Photo: Cesar von Meissen
Haus Fuhr – from church to community hall
The Haus Fuhr, situated on a slight rise on Heckstrasse in Essen district Werden, Built in 1832 as the second Protestant church in Werden, it was constructed directly adjacent to the city wall. The building's name derives from the area located there, known as "Auf der Fuhr." Since 1910, Haus Fuhr has served as the local community center and is now used as an ecumenical venue by both the Catholic and Protestant churches. It has become an important meeting place and features facilities equipped with modern event technology. The exceptional acoustics of the event hall are particularly noteworthy.
Exceptional acoustics
Because Haus Fuhr boasts exceptional acoustics, it is frequently used for musical events, as well as lectures and readings. The premises are professionally equipped. Congresses, seminars, and training courses can be held here. Haus Fuhr is complemented by its spacious and attractive grounds, which are fully enclosed and slightly elevated from Heckstrasse. The steps leading to the garden gate are located to the left of the Pelican Fountain. The Friends of the Evangelical Church Werden eV are dedicated to the preservation of the building and garden. They organize a New Year's concert once a year in cooperation with the Folkwang University of the Arts. The centerpiece of the building is undoubtedly the "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hall". The hall was named after the famous composer because he is said to have inspected an organ in the building, which was then still used as a church, in August 1834.
From church to community hall
The first Protestant church, built in 1650 on the market square, looked more like a house. Building Haus Fuhr also had a residential character to some extent, which is why the former church space was remodeled and expanded by the architect Jordan in 1910. With the consecration of the third Protestant church between Heckstraße and Dudenstraße in 1900, Haus Fuhr became obsolete as a place of worship. Therefore, the church space was remodeled three years later. An extension with a kitchen and meeting rooms was added in the so-called "Bergisch style." The neoclassical portal had to be removed in the process.
Use throughout history
During wartime, building Haus Fuhr served as a community center, as well as a military hospital, emergency kitchen, warming center, and mess hall. Later, it was also used as a classroom and kindergarten. Ongoing renovations and refurbishments were thwarted when Haus Fuhr was severely damaged in World War II. Reconstruction and repairs could only begin the year after the war ended. Further renovations and expansions followed in 1982 and 1983. Finally, in 2005, the building was converted into the community's central event venue.
