German Lutheran
St. Paul's Church
New York
A broken Church
St. Paul's Parish has been a part of New York City's history since the parish was founded in 1841.
Since 1897, our church building has been a place of worship, community and help for Germans in New York.
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The Church 2024
The neo-Gothic St. Paul’s Church has been a beloved place for generations.
Here we leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind and find peace with God. The beauty of the building draws our gaze - and with it our soul.
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Unfortunately, the condition of the church is anything but encouraging. Over the past 20 years, the parish has not been able to carry out the necessary repairs.
7(?) million dollars
The list of damages / necessities is long and not much fun to read. Here are just a few sad highlights:
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The towers must be dismantled because they are rusting inside and the structural integrity is at risk.
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Roofs need to be repaired
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the entire church needs to be renovated inside
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The entire front of the church needs to be reworked
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leaded windows are threatened with decay
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the entire electrical concept must be renewed
In 2007, the estimated costs were between $3.5 million and $4 million
In 2024 we expect 6-7 million dollars.
At work
Since 2024, architect Jonathan Raible and Pastor Lars have been working on a renovation concept. This is based on a major study from 2007.
The aim is to package the measures into project phases that are financially viable.
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In 2024, the first phase with the most urgent work can already be carried out: roofs, access to roofs, first leaded glass windows, preliminary securing of the front can be realized.
Fundraising
In 2024, Pastor Lars started looking for money.
And it progressed surprisingly quickly and encouragingly!
Within 2024 1.2 Mio Dollar were donated!
And another million in each coming year....
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In addition to direct financial donations, we are at least as interested in establishing contacts with wealthy people/institutions.
If you know someone, please write to us!
Would you like to give something? It's easy here:
Our sponsors
The 2024 projects to save the church were made possible by the generosity of:
The Max Kade Foundation New York
Gerd und Nancy Keuffel
Landmarks Conservancy New York
Jutta and Wolfgang Klebe
Nick Suhr
Andreas Baresel- Bofinger