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Kirchentag International 

An English guide to the Kirchentag 

Bremen 20 to 24 May 2009 

32nd German 

Protestant 

Kirchentag

Content 

1 Welcome 

3 Introduction 

4 Key to symbols 

5 Programme 

6 Opening and closing 

7 Opening services 

8 Evening of Encounters 

9 Closing service 

10 Spiritual programme 

10 Bible studies 

15 Other services 

18 Celebratory 

communion services 

19 Daytime prayers 

20 Thematic 

programme 

36 Open-air programme 

37 Kirchentag of ships 

39 Cultural programme 

39 Open-air concerts 

39 Festivals and concerts 

39 Centre for 

church music 

40 Concert churches 

40 Community singing 

40 Art 

43 Cultural programme of 

the region 

47 Cultural meeting 

places 

48 Music, theatre, 

performance art 

49 Miscellaneous 

49 Goodnight-Cafés 

50 Market of 

Opportunities 

51 Kirchentag bookshop 

53 Practical Information 

56 Accommodation 

56 Arrival 

58 Banks and exchange 

facilities 

58 Bicycle hire 

60 Central information 

desk 

60 Changes to 

registration 

60 Environmentally-friendly 

Kirchentag 

61 First aid services 

61 International Centre 

62 International Visitor 

Service 

62 Internet Café 

62 Kirchentag shop 

63 Left luggage 

64 Lost property 

65 Meals 

66 Police 

67 Programme pack 

67 Return of unused 

tickets 

67 Smoking ban 

67 Stewards 

68 Taxi 

68 Tourist Information 

69 Maps 

1 

Wel come 

A warm welcome to the Kirchentag. We look forward to celebrating 

this great festival of faith with you: „Mortal, where 

are you?“ On the horizons of faith we discover a new longing 

for religion. We will explore the view of humanity within the 

Christian tradition and enter into dialogue with people of 

other faiths and cultures. 

What does it mean to be human? How do politics and 

economics rise to the challenges of a responsible approach 

to globalisation? Can a global economy that has penetrated 

the furthest corners of the earth find a way of focussing attention 

back onto human beings, instead of constantly pitting 

the weak against the strong? We know only too well the many 

areas where a change for the better is needed, not only in 

respect of climate change or the financial crisis. We know 

there are steps towards peace and justice. But how can we 

succeed in taking those steps? Where is it that human beings 

are taking responsibility? In the face of God‘s question to us: 

“Mortal, where are you?” let us look for answers together. 

You are warmly invited to come along to the worship, to 

the political and ethical debates, to reflect on the issues, to 

pause for thought, to take time to be silent and to sing. 

We wish you joy in your many encounters with other people, 

with whom you can argue, laugh and celebrate. We wish you 

a blessed Kirchentag. 

Dr Ellen Ueberschär, General Secretary 

International Centre 

Service centre for international guests 

Place: exhibition grounds Tue, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat 

9.00 –20.00 (page 61) 

International Visitor Service 

Registration, payment, programme folder, accommodation 

Place: close to the central railway station Tue, 

Wed 8.00 –24.00 Thurs, Fri, Sat 8.00 –20.00 (page 62) 

Welcome and information session for international 

guests Place: exhibition grounds Wed 14.00 –15.00 

(page 6)

2 

3 

Introduction 

This booklet in English is to help you find your way around 

the programme. It includes lots of practical information and 

also gives details of some events of particular interest to 

international visitors. It would be an impossible task to translate 

the whole of the huge programme book, but we highlight 

here some sessions with: 

international speakers 

interpretation into English 

other major events of particular significance or interest. 

If you know some German then you can use this booklet 

alongside the main programme book, which gives a lot more 

detail about other events which are not included here. 

Environment [Umwelt] 

The Kirchentag seeks to be the most environmentally-friendly 

large event of its kind. So there is a high emphasis on care 

for the environment in every aspect of the Kirchentag 

(page 60). 

Stewards [Helfer] 

Volunteers are what make the Kirchentag, in particular the 

thousands of young people who act as stewards. Please 

respect them as they do their work (page 68). 

Events with translation 

The Kirchentag goes to a lot of trouble and expense to 

provide simultaneous interpretation at some of the events at 

the Kirchentag. These are listed in this booklet and marked 

in the programme. Allow enough time before the session 

begins to collect your headphones. You will be asked to 

leave either your passport or Kirchentag admission pass as 

a deposit for headphones -- this is returned when you take 

them back. If you have trouble hearing the interpretation 

move to another part of the hall where the reception may be 

better. 

If you want to attend an event without interpretation you 

can ask at the International Centre for a volunteer language 

steward to go with you (page 61).

Key to symbols 

Changes to the programme 

With a happening as big as the Kirchentag it is impossible to 

avoid some last-minute changes to the programme. Information 

about changes will be available during the Kirchentag 

itself: 

at the International Centre 

in the daily information sheet (only in German) 

on the Kirchentag website www.kirchentag.de 

(only in German) 

Hall full [Halle überfüllt] 

During the Kirchentag there will almost certainly be times 

when the halls and other rooms become full to capacity 

and people have to be turned away. Health and safety legal 

requirements have to be observed and these govern regulations 

and rules about escape routes, which limit the numbers 

of visitors in the halls for some events. It may be that a hall 

is declared to be full even though there appears to be some 

space left. Please respect the „Halle überfüllt“ signs, this is 

the only way that we can ensure the smooth and safe running 

of all the events at the Kirchentag. Thank you. 

Symbols indicating the main locations for events 

M exhibition grounds [Messe] 

I city centre [Innenstadt] 

U harbour area [Überseestadt] 

A other areas in the city and region 

Symbols with information about language 

e in English 

E translation into English 

in German 

Symbols with information for people with disabilities 

u unsuitable for wheelchair users 

z accessible to wheelchairs (may occasionally involve a few 

stairs), but no wheelchair-suitable toilets 

i equipped with induction loop 

For details about disabled access please consult the German 

programme. 

Please note: if you find numbers next to an event, these help 

PROGRAMME (1 Seite) 

you to find the places on the city map (e.g. 242 / Q84) Programme 

4 5 

Programme

Opening and closing 

Wednesday, 14.00 –15.00 

Welcome and information session for 

international visitors 

This is a special session for international visitors to welcome 

you to the Kirchentag and give you more information. It will 

include an introduction to the Kirchentag programme and a 

presentation about the host churches. It will conclude with 

an opportunity to meet together in language groups, where 

more specific questions can be answered by the team of the 

International Centre. 

M CCB (Congress Centrum Bremen), Hansesaal E 

Wednesday, 16.00 –17.00 

Opening Memorial Event 

The Kirchentag traditionally begins with a time of remembrance 

for the victims of the atrocities of the past. It will 

include words, music and dance. 

Looking at things with care 

Doors are there to be used. They are opened. People go 

through. They are closed. Whether they are made simply or 

ornately church doors are no different. Every day countless 

people go through the doors of Bremen Cathedral. If you 

look at the doors closely you will find disturbing pictures on 

them. People with twisted faces and distorted noses gloat 

as they watch Christ following the way of the cross. They are 

very small pictures that depict the everyday nature of Christian 

anti-Judaism at the beginning of the 20th century. Day by 

day we pass through such doors, we pass by violence and 

prejudice without a care, without even noticing. In Bremen 

the opening memorial event will examine how violence can 

begin in almost negligible ways, where people are excluded, 

when we turn a blind eye to violence. It will do this by looking 

with care at the past, at the present and to the future. 

I St. Petri Dom [Cathedral], Freitreppe, 

Domsheide (113/S87) 

6 7 

Opening services 

Jonah‘s whale of a choice 

Genesis 3:9 Mortal, where are you? 

Wednesday, 17.30 –18.00 Getting in the mood 

18.00 –19.00 Service 

Opening service at the Bürgerweide 

Liturgy: Joachim Lenz, Kirchentag pastor, Fulda Sermon: 

Renke Brahms, pastor, Clerk of the Evangelical Church of 

Bremen Music: brass bands of 32nd German Protestant 

Kirchentag Cappella temporale -- Bremen Project Choir 

Klezgoyim, Bremen Musical direction: Tim Günther, Bremen 

Christian Strohmann, brass band officer of the Evangelical 

Lutheran Church of Oldenburg 

M Bühne [stage] Bürgerweide, exhibition grounds (302/R87) 

E A printed copy of the sermon in English will be available. 

Opening service at the river Weser 

Liturgy: Arnd Schomerus, superintendent, Hamburg 

Sermon: Prof. Dr Dr Eckhard Nagel, doctor, Protestant 

President of 2nd Ecumenical Kirchentag, Bayreuth 

I Bühne [stage] am Osterdeich (230/S87) 

Opening service at the marketplace 

Opening service in simple language 

Liturgy: Anne Gidion, pastor, member of the Kirchentag executive 

committee, Hamburg Sermon: Petra Bosse-Huber, 

church vice president, Düsseldorf 

I Radio-Bremen-Bühne [stage], Am Markt (316/S87)

Wednesday, 19.00 –19.30 

Words of welcome 

Bishop Dr Franz-Josef Bode, Osnabrück Mayor Jens 

Böhrnsen, Bremen Federal President Prof. Dr Horst Köhler, 

Berlin Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Foreign Minister 

and Deputy Chancellor, Berlin 

M Bühne [stage] Bürgerweide, exhibition grounds (302/R87) 

Evening of Encounters 

Wednesday, 19.00 –23.00 

Together under Bremen’s heavens 

The Evening of Encounters is a wonderful start to the 

Kirchentag – a vast street festival when the local church 

congregations welcome their guests with food, drink and 

entertainment. It is a time to meet old friends and make new 

ones. 

Samba groups will accompany visitors from the opening 

service at Bürgerweide to the downtown area. This procession 

will mark the start of a huge street festival in the heart 

of Bremen. As they wend their way between the old town-wall 

gardens, through the central squares between the cathedral 

and the town hall and along the river Weser, the participants 

will be invited to celebrate. Hosts are the Evangelical Church 

of Bremen, the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Oldenburg 

and Hannover, the Evangelical Reformed Church, and 

ecumenical partners. These churches welcome everyone to 

fun and games, singing and listening, dancing and celebrating 

around the Bremen city musicians.There is a rich array of 

offerings: visitors can feast on many culinary delicacies from 

North Germany. Bands, theatre, cabaret and masked groups 

will provide entertainment Bremen-style on twelve stages. 

Colourfully costumed groups from the Bremen Samba Carnival 

will guarantee a festive atmosphere. 

8 9 

Wednesday, 22.15 –23.00 

Evening prayers, a sea of lights ending with a 

sound-and-light composition. 

To conclude the evening, guests and hosts will assemble 

downtown around the cathedral, the Wallanlagen and at the 

banks of the river Weser. Evening prayers will usher in the 

first night of the Bremen Kirchentag. Bremen is a city of 

choirs and they will provide the postlude to the Evening of 

Encounters. Artist Rochus Aust has created a special sound 

and light composition: hundreds of singers will strike up the 

choral anthem from trees and boats in the Wallanlagen and 

at the Weser -- and everyone will be part of a vast sea of 

voices and lights, together under Bremen’s heavens. 

Further information is available in the leaflet for the 

Evening of Encounters in your programme pack. 

Closing service 

Here and now 

1 Peter 3:9-17 The hope that is in you 

Sunday, 9.00 –10.00 Getting in the mood 

10.00 –11.30 Service 

Liturgy: Renke Brahms, pastor, Clerk of the Evangelical 

Church of Bremen Sermon: Prof. Dr Daniele Garrone, theologian, 

Rome, Italy Kirchentag message: Prof. Dr Karin von 

Welck, Kirchentag President, Hamburg Music: Brass bands 

of 32nd Protestant Kirchentag Musical direction: Rüdiger 

Hille, brass band officer, Bremen Gospelchor Joyful Voices, 

Wildeshausen Symphonic Gospel Orchestra Wildeshausen 

Musical coordination: Ralf Grössler, Wildeshausen Speakers: 

Maria von Bismarck, Bremen Jürgen Endress, Hanau 

Moderation and general direction: Joachim Lenz, Fulda 

E Copies of the sermon in English will be availble at the 

International Meeting Point (location marked on leaflets 

which are distributed on sunday at the Bürgerweide). 

Sunday, 11.30 –12.30 

Departures and farewell 

M Bühne [stage] Bürgerweide, exhibition grounds (302/ R87)

Spiritual programme 

Bible studies 

Each day begins with a focus on the Bible: the Bible study 

lectures are led by a wide range of theologians, educators, 

politicians, and other lay representatives of civil society, as 

well as leaders from other faiths. 

Thursday, 9.30–10.30 

Genesis 3 The knowledge of good and evil 

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal 

that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did 

God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ 

2 The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of 

the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, “You shall not eat of 

the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor 

shall you touch it, or you shall die.” ’ 4 But the serpent said 

to the woman, ‘You will not die; 5 for God knows that when 

you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like 

God, knowing good and evil.’ 6 So when the woman saw that 

the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the 

eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, 

she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her 

husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of 

both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; 

and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for 

themselves. 

8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the 

garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and 

his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God 

among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to 

the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ 10 He said, ‘I heard 

the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I 

was naked; and I hid myself.’ 11 He said, ‘Who told you that 

you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I 

commanded you not to eat?’ 

10 11 

12 The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, 

she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ 13 Then the LORD 

God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ 

The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ 14 The 

LORD God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, 

cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; 

upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all 

the days of your life. 

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between 

your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and 

you will strike his heel.’ 16 To the woman he said, ‘I will greatly 

increase your pangs in childbearing; in pain you shall bring 

forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and 

he shall rule over you.’ 17 And to the man he said, ‘Because 

you have listened to the voice of your wife,and have eaten 

of the tree about which I commanded you, “You shall not eat 

of it”, cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall 

eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall 

bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 

19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you 

return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are 

dust,and to dust you shall return.’ 

20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the 

mother of all who live. 21 And the LORD God made garments 

of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them. 

22 Then the LORD God said, ‘See, the man has become 

like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might 

reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and 

eat, and live for ever’ – 23 therefore the LORD God sent him 

forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which 

he was taken. 24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the 

garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming 

and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.

Friday, 9.30 –10.30 

Luke 10:25-37 … as yourself 

25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he 

said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 26 He said to him, 

‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ 27 He 

answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your 

heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and 

with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ 28 And he 

said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and 

you will live.’ 

29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And 

who is my neighbour?’ 30 Jesus replied, ‘A man was going 

down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of 

robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving 

him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down 

that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other 

side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and 

saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan 

while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he 

was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his 

wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put 

him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care 

of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to 

the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come 

back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” 36 Which of 

these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who 

fell into the hands of the robbers?’ 37 He said, ‘The one who 

showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’ 

12 13 

Saturday, 9.30 –10.30 

Genesis 16: 1-16 Where have you come from and 

where are you going? 

16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She 

had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, 2 and 

Sarai said to Abram, ‘You see that the LORD has prevented 

me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be 

that I shall obtain children by her.’ And Abram listened to the 

voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived for ten years in the 

land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, 

her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as 

a wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when 

she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt 

on her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘May the wrong 

done to me be on you! I gave my slave-girl to your embrace, 

and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on 

me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and 

me!’ 6 But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Your slave-girl is in your 

power; do to her as you please.’ Then Sarai dealt harshly 

with her, and she ran away from her. 

