Since 1933, Rosenheim has been the seat of its own Evangelical-Schluther deanery district. Around 50,000 people of the Protestant faith live in its 15 parishes, 9,000 of them in the city of Rosenheim.
From 1860 onwards, the small number of Rosenheim Protestants, which grew steadily during industrialization, celebrated four services a year in the old town hall on Max-Josefs-Platz. From 1871 onwards, traveling preachers held a service there every month. In 1879, the Protestant branch church community was finally able to acquire property opposite the new town hall on Königstrasse to build its own church. After a church building association had collected the necessary funds, the laying of the foundation stone for the church was celebrated on June 7, 1885. The Rosenheim Protestants decided on a neo-Gothic brick building based on the plans of the architect August Hartel, reminiscent of northern German models. On October 3, 1886, the finished church, which was named “Church of the Redeemer,” was consecrated by senior consistorial councilor Karl von Buchrucker from Munich. In 1965, the interior of the church was purified and since then it has been given several new features.
August Hartel, the architect of the Church of the Redeemer, was born in Cologne in 1844. As a freelance architect, he worked primarily in church building, initially in the Rhineland and later in Saxony. In 1889, Hartel achieved the prestigious position of cathedral builder in Strasbourg, but died just a year later at the age of just 45. His main works include, among others: Churches in Krefeld, Neuwied, Essen and Bochum as well as the university and state library in Strasbourg.
A separate Protestant parish was set up in Rosenheim in 1899. From 1900 to 1921, Philipp Weber was the first Protestant city priest. He lived in the rectory built next to the church in 1892/93. Since 1933, Rosenheim has been the seat of its own Evangelical Lutheran deanery district. Today around 50,000 people of the Protestant faith live in its 15 parishes, 9,000 of whom live in the city of Rosenheim. Text: Karl Mair
Source: City calendar "Pictures from Alt-Rosenheim", 2008/11