by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025

History

The Evangelische Stadtkirche Karlsruhe (Evangelical City Church Karlsruhe in English) was built between 1807 and 1816, during the reign of Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, on the Market Square in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. (The church will be referred to as Stadtkirche Karlsruhe.) The Stadtkirche Karlsruhe is the main church of the Evangelical Church in Baden, a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany, also known as the Protestant Church in Germany, a federation of twenty Lutheran, Reformed, and United Protestant regional Churches in Germany.

In 1738, ten-year-old Karl Friedrich succeeded as Margrave of Baden-Durlach upon his grandfather’s death. Baden-Durlach was one of the branches of the Margraviate of Baden, which had been divided several times over the previous 500 years. When August Georg, the last Margrave of Baden-Baden, died in 1771 without heirs, Karl Friedrich inherited the territory. This brought all the Baden territories together, and Karl Friedrich became Margrave of Baden. When the Holy Roman Empire ended in 1806, Karl Friedrich declared himself sovereign, as Grand Duke, of the newly created Grand Duchy of Baden.

Architect and city planner, Friedrich Weinbrenner (1766 – 1826), who was born in Karlsruhe, designed the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe as a neoclassical basilica. Weinbrenner is principally responsible for creating Karlsruhe’s neoclassical-style buildings. Most of Weinbrenner’s buildings were reconstructed in the 1950s following their destruction in World War II, including the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe.

Design and Construction

The Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was built according to the plans of architect Friedrich Weinbrenner, with much input from Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Baden, who intended the church to be the cathedral church of the Grand Duchy of Baden. Weinbrenner designed the church, a three-aisle basilica, based on a Greek temple, and Grand Duke Karl Friedrich insisted on a bell tower. The vestibule, with six Corinthian columns, is directly opposite the Karlsruhe city hall. The foundation stone was laid on June 8, 1807, and the church was consecrated on June 2, 1816.

Architect Friedrich Weinbrenner designed the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s original interior. The Resurrection of Christ, a painting by Ferdinand Jagemann, was above the altar. The interior could not be completed as Weinbrenner originally intended due to a lack of funds.

World War II Destruction

During World War II, on December 4, 1944, the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged by bombing. It was rebuilt under the supervision of German architect, urban planner, and university lecturer Horst Linde (link in German). Linde won the architectural competition for the reconstruction of the city center in Karlsruhe, which included reconstructing the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe. The exterior was based on Friedrich Weinbrenner’s original plans, but the new interior was in a modern style. The newly built church was consecrated on November 30, 1958.

The New Interior of the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe

After the destruction during World War II, the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s interior was redesigned in a modern style. In keeping with the architectural style of the 1950s, the materials used were stone, concrete, wood, steel, and leather.

The new interior is lighter and wider, with a breakthrough in the front wall where the altar now stands.

There are no paintings or statues, and instead of the original Corinthian columns, there are light columns. The ceiling is vaulted instead of the original coffered ceiling.

Burials

From 1538, Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim was the burial site of the Ernestine line of the House of Baden. Until 1860, almost all members of that branch of the House of Baden were buried at St. Michael’s Church.

Karl Friedrich, the first Grand Duke of Baden, intended the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe to be the burial site for members of the Grand Ducal family. However, he died in 1811, before the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was complete, and was interred at Saint Michael’s Church in Pforzheim. Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden, was the first family member interred at the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe. After 1888, most family members were interred at the Grand Ducal Chapel in Karlsruhe. (article coming)

After the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe was severely damaged during World War II, all those buried there were moved to the Grand Ducal Chapel in Karlsruhe in 1946, and they have remained interred there.

During the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s reconstruction after World War II, the remains of its architect, Friedrich Weinbrenner, were transferred from the Old Cemetery in Karlsruhe (link in German) to the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe’s crypt. In 1991, the crypt was converted into an exhibition space.

Originally buried at the Stadtkirche Karlsruhe:

• Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden (1763 – 1830)
• Princess Henriette of Baden (1833 – 1834), infant daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Baden, granddaughter of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden
• Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden (1790 – 1852)
• Ludwig II, Grand Duke of Baden (1824 – 1858)
• Prince Wilhelm of Baden (1792 – 1859), son of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden
• Elisabeth Alexandrine of Württemberg, Princess of Baden (1802–1864), wife of Prince Wilhelm of Baden
• Sofia of Sweden, Grand Duchess of Baden (1801 – 1865), wife of Leopold I, Grand Duke of Baden
• Prince Maximilian of Baden (1796 – 1882), son of Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden

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Works Cited

• Autoren der Wikimedia-Projekte. (2005). Kirchengebäude in Karlsruhe. Wikipedia.org; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelische_Stadtkirche_Karlsruhe
• Evangelische Stadtkirche – Stadtwiki Karlsruhe. (2017). Stadtwiki.net. https://ka.stadtwiki.net/Evangelische_Stadtkirche
• Mehl, Scott. Baden Royal Burial Sites. (2017). Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/former-monarchies/german-royals/grand-duchy-of-baden/baden-royal-burial-sites/
• Stadtkirche. (2025). Kirche Im Herzen Der Stadt: Alt- Und Mittelstadtgemeinde Karlsruhe. https://www.stadtkirche-karlsruhe.de/unsere-kirchen/stadtkirche/
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Friedrich Weinbrenner. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
• Wikipedia Contributors. (2019). Karlsruhe. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlsruhe