Freiberg Germany Temple (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

The Freiberg Temple was the first temple of this church on German soil. It is the only temple that was built in a socialist country, namely the former GDR. The official announcement of the construction of the temple on October 9, 1982 was preceded by years of negotiations between the church leadership and the GDR government. Members in East Germany were only rarely permitted to travel to visit a temple outside East Germany. This is how the plan finally came about to build a temple in the GDR itself. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony by Thomas S. Monson on April 23, 1983. Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor in the First Presidency, dedicated the temple on June 29, 1985. The original temple measured 100 feet by 80 feet. With a floor area of 730 square meters, it was one of the smallest temples in the Church. Henry Burkhardt, who served as the first President of the Temple from 1985 to 1991, was also President of the Church in East Germany until German reunification. With the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Church in Eastern Europe grew. This made it necessary to enlarge the temple. The usable area of the temple grew by about 600 m² through an extension and the construction of a basement. As part of these alterations, a statue of the angel Moroni was added to the tower. After the renovations were completed, President Gordon B. Hinckley rededicated the temple on September 7, 2002. Until the dedication of the Kiev Ukraine Temple, the temple district of the Freiberg Temple extended into Russia. He now ministers to church members in the new federal states of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. There is a limited number of places to stay for temple visitors in a hostel on Temple Square. In 2015 and 2016, the temple was expanded and remodeled, including extensions and a basement. Before the temple was rededicated on September 4, 2016, visitors had the opportunity to tour the temple premises. From 12 to 27 August 2016 (Sundays excluded) open days were held for this purpose.

Mormon Church, inaugurated in the GDR in 1985, was the first temple on German soil,