American Church in Berlin

The roots of the American Church in Berlin (ACB) can be traced back to the time of Bismarck with documentation indicating that formal services were held in an American Chapel in 1865.  In 1886 the name of the American Chapel was formally changed to the American Church.  Sporadic efforts to affiliate the church with the AFCU were initiated in 1889 and repeated periodically.  Finally, after many negotiations, in 1914 the AFCU agreed to manage a trust fund for the building or purchase of a parish house on behalf of the American Church in Berlin. Thus began the formal relationship with the AFCU.

Turmoil followed World War I and in the efforts to come to terms with the situation, the AFCU agreed to accept the ownership of the Berlin Church building in 1921.  This ownership continued until World Ward II when the church was destroyed by allied bombing.  Without the money or desire to rebuild the church at this location, the lot was sold in 1956 for $49,000 and the money put into the trust fund.  Also, in 1967,  the U.S. War Claims Commission awarded the AFCU $195,000 as compensation for the loss of the building.  These funds became the primary base for the endowment fund which today supports the American Church in Berlin.

Following World War II, many challenges faced this and other churches. These struggles culminated in the merger with the Lutheran American Church in Berlin.  This church continues to this day with the endowment fund being managed by the AFCU and the minister selected jointly by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and ACB.

American Church in Berlin website


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