Dorfkirche Paaren

The church of Paaren an der Wublitz was built in 1770 and is now a listed building. It is the central and highest point of the small village, which has a population of 170. If you approach Paaren on the B 273 from Potsdam, you will easily spot its landmark structure from a distance. The parish is in the process of renovating the church, but in order to do the best job it can with as little money as possible, the local parish church council has had to be creative and is currently in the process of putting its ideas into practice with the help of supporters. It has been able to keep costs relatively low by contracting two companies to carry out the repair work: these are training companies/non-profit youth welfare organisations and are able to carry out the planned work cost-effectively while still maintaining high standards. This shows that it is possible to pool strengths and resources by bringing the various stakeholders together (church, youth welfare services, the state of Brandenburg, the historic monument preservation authorities) when tackling large-scale projects.

At the same time, the parish supports the work being done with disadvantaged young people – a particularly important task in this day and age. As a result, the parish is now able to have the tower roof repaired, reinstall a weather vane, renovate the roof truss, restore historical stucco profiles, complete the coat of arms of the von Bredow family, have the necessary plastering work done on the inside and outside using moisture-resistant renovation plaster and refurbish the windows and doors. The cemetery wall has already been cleaned, repaired and newly grouted.

With the financial support of the Mittelbrandenburgische Sparkasse bank, the parish has been able to complete the interior painting so the church can be used for services again before construction work is completed. The other work should also be completed by the end of the year. In spite of all these efforts, the parish is still dependent on further donations for full completion of the renovation work.