7 The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water 

in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he 

said, ‘Hagar, slave-girl of Sarai, where have you come from 

and where are you going?’ She said, ‘I am running away from 

my mistress Sarai.’ 9 The angel of the LORD said to her, 

‘Return to your mistress, and submit to her.’ 10 The angel 

of the LORD also said to her, ‘I will so greatly multiply your 

offspring that they cannot be counted for multitude.’ 11 And 

the angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Now you have conceived 

and shall bear a son; you shall call him Ishmael, for the LORD 

has given heed to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild ass of 

a man, with his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand 

against him; and he shall live at odds with all his kin.’ 

13 So she named the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are 

El-roi’; for she said, ‘Have I really seen God and remained 

alive after seeing him?’* 14 Therefore the well was called 

Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. 

15 Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, 

whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old 

when Hagar bore him Ishmael. 

Source: Taken from the New Revised Standard Version.

Bible studies in English 

Thursday, 9.30 –10.30 

Muslim-Christian Dialogue 

Saeeda Ahmed, Bradford, UK Rev. Dr Andrew Wingate, 

canon, Director of St. Philip‘s Centre, Leicester, UK 

M Hall 7, exhibition grounds (302 / R87) e 

Dr Agnes Abuom, Executive Committee World Council of 

Churches, Nairobi, Kenya 

U Cap San Diego, Luke 3, Europahafen (Q84) e 

Friday, 9.30 –10.30 

Jim Wallis, pastor, Washington, DC, USA 

M Hall 6, exhibition grounds (302 / R87) e 

Bible studies translated into English 

Thursday, 9.30 –10.30 

Bishop Dr Dr h.c. Wolfgang Huber, Chair, Council of the 

Evangelical Church in Germany, Berlin 

M AWD-Dome, Exhibition grounds (302 / R87) E 

Prof. Dr Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, environmentalist, Emmendingen 

M Hall 6, exhibition grounds (302 / R87) E 

Friday, 9.30 –10.30 

Bishop Dr Margot Käßmann, Hannover 

M AWD-Dome, exhibition grounds (302 / R87) E 

Saturday, 9.30 –10.30 

Father Dr Sebastian Painadath SJ, Director, 

Centre for Indian Spirituality, Kalady, India 

M Theater am Goetheplatz, Theatersaal, Goetheplatz 1-3 

(346 / S87) E 

Prof. em. Dr Fulbert Steffensky, religious educator, Hamburg 


Bible studies in German 

See German programme pages 24 –42 

14 15 

Other services 

Thursday, 15.00 –16.00 

Ecumenical service on Ascension Day 

What are you looking up at? 

Looking for clues from the Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox 

and Free Church traditions. Liturgy: Renke Brahms, Clerk 

of the Evanglical Church of Bremen Bishop Rosemarie 

Wenner, Methodist, Frankfurt/Main Sermon: Bishop Dr 

Franz-Josef Bode, Roman-Catholic, Osnabrück 

Music: BBÖ Brass Connection, Schwäbisch Hall 

Director of music: Günter Marstatt, Göttingen 

Moderation and general coordination: Joachim Lenz, Fulda 

I Radio-Bremen-Bühne [stage], Am Markt (316 / S87) 

Living Liturgy 

Bremen churches offer a varied programme of worship 

where you can try out a range of different liturgical ideas. 

Although these will be mostly in German we draw your 

attention to the following selection 

Thursday, 14.00 –15.00 

Worship with Gregorian music 

Holy Communion for Ascension Day with traditional Gregorian 

chant. Petri-Choralschola, Hannover 

A Stadtkirche Vegesack, Kirchheide 10 (127 / G74) 

Thursday, 15.00 –16.00 

Mortal, where are you? Church going with the flow! 

Worship in the riverboat church For a faith that gives courage 

on shaky ground 

I Flussschifferkirche [river seamen’s church], 

Schlachte (S86) 

Thursday, 19.00 –20.00 

Seek peace 

German service with parts in English New ecumenical 

beginning in a peaceful 21st century Liturgy: Bishop 

Nicholas Baines, Croydon, UK Sermon: Bishop Dr Friedrich 

Weber, Chair of the Council of Christian Churches in Germany 

(ACK), Wolfenbüttel Music: Clemens Bittlinger and his band 

Liturgical arrangements: Council of Christian Churches 

in Germany (ACK), Frankfurt/Main Churches Together in 

Britain and Ireland 

U Veranstaltungszelt [tent] Ü4, Konsul-Smidt-Str. (362 / Q84)

Friday, 11.00 –12.00 

Quaker meditation 

Silent meditation in the Quaker tradition 

Quakers – Religious Society of Friends, Bremen 

I St. Pauli, Große Krankenstr. 11 (109 / S86) 

Friday, 11.00 –12.00 

Orthodox service on the feast of St Nicholas 

Liturgy: Russian-Orthodox Church, Bremen 

A Bonifatius-Church, Leipziger Str. 29 (12 / Q87) 

Friday, 19.00 –20.00 

Where are you? – Where are we? 

We celebrate ecumenical partnership (Church of England and 

EKD) Liturgy: Bishop Dr Friedrich Weber, Wolfenbüttel 

Sermon: Bishop Nicholas Baines, Croydon, UK 

Liturgical coordination: Meissen-Kommission, Hannover 

A Auferstehungskirche, Drakenburger Str. 42 (11 / T91) 

German and English 

Saturday, 13.30 –15.30 

Songs from Taizé 

Preparation for the night of lights 


Saturday, 16.30 –17.30 

Burnt down and deported 

Worship based around sore points in the city‘s history. 

The Passion between deportation and war-time bombing. 

Open air worship with music, eye-witnesses and theology. 


Saturday, 17.00 –18.00 

Psalter and piano get playing - boogie-woogie prayer 

Boogie Woogie meets the Bible 

I Stadtkirche Vegesack, Kirchheide 10 (127 / G74) 

16 17 

Saturday, 19.00 –20.00 

Europe – where are you? 

Cross-border, multilingual service on European integration 

M Congress Centrum, Borgward-Saal, exhibition grounds 

(302 / R87) 

Saturday, 19.00 –20.00 

Eucharist as a feast of hospitality 

Worship on the way towards the 2nd Ecumenical Kirchentag 

according to the Lima liturgy with songs from Taizé and with 

Old Catholic, Anglican and Protestant participation 

Liturgy: Bishop Nicholas Baines, Croydon, UK Church 

President Brigitte Boehme, Bremen Bishop Joachim 

Vobbe, Bonn Bishop Prof. Dr Friedrich Weber, Wolfenbüttel 

Sermon: Church President Nikolaus Schneider, Düsseldorf 


Saturday, 19.00 –20.00 

Orthodox Vespers 

A Waller Fleetkirche, Storchenweg 1 (143 / O86) 

Saturday, 19.30 –20.45 

There is enough for us all 

Worship in a globalised world – with bread, words and music 

Liturgy: Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, pastor, Director of Bread 

for the World, Stuttgart Dr Vandana Shiva, New Delhi, India 

Sermon: Dr David Gitari, retired archbishop, Nairobi, Kenya 

M Hall 4, exhibition grounds (302 / R87) 

Saturday, 20.00 –21.30 

Everything must change 

Worship blending jazz and word 

Growing older and other changes 

A Stadtkirche Vegesack, Kirchheide 10 (127 / G74) 

Saturday, 20.30 –22.30 

Night of lights 

Evening prayer with brothers from Taizé 

I Güterbahnhof [Goods station], Gleishalle, 

Am Handelsmuseum 9 (264 / R87)

Celebratory communion services 

[Feierabendmahl] 

Luke 24:13 –35 Were not our hearts burning within us? 

There is a long tradition at the Kirchentag to devote Friday 

evening to special celebratory communion services held in 

local parishes all over the city and region. It is an opportunity 

for the host parishes to offer local hospitality to those who 

are staying with them and for hosts and guests to get to 

know one another a little better. 

Check if there is a celebratory communion service in 

the parish where you are staying. 

