French Cathedral, Berlin
Französischer Dom (German for: French Cathedral) is the colloquial naming for the French Church of Friedrichstadt (French: Temple de la Friedrichstadt, German: Französische Friedrichstadtkirche) in Berlin on the Gendarmenmarkt across from the Deutscher Dom (German Cathedral), formerly a church of German-speaking congregants.
| French (Reformed) Church of Friedrichstadt Temple de la Friedrichstadt (fr) Französische or Französisch-reformierte Friedrichstadtkirche (de) colloquially: Französischer Dom | |
|---|---|
 View from west onto the church proper, surmounted by the adjacent domed tower | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | United Protestant since its reconstruction in 1981; originally Reformed (i.e. Calvinist) and intended for the Huguenot community |
| District | Calvinist congregation: Reformed deanery of Berlin-Brandenburg united congregation: Sprengel Berlin (region), Kirchenkreis Stadtmitte (deanery) |
| Province | Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia |
| Location | |
| Location | Friedrichstadt, a locality of Berlin |
| Geographic coordinates | 52°30′52″N 13°23′32″E / 52.514323°N 13.392119°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Louis Cayart and Abraham Quesnay (1701–5), Carl von Gontard (design), Georg Christian Unger (tower construction in 1780–5), Otto March (interior reshape 1905), Manfred Prasser, Roland Steiger and Uwe Karl (reconstruction 1977–81) |
| Completed | 1 March 1705, reconstruction 1981 |
The first parts of the actual French Church were built from 1701 to 1705 for the Huguenot (Calvinist) community. At that time, Huguenots made up about 25% of Berlin's population. The French Church was modelled after the destroyed Huguenot temple in Charenton-Saint-Maurice, France.
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In 1785 Carl von Gontard modified the church and built - wall to wall next to it - the domed tower, which - together with the French-speaking congregants - earned the church its naming. The domed tower is technically no part of the church, there is no access between church and tower, because both buildings have different owners. The tower, similar to that of Deutscher Dom, was simply built to give the Gendarmenmarkt a symmetric design.
The church is not a cathedral in the strict sense of the word because it has never been the seat of a bishop.
The domed tower, which is a viewing platform open to visitors, provides a panoramic view of Berlin. A restaurant is located in the basement underneath the prayer hall. The tower also contains the Huguenot museum of Berlin.
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