ritterbusch, a member of the Widdert congregation, warned: "My greatest fear is that we'll get bogged down in infighting between parishes. I believe the church must come together much more closely in the coming years."

Currently, Solingen's Protestant Church maintains 13 active church buildings, along with nine community centers and parish halls. But with membership and staff numbers dwindling—from 35,000 today to a projected 16,500 by 2040—the church and its districts will soon be unable to afford or justify keeping all these properties.

Climate-Neutral Transition by 2035

A final decision is expected by the end of 2027. The synod has already resolved to divest half of all church-owned buildings by 2035.