Friday, 18.30–20.00 

Celebratory communion service in English 

A Gartenstadt Süd, Kirchweg 55, St. Jakobi 

(73/ U87) e 

Alternatively you could go to: 

Friday, 19.00 –22.00 

Future Centre (Topic area 3) 

Fair change for the future – Yes, You Can! 

Liturgical path between powerlessness and courage (with 

distribution of bread and water) Wolfgang Gründinger, 

Think Tank 30 Club of Rome, Berlin Prof. Dr Ernst Ulrich 

von Weizsäcker, environmentalist, Emmendingen Julia Seeliger, 

activist, Berlin Jakob von Uexküll, founder of World 

Future Council, Hamburg Prof. em. Dr Fulbert Steffensky, 

religious educator, Hamburg Dr Agnes Abuom, Executive 

Committee, World Council of Churches, Nairobi, Kenya 

Prof. Dr Konrad Raiser, former general secretary, World 

Council of Churches, Berlin Moderation: Reiner Degenhardt, 

Kassel; Hans-Jürgen Netz, Oelde 

M Hall 6, exhibition grounds (302 / R87) E 

18 19 

Daytime prayers 

[Tagzeitengebete] 

Psalm 19 One day tells it to another 

Heavenly sounds and heartfelt tones: daytime prayers with 

Psalm 19, the Kirchentag psalm, will take us on a path: from 

the whisper of God’s creator power in nature to the clear 

revelation of God’s will in the Torah. Prayers will allow us to 

stop briefly four times a day: to come to ourselves before 

God, and set off with new strength, like stations on a pilgrimage 

through the day. The church congregations in Bremen 

and neighbouring regions invite us to pause for a time. 

Someone from the parish where you are staying can tell you 

the exact times and places. The daytime prayers frame the 

daily programme at the events in halls, downtown churches 

or open-air stages. 

Morning prayers 7.00–8.30 

Midday prayers 13.00 –14.00 

Evening prayers 18.00 –19.00 

Night prayers 22.00–24.00 

Length: 10 –15 minutes 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 13.00 –13.30 

Have a Break 

Midday Prayer 

U Cap San Diego, Kathedral, Europahafen (242 / Q84) e 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 22.30–23.00 

May your light shine upon us 

Night prayer Sea of candles, songs and silent meditation. 

Fritz Baltruweit, Pastor and song writer, Hildesheim 

Konstanze Kuß (Harp), Hannover Mechthild Werner, 

Pastor, Erfurt Night devotionals Thursday: Bishop Jan 

Janssen, Oldenburg Friday: Bishop Dr Margot Käßmann, 

Hannover Saturday: Dr Henning Scherf, Mayor a.D., 

Bremen Music: Studiogruppe Baltruweit, Hildesheim 

I Bühne [stage] am Hauptbahnhof (226 / R87)

Thematic programme 

The thematic programme is divided into three topic areas: 

Horizons for faith (Topic area 1) 

Prospects for society (Topic area 2) 

Opportunities for the world (Topic area 3) 

Thursday, 11.00 –13.00 

Bible Centre (Topic area 1) 

The Bible and its church 

Does the Bible undermine church statements? Prof. em. 

Dr Fulbert Steffensky, religious educator, Hamburg Dr 

Hermann Barth, President of the Church Office, Evangelical 

Church in Germany, Hannover Ton Veerkamp, biblical theologian, 

Lemgow Prof. Dr Gert G. Wagner, Chair, Advisory 

Commission for Social Structures of the Evangelical Church 

in Germany, Berlin Prof. Dr Renate Wind, biblical theologian, 

Heidelberg Moderation: Rüdiger Schaarschmidt, 

Wilhelmshaven 

M Congress Centrum, Hanse-Saal, exhibition grounds 

(302 / R87) E 

Thursday, 11.00 –13.00 

Keynote lecture series Human Dignity (Topic area 2) 

Human dignity and democracy 

Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel, Berlin 

Prof. Dr Timothy Garton Ash, historian, Oxford, UK 

Moderation: Dr Rüdiger Sachau, Berlin 


Thursday, 11.00 –13.00 

Forum Rightwing Extremism (Topic area 2) 

The mainstreaming of far-right attitudes 

Prof. Dr Benno Hafeneger, educationist, Marburg Bishop 

Axel Noack, Magdeburg Katrin Göring-Eckardt MP, deputy 

speaker of the federal parliament, member of the Kirchentag 

executive committee, Berlin Uwe-Karsten Heye, Chair, Gesicht 

zeigen [show your face], Berlin Dr Albrecht Schröter, 

Lord Mayor, Jena Moderation: Dr Lutz Hachmeister, Berlin 

I Musical-Theater, Theatersaal, Richtweg 7-13 (308 / S87) e 

20 21 

Thursday, 11.00 –13.00 


The responsibility of religions 

Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, peace activist, winner of the Alternative 

Nobel Prize, Mombasa, Kenya Monika Griefahn MP, Berlin 

I St. Petri Dom [Cathedral], Domsheide (113 / S87) e 

Thursday, 11.00 –13.00 

Africa Centre (Topic area 3) 

SOS – People in distress – at sea! 

Ahmed Bugri, pastor, San Gwann/Malta François A. Boko, 

former Interior Minister of the Republic of Togo, Paris, 

France Karl Kopp, Director of European Affairs Pro Asyl, 

Frankfurt/Main Ilkka Laitinen, Director FRONTEX (European 

agency for operational cooperation at the external borders), 

Warsaw, Poland Sydia Nduna, World Council of Churches, 

Geneva, Switzerland Dr Wolfgang Schäuble MP, Federal 

Interior Minister, Berlin Moderation: Andreas Lipsch, 

Frankfurt/Main 

U Beluga-Bühne [stage] am Schuppen 1, 

Konsul-Smidt-Str. (216 / Q84) E 

Thursday, 11.00 –13.00 

Centre World Trade (Topic area 3) 

Fashionable and fair-dressed 

Chat show on fair-trade cotton clothes with fashion show 

Heinz Fuchs, Church Development Service (EED), Chair, 

TransFair e.V., Bonn Delphine Boudjrenou, Organisaton 

for the Promotion of Organic Farming, Cotonou, Benin 

Sandra Dusch Silva, Clean Clothes Campaign, Münster 

Moderation: Tina Gordon, Cologne; Iris Klöpper, Hannover 

U Cap San Diego, Luke 3, Europahafen (Q84) E 

Thursday, 11.00 –13.00 


All change please! Climate protection and mobility 

Prof. Dr Ottmar Edenhofer, Deputy Director Potsdam 

Institute for Climate Impact Research Sunita Narain, 

Director, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 

India Dr Karl-Otto Schallaböck, mobility expert, 

Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy and 

a representative of the motor industry 

Moderation: Mara Bergmann, Mainz 

M Hall 6, exhibition grounds E

Thursday, 15.00 –16.15 

Spiritual Centre 

Man, where are you? 

Men’s spirituality Father Richard Rohr OFM, 

Albuquerque, NM/USA 

A Martin-Luther-Kirche, Neukirchstr. 86 (91/Q87) e 

Thursday, 15.00 –18.00 

Main Panel Series 

The Christian View of Humanity (Topic area 1) 

Created to become perfect? 

Dr Elisabeth von Thadden, journalist at Die Zeit, Hamburg 

Rainer Schmidt, paralympics champion, Bonn Thomas 

Weber, Olympic Games chaplain, Gevelsberg Dr Esther 

Bollag, theologian, Feuerherz centre for diaconal encounter, 

Hamburg Prof. Dr Peter Dabrock, social ethicist, Marburg 

Prof. Dr Reinhard Merkel, lawyer, Berlin Thich Thien Son, 

zen master, abbott, Frankfurt/Main Bishop Dr Dr h.c. 

Wolfgang Huber, Chair, Council of the Evangelical Church in 

Germany, Berlin Moderation: Bettina von Clausewitz, Essen; 

Prof. Dr Stefanie Schardien, Hildesheim 

U Veranstaltungszelt [tent] Ü4, Konsul-Smidt-Str. (362/Q84) 

E 

Thursday, 15.00 –18.00 

Panel Spirituality and Power (Topic area 2) 

Does spirituality empower? 

The inspiring and disturbing power of Christian faith 

Gabriele Hartlieb, literary scholar, Freiburg Anke Kolster, 

dancer, Hannover; Frieder Mann, dancer, Bonn Dr h.c. 

Joachim Gauck, 1989 pastor in Rostock, Berlin Cornelia 

Merzyn, Community of Sant’Egidio, Würzburg Bishop Luis 

Flavio Cappio, Barra, Brazil Dr Thomas de Maizière, Federal 

Minister in the chancellory, Berlin Prof. Dr Konrad Raiser, 

former general secretary World Council of Churches, Berlin 

Edzard Reuter, former CEO Daimler-Benz AG, Stuttgart 

Dr Irmgard Schwaetzer, former federal minister, Berlin 

Moderation: Dr Andreas Löw, Korntal-Münchingen 

Dr Claudia Nothelle, Potsdam 

I St. Petri Dom [Cathedral], Domsheide (113/S87) E 

22 23 

Thursday, 15.00 –17.00 

Centre on Africa (Topic area 3) 

The fate of Malta – Malta’s fate 

Realities on the island of tourists and refugees 

Ahmed Bugri, pastor, San Gwann, Malta Karl Kopp, 

Director of European Affairs Pro Asyl, Frankfurt/Main 

Moderation: Emmanuel Koffi Noglo, Göttingen 


Thursday, 15.00 –18.00 

Table talk on Israel – Palestine (Topic area 3) 

Israel – Palestine. And what about us? 

With these table talks the Kirchentag introduces a new form 

of event in which participants have the opportunity to come 

into conversation with each other. Using the World Café 

method participants will share thoughts. 

why we are personally motivated to engage with the 

situation in Israel and Palestine 

what characterises and influences our own 

individual viewpoints 

where do limits and taboos arise in discussion with 

one another 

what visions we can dream up together 

Participants will meet at café tables and discuss the general 

topic of the afternoon. Interesting thoughts and bright ideas 

will be jotted down on the paper tablecloths. After each 

round of talks the participants will change tables. That way 

the ideas and insights arising from the table talks can be 

linked up. After the last round of discussion the results will 

be reported to the plenary and discussed with our guests. 

The event will last three hours. We request that participants 

plan to stay for the whole time. The two events are separate, 

so Kirchentag participants are invited to opt for one or the 

other of the two possible days – Thursday or Friday. The 

talks will take place in English and German. Guests: 

Avi Primor, director Centre for European Studies, former 

ambassador of Israel in Germany, Herzliya, Israel Dr Abed 

Schokry, engineer, blogger, Gaza City Dr Christian Staffa, 

Managing Director, Action Reconciliation Service for Peace, 

Berlin 

I Rathaus [city hall], Obere Rathaus Halle, Am Markt 21 

(318/S87) E

Thursday, 15.00 –18.00 

Main panel series Globalisation (Topic area 3) 

Go forth into all the world – Globalisation 

and migration 

Prof. Dr Saskia Sassen, sociologist, New York, NY, USA 

Erkan Altun, actor, Youth Theatre, Bremen Irene Khan, 

general secretary Amnesty International, London, UK Dr 

Wolfgang Schäuble MP, Federal Interior Minister, Berlin 

Dr Amélé Ekué, ecumenical social ethicist, Bossey, Switzerland 

Volker Kauder MP, parliamentary party chair, Berlin 

Susianna Kentikian, boxing world champion, Hamburg 

Josef Philip Winkler MP, immigration policy spokesperson, 

Berlin Bishop Dr Margot Käßmann, Hannover 

Moderation: Ferdos Forudastan, Cologne 

M AWD-Dome, exhibition grounds (302/R87) E 

Thursday, 15.00 –18.00 


Biopirates and product pirates – Buccaneers 

of world trade 

Angelika Pohlenz, General Secretary, International Chamber 

of Commerce, Berlin Dr Vandana Shiva, environmental 

and women’s rights activist, winner of the Alternative Nobel 

Prize, New Delhi, India Christine von Weizsäcker, biologist, 

Bonn Moderation: Dr Berend Hartnagel, Hannover 

Theater: Performing arts course, Waldorfschule Bremen 

U Beluga-Bühne [stage] am Schuppen 1, Konsul-Smidt-Str. 

(216/Q84) e 

Thursday, 15.00 –18.00 


Full of energy into the future – Climate protection 

and energy supply 

Prof. Dr Peter Hennicke, former president Wuppertal 

Institute for Climate, Environment, Energy Sigmar Gabriel 

MP, Federal Environment Minister, Berlin Robert Werner, 

Chair, Greenpeace Energy, Hamburg Udo Wichert, Director, 

Evonik Fernwärme GmbH (district heating), Essen 

Church President Alfred Buß, Bielefeld Dr Reinhard Loske, 

Environment Senator, Bremen Frauke Thies, campaigner 

on energy policy Greenpeace EU, Brussels, Belgium Dr Angelika 

Zahrnt, Honorary Chair, BUND, member of the Council 

for Sustainable Development, Neckargemünd Moderation: 

Mara Bergmann, Mainz 

M Hall 6, exhibition grounds (302/R87) e 

24 25 

Thursday, 16.00 –18.00 

Keynote lecture series Responsibility (Topic area 2) 

Responsibility in a globalised world 

Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Foreign Minister, Berlin 

Dr Jakob Kellenberger, President, International Committee 

of the Red Cross, Geneva, Switzerland 

M Hall 4, exhibition grounds (302/R87) E 

Thursday, 19.00 –21.30 

Panel on the Kirchentag’s 60 years (Topic area 1) 

The Kirchentag turns 60 

Birthday celebration for a trouble-maker Prof. em. Dr Peter 

Cornehl, theologian and contemporary witness, Hamburg 

Marie Dilger, anti-apartheid activist, Wolfschlugen 

Dr Reinhard Höppner, former state premier, Magdeburg 

Bischof Dr Dr h.c. Wolfgang Huber, Chair, Council of the 

Evangelical Church in Germany, Berlin Bishop Dr Margot 

Käßmann, Hannover Dr Friedrich Kronenberg, former general 

secretary, Central Committee of German Catholics, Bonn 

Adam Krzeminski, journalist, Warsaw, Poland Dr h.c. Friedrich 

Schorlemmer, pastor and journalist, Lutherstadt Wittenberg 

Prof. Dr h.c. mult. Rudolf von Thadden, Göttingen 

Ursula Trautwein, anti-apartheid activist, Frankfurt/Main 

Dr Ellen Ueberschär, General Secretary, German Protestant 

Kirchentag, Fulda Dr Richard von Weizsäcker, former 

federal president, Berlin Moderation: Arnd Henze, Cologne 


Thursday, 20.00 –22.00 

Keynote lecture series Responsibility (Topic area 3) 

Responsibility in the global crisis 

Helmut Schmidt, former federal chancellor, Hamburg 

Robert B. Zoellick, President, World Bank, Washington DC, 

USA Moderation: Dr Christoph Bertram, Hamburg 

M AWD-Dome, exhibition grounds (302/R87) E

Friday, 11.00 –13.00 

Keynote lecture series Freedom (Topic area 1) 

Faith and freedom 

Prof. Dr Drs. h.c. Eberhard Jüngel DD, theologian, 

Tübingen Moderation: Dr Christina Aus der Au Heymann, 

Erlangen 

U Veranstaltungszelt [tent] Ü4, Konsul-Smidt-Str. (362/Q84) 

E 

Friday, 11.00 –13.00 


Human dignity – Democracy and justice 

Prof. Dr Gerhard Robbers, lawyer, Kirchentag board, Trier 

Dr h.c. Manfred Stolpe, former state premier, Potsdam 

Moderation: Ulrike Greim-Haspel, Weimar 

I St. Petri Dom [Cathedral], Domsheide (113/S87) E 

Friday, 11.00 –13.00 

Centre Muslims and Christians (Topic area 1) 

Here I am! 

Responsibility for the future of the earth from the Muslim 

and Christian viewpoint Ayatollah S. A. H. Ghaemmaghami, 

Imam and Director, Islamic Centre Hamburg, Bärbel Wartenberg-Potter, 

former bishop, Lübeck Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Sefik 

Alp Bahadir, economist, Erlangen Thomas Voigt, Director 

of economic policy and communication, Otto Group, Hamburg 

Dr Sadek Beloucif, anaesthesist, Bobigny, Frankreich 

Prof. Dr Dr Eckhard Nagel, doctor, Protestant President of 

2nd Ecumenical Kirchentag, Bayreuth Moderation: Dr Erika 

Godel, Berlin; Riem Spielhaus, Berlin 


Friday, 11.00 –13.00 


What do we have in common? 

The letter from 138 Muslims to the Christian churches 

Rima Barsoum, Programme Executive for Christian-Muslim 

Dialogue, World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland 

Dr Ataullah Siddiqui, islamic theologian, Markfield, UK 

Moderation: Dr Martin Affolderbach, Hannover 

U Hochschule für Künste [University of the Arts], Auditorium, 

Am Speicher XI, 8 (280/P84) E 

26 27 

Friday, 11.00 –13.00 

Forum on Spirituality and Theology (Topic area 1) 

Giving yearning a name 

Bishop Dr Margot Käßmann, Hannover Dr Christoph 

Quarch, philosopher and theologian, Fulda Prof. Dr Eugen 

Baer, dean, Geneva, NY, USA Thich Thien Son, zen master, 

abbot, Frankfurt/Main Moderation: Gabriele Hartlieb, 

Freiburg Sr. Katharina Klara Schridde CCR, Erfurt 


Friday, 11:00 –12:00 

Centre for Shaping and Sharing the Future 

Energy shortage, Climate chaos and justice 

Sunita Narain, Director, Centre for Science and Environment, 

New Delhi, India Moderation: Jürgen Maier, Bonn 

I Hochschule Bremen, Building (Gebäude) M, Lecture 

theatre 26, Neustadtswall 30 (276/S86) e 

Friday, 11.00 –13.00 


Water – the future gold? 

Looking across the Mediterranean and into the world 

Fred Pearce, environmental journalist, London, UK 

Dr Odeh R. Al-Jayyousi, Regional Director International 

Union for Conservation of Nature, Amman, Jordan Cornelia 

Füllkrug-Weitzel, Director, Bread for the World, Stuttgart 

Dr Fritz Holzwarth, Director, Water Management Department 

Environment Ministry, Bonn Dr Waltina Scheunmann, 

German Development Institute, Bonn Moderation: Hinrich 

Mercker, Berlin 


Friday, 15.00 –17.15 

Forum on Spirituality and Theology (Topic area 1) 

Holy and down to earth 

Spirituality in the church space Prof. Dr Manfred Josuttis, 

Friedland Dr Heinrich Christian Rust, Braunschweig Sr Dr 

Aurelia Spendel OP, Augsburg Prof. Dr Peter Zimmerling, 

practical theologian, Leipzig Prof. em. Dr Fulbert Steffensky, 

religious educator, Hamburg Sr. Katharina Klara 

Schridde CCR, Erfurt Moderation: Katharina von Bremen 

Prof. Dr Kim Strübind, Oldenburg 

M Hall 4, exhibition grounds (302/R87) E

Friday, 15.00 –18.00 

Panel on Ecumenism (Topic area 1) 

Jesus needs the SPIRITed 

Dr Uta Andrée, Oberkirchenrätin, Hannover Luise Albers, 

Hamburg Martin Gück, Kairos Europa, Heidelberg Antje 

Heider-Rottwilm, pastor, Hamburg Edzard Hüneke, musician, 

Köln Bishop Dr Gerhard Feige, Magdeburg Bishop 

Dr Margot Käßmann, Hannover Prof. Dr Assaad Elias 

Kattan, Münster Prof. Dr Andrea Strübind, Oldenburg 

Terry MacArthur, Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland Christa 

Nickels, former parliamentary secretary, Geilenkirchen 

Moderation: Ute Meyer, Berlin Prof. Dr Matthias Sellmann, 

Bochum 

I Glocke, Großer Saal, Domsheide 6 –8 (248/S87) E 

Friday, 15.00 –18.00 

Forum Men (Topic area 2) 

How much of a father do we need? 

Dr Niels Pörksen, psychiatrist, Bielefeld Marieluise Beck 

MP, former parliamentary secretary, Berlin Christoph 

Dieckmann, journalist, Berlin Prof. Dr Hans Michael Heinig, 

lawyer, Göttingen Julian Runge, student, Frankfurt/Main 

Prof. Dr Hartmut Radebold, psychoanalyst and gerontologist, 

Kassel Thomas Schollas, pastor and systemic therapist, 

Kiel Prof. Dr Jürgen Ebach, Old Testament scholar, 

Bochum Dr Silvana Koch-Mehrin MEP, Brussels, Belgium 

Hans-Georg Nelles, project leader und organisational consultant 

Fathers & Careers, Düsseldorf Eberhard Schäfer, 

political scientist, Director, Papa-Institut, Berlin Moderation: 

Andreas Malessa, Hochdorf Martin Rosowski, Kassel 

Patrick Roger Schnabel, Brussels, Belgium 

I Theater am Goetheplatz, Theatersaal, Goetheplatz 1 –3 

(346/S87) E 

Friday, 15.00 –18.00 


Beyond the Trade Statistics 

The influence of China and Europe on everyday life in Africa 

François A. Boko, former interior minister of the Republic 

of Togo, Paris, France Dr Gregor Dobler, ethnologist, 

Basel, Switzerland Ibrahim Gueye, business journalist, 

Düsseldorf Prince Prof. Dr Kum’a Ndumbe III, author and 

political scientist, Douala, Cameroon Moderation: Rahime 

Diallo, Solingen Music: Flois Knolle-Hicks, Groß-Rohrheim 

U Cap San Diego, Süßöltank, Europahafen (Q84) E 

28 29 

Friday, 15.00 –18.00 

Table Talk Israel – Palestine (Topic area 3) 

Israel – Palestine. And what about us? 

With these table talks the Kirchentag introduces a new form 

of event in which participants have the opportunity to come 

into conversation with each other.Using the World Café 

method participants will share toughts 

why we are personally motivated to engage with 

the situation in Israel and Palestine 

what characterises and influences our own individual 

viewpoints 

where do limits and taboos arise in discussion 

with one another 

what visions we can dream up together 

Participants will meet at café tables and discuss the general 

topic of the afternoon. Interesting thoughts and bright ideas 

will be jotted down on the paper tablecloths. After each 

round of talks the participants will change tables. That way 

the ideas and insights arising from the table talks can be 

linked up. After the last round of discussion the results will 

be reported to the plenary and discussed with our guests. 

The event will last three hours. We request that participants 

plan to stay for the whole time. 

The two events are separate, so Kirchentag participants are 

invited to opt for one or the other of the two possible days – 

Thursday or Friday. 

The talks will take place in English and German. 

Guests: Avi Primor, Director, Centre for European Studies, 

former ambassador of Israel in Germany, Herzliya, Israel 

Dr Abed Schokry, engineer, blogger, Gaza City 

Dr Christian Staffa, managing director, Action 

Reconciliation Service for Peace, Berlin 


(318/S87) E

Friday, 15.00 –18.00 


“... more dangerous than standing armies” 

(Thomas Jefferson) Forum on the International Financial 

System Prof. Dr Peter Bofinger, economist, Würzburg 

Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Federal Minister of Economic 

Cooperation and Development, Berlin Alberto Acosta, 

economist and politician, Quito, Ecuador Sven Giegold, 

politician and co-founder of Attac, Dörverden Antje Schneeweiß, 

Südwind, Institute for Economy and Ecumenism, 

Siegburg Moderation: Christiane Grefe, Berlin 


Friday, 15.00 –18.00 


Trading for change? Cotton, clothes and co. 

Delphine Bodjrenou, Organisation for Promotion of Organic 

Farming, Cotonou, Benin Rajat Jaipuria, Director, Rajyalakshmi 

Cotton Mills, Calcutta, India Dr Johannes Merck, 

Director Corporate Responsibility, Otto Group, Hamburg 

Tilman Santarius, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment, 

Energy, Berlin Dr Karl Brauner, Director Foreign 

Trade Department, Federal Economy Ministry, Berlin 

Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, pastor, Director, Bread for the 

World, Stuttgart Sanya Smith, Third World Network, Geneva, 

Switzerland Moderation: Arnd Henze, Cologne 

Theatre: Performing Arts course, Ecumenical 

Secondary School, Bremen 


(216/Q84) E 

Friday, 15.00 –18.00 


Stuffed and starved? 

Food and nutrition in the 21st century Dr Hans R. Herren, 

President Millennium Institute, Arlington, VA, USA Werner 

Hilse, Vice President, German Farmers’ Association, Berlin 

Dr Anita Idel, mediation and project management, Berlin 

Renate Bähr, CEO, German Foundation for World Population, 

Hannover PD Dr Gunther Hirschfelder, ethnologist, 

expert on eating culture, Bonn Karl-Heinz Funke, former 

Minister of Agriculture, Varel Hans-Thomas Freiherr von 

Meerheimb, CEO, Gutshof-Ei, Schackendorf-Weede 

Bernard Njonga, President, Cameroon Farmers’ and 

Consumers Association, Yaondé, Cameroon Moderation: 

Michael Windfuhr, Stuttgart 


30 31 

Friday, 17.00 –18.30 


Christian-Muslim cooperation in Africa 

Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, peace activist, winner of the Alternative 

Nobel Prize, Mombasa, Kenya Dr Mustafa Y. Ali, 

General Secretary, African Council of Religious Leaders, 

Nairobi, Kenya Angèle Dogbé, Coordinator of women’s and 

educational work, Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations 

in Africa (PROCMURA), Nairobi, Kenya Prof. Dr Klaus Hock, 

theologian, Rostock Dr Ishmael Noko, General Secretary, 

Lutheran World Federation, Geneva, Switzerland 

Moderation: Dr Lidwina Meyer, Loccum 

U Hochschule für Künste [University oft he Arts], Auditorium, 

Am Speicher XI, 8 (280/P84) E 

Saturday, 11.00 –13.00 


Politics and freedom 

Martti Ahtisaari, former state president, Nobel Peace 

laureate and diplomat, Helsinki, Finland Moderation: Dr Dr 

Andreas Barner, Ingelheim/Rhein Music: Veronika Harcsa, 

Budapest, Hungary 

M AWD-Dome, exhibition grounds (302/R87) e 

Saturday, 11.00 –13.00 

Tri-alogical Panel (Topic area 1) 

Are we all in the same boat? 

Muslims, Christians and Jews in our secular society 

Prof. Dr Micha Brumlik, Jewish philospher of religion, 

Frankfurt/Main Prof. Dr Gritt Klinkhammer, specialist in religious 

studies, Bremen Halima Krausen, Muslim theologian, 

Hamburg Prof. Dr Christoph Schwöbel, Protestant theologian, 

Tübingen Moderation: Dr Detlef Görrig, Hamburg 


Saturday, 11.00 –13.00 


Education and participation 

Prof. Dr Jutta Allmendinger, President, Social Science 

Research Center Berlin Moderation: Dr Christine 

Bergmann, Berlin 

I St. Petri Dom [Cathedral], Domsheide (113/S87) E

Saturday, 11.00 –13.00 


Marketing religion or striving for justice 

Dr Mustafa Y. Ali, general secretary, African Council of 

Religious Leaders, Nairobi, Kenya Dr Katharina Hofer, 

Africa researcher, Berlin Prof. Tinyiko Samuel Maluleke, 

theologian, Pretoria, South Africa Church President 

Nikolaus Schneider, Düsseldorf Moderation: Dr Konrad 

Melchers, Berlin 


(216/Q84) E 

Saturday, 11.00 –13.00 

Forum India (Topic area 3) 

Ganesha, Jesus, Allah – Religions in India 

Gopal K. Gupta, expert on the Hindu religion, Oxford, UK 

Father Dr Sebastian Painadath SJ, Director, Centre for 

Indian Spirituality, Kalady, India Lalitha Devi, Kressbronn, 

Lake Constance Bischof Dr Vedanayagam Devasahayam, 

Chennai, India Dr Ashgar Ali Engineer, Muslim peace activist, 

winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize, Mumbai, India 

Dr P. Moses Manohar, Director Inter Church Service Association, 

Chennai, India Moderation: Dr Gudrun Löwner, 

New Delhi, India 


(346/S87) e 

Saturday, 11.00 –13.00 


Dished up – over-fished? 

The struggle for the last fishing grounds Dr Michael 

Schirmer, water ecologist and climate researcher, Bremen 

Sabine Henke, Dortmund Dao Gaye, Chair, Fisheries Association 

of Conipas, Dakar, Senegal Dirk Sander, coastal 

fisherman, Dornum-Nessmersiel Abou Bangoura, government 

advisor for agriculture and fisheries, Conakry, Guinea 

Michael Köhler, Chef de cabinet, EU Commissioner for 

Maritime affairs and Fisheries, Brussels, Belgium Diederik 

Parlevliet, Director, Parlevliet & Van der Plas, Katwijk, Netherlands 

Peter Arthur, pastor, Berlin Moderation: Dr Achim 

Daschkeit, Dessau Jürgen Reichel, Bonn 


Saturday, 15.00 –18.00 

Podium Church Reform (Topic area 1) 

Church, are you all there? 

Bishop Jan Janssen, Oldenburg Martin Bartelworth, 

32 33 

manager, Creative Kirche Witten Florian Barth, pastor, 

Kapellengemeinde, Heidelberg Heike Binne, multigeneration 

house, Lüssum-Bockhorn Franziska Matzdorf, school 

student preaching contest, Schwerin Ralf Schlenker, 

pastor, school student preaching contest, Schwerin Andrea 

Schridde, pastor, celebration of baptism, Loccum Bishop 

Nicholas Baines, Croydon, UK Dieter Falk, music producer, 

Düsseldorf Prof. Dr Hans Michael Heinig, lawyer, Göttingen 

Prof. Dr Matthias Kroeger, theologian, Bleckede-Radegast 

Marlehn Thieme, Director, Deutsche Bank, member of the 

Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Bad Soden 

Moderation: Dr Claus Röck, Hannover 

I Glocke, Großer Saal, Domsheide 6 –8 (248/S87) E 

Saturday, 15.00 –18.00 

Main Panel Series: The Christian View of Humanity 

(Topic area 1) 

Freedom and love 

Sciences and humanities in dialogue Prof. Dr Drs. h.c. 

Eberhard Jüngel DD, theologian, Tübingen Prof. Dr Dr 

Gerhard Roth, neurophysiologist, Bremen Prof. Dr Harald 

Welzer, social psychologist, Essen Dr Christina Aus der 

Au Heymann, theologian and philosopher, Erlangen Prof. 

Dr Ulrich H. J. Körtner, theologian, Vienna, Austria Prof. 

Dr Michael Pauen, philosopher, Berlin Prof. Dr Henning 

Scheich, neurobiologist, Magdeburg Dr Björn Pecina, 

theologian, Halle/Saale Moderation: Florian Schwinn, 

Frankfurt/Main 

U BLG-Forum, Staplerhalle, Am Speicher XI, 10 (218/Q84) 

E 

Saturday, 15.00 –18.00 

Panel Series Democracy (Topic area 2) 

60 –20 –Today: Who has the power in the state? 

Between protest and lobbying Milan Horacek MEP, Brussels, 

Belgium Adam Krzeminski, journalist, Warsaw, Poland 

Dr Erhart Neubert, historian, Erfurt Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Richard 

Schröder, politician and theologian, Berlin Dr Dr Andreas 

Barner, CEO Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Ingelheim/Rhein 

Prof. Dr h.c. Fritz Pleitgen, Chair of the management board 

Ruhr 2010 GmbH, Essen Rebecca Harms MEP, Brussels, 

Belgium Prof. Dr Rudolf Hickel, Director, Institute of Labour 

and Economy, Bremen Prof. Dr Frank Nullmeier, political 

scientist, Bremen Moderation: Dr Fritz Erich Anhelm, 

Rehburg-Loccum Ulrike Poppe, Berlin 

M Hall 7, exhibition grounds (302/R87) E

Saturday, 15.00 –18.00 

Centre on World Trade (Topic area 2) 

Humans trade in humans 

Dr Kevin Bales, President, Free the Slaves, Washington DC, 

USA PD Dr Klara Butting, theologian, Uelzen Ingeborg 

Wick, Südwind – Institute for Economy and Ecumenism, 

Siegburg Benjamin Pütter, child labour expert, Freiburg 

Sr. Dr Lea Ackermann, Chair, Solidarity with Women in 

Need, Boppard-Hirzenach Wanda Falk, General Director 

of Diakonie, Warsaw, Poland Moderation: Tina Hassel, 

Cologne 


(216/Q84) E 

Saturday, 15.00 –18.00 


The world church round the corner 

African congregations in Germany Sören Asmus, theologian, 

Wuppertal Oyidiya George-Okoro, pastor, Living 

Word Ministries, Bremen Sydia Nduna, World Council of 

Churches, Geneva, Switzerland Hans-Günter Sanders, pastor, 

Bremen Dr Chinedu Udonsi, pastor, London, UK 

Moderation: Dr Werner Kahl, Hamburg 


Saturday, 15.00 –18.00 

Centre Africa (Topic area 3) 

On the way towards a just peace? 

Interreligious dialogue at the Horn of Africa Dr Agnes 

Abuom, executive committee World Council of Churches, 

Nairobi, Kenya Dr Mustafa Y. Ali, General Secretary, African 

Council of Religious Leaders, Nairobi, Kenya Dr Wolfgang 

Heinrich, Church Development Service (EED), Bonn Gerrit 

Noltensmeier, Special Representative for Sudan, Evangelical 

Church in Germany, Detmold 

Moderation: Helmut Hess, Schorndorf 

U Cap San Diego, Süßöltank, Europahafen (Q84) E 

34 35 

Saturday, 15.00 –18.00 


“For justice will return to the righteous” (Psalm 94:15) 

Strengthening or weakening human rights in times of globalisation? 

Prof. Dr Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, environmentalist, 

Emmendingen Alberto Acosta, economist and 

politician, Quito, Ecuador Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, 

Director, Centre for International Sustainable Development 

Law (CISDL), Councillor World Future Council, Montreal, Canada 

Marcia V. J. Kran, Director Research and Right to Development 

Division, UN High Commission for Human Rights, 

Geneva, Switzerland Nils Rosemann, Federal Department 

of Foreign Affairs, Human Rights Policy Section, Bern, 

Switzerland Michael Windfuhr, human rights department, 

Bread for the World, Stuttgart Rolf Stahlhofen, musician, 

Mannheim Dieter Overath, CEO, TransFair and Rugmark, 

Cologne Moderation: Dr Ursula Weidenfeld, Cologne 


Saturday, 15.00 –18.00 


India today 

Friend, what is your life like? George Sudharsan, IT 

Consultant, Düsseldorf Dr Ruth Manorama, activist for 

Dalit and women’s rights, winner of the Alternative Nobel 

Prize, Bangalore, India Sunita Narain, Director, Centre 

for Science and Environment, New Delhi, India Sabine 

Dlugosch, Indienhilfe e.V., Herrsching/Ammersee Ingrid- 

Gabriela Hoven, ministerial director, Bonn Dr Vandana 

Shiva, activist for environmental and women’s rights, 

winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize, New Delhi, India 

Moderation: Dr Christian Wagner, Berlin 


(346/S87) E

Open-air programme 

There is a full programme of events taking place on the 

several open-air stages [Bühne]. This includes interviews 

and discussion with prominent people from the worlds of 

church, politics and culture both local and international, with 

concerts on some evenings. 

I Radio-Bremen-Bühne, Am Markt (316/S87) 

I Bühne am Hauptbahnhof, (226/ R87) 

I Weserbühne am Osterdeich, (230/S87) 

I St. Petri Dom [Cathedral], Bibelgarten, 

Am Dom 2 (113/S87) 

I Überseemuseum, Foyer, Bahnhofsplatz 13 (354/R87) 

I Diakonie-Bühne am Kirchhof, Unser Lieben 

Frauen (135/S87) 

U Überseestadt, outside Schuppen 1 

I Ecke Herdentorsteinweg/Am Wall (302/R87) 

I Pavillon der Bremischen Kirche, Am Markt (S87) 

M Zelt [tent] 9, Messegelände (302/R87) 

I Kulturmeile, Weserpromenade (288/S86) 

A Antikolonialdenkmal, Elefant, Hermann-Böse-Str. 

(210/R87) 

U Konsul-Smidt-Str., Höhe Schuppen 1 (Q84) 

36 37 

Kirchentag of ships 

The Kirchentag in the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is also 

a Kirchentag of ships. The former Europahafen [Europe 

harbour] in the Überseestadt has been revitalised for large 

ships. A temporary harbour centre will display flat-floor, traditional 

and sailing ships in front of historic industrial premises. 

Visitors can expect a very special maritime atmosphere at 

the river Weser. Associations and organisations will present 

their work on the ships and invite you to participate in 

various activities. Some ships will lift anchor during the day 

for trips on the Weser and return to their landing-stage in the 

Europahafen in the evening. 

Kirchentag participants can also board at the Weser 

landing stages in the city centre. Besides the local traditional 

restaurant and passenger ships, other ships offer a varied 

programme of activities on the water. 

Some ships cannot be visited at certain times 

depending on the tides. 


U Alexander von Humboldt, Europahafen (Q85) 

Everyone who is a fan of tall ships, the young and young-atheart, 

are welcome on board. You can take a lesson in sailing 

on the wind-jammer and learn traditional seacraft. Then 

within a team you will be able to cope with daily life on a ship 

under demanding conditions. 

• Thursday, Friday 13.00 –17.00: Open Ship 

• Saturday 13.00 –16.00: Open Ship 


U Cap San Diego, Europahafen (242/Q84) 

The Cap San Diego is the biggest seaworthy civil museum 

ship in the world. Its elegant silhouette is as much part of the

Hamburg harbour panorama as the old warehouse district 

and St Michael’s Tower. At the Bremen Kirchentag, the 

Africa Centre and the World Trade Centre will take place 

in this freighter in the Europahafen. It may be visited 

daily 13.00 –15.00 and 18.00 –20.00. 


U Flussschifferkirche [River seamen’s church], 

Schlachte (S86) 

Built in Bremen in 1902 as a lighter, rebuilt and dedicated as 

a church in Hamburg in 1952, the seamen’s church serves 

people today in Hamburg Harbour as Germany’s only floatingchurch. 

A ship that is eminently suited to putting across the 

picture of how Noah’s Ark overcame the primeval waters and 

the flood. 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 10.30–22.00 

Other ships: 

U Balu, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Das Blaue Kamel Wüna, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Carola, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Chrispe, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Exodus, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Farr 585, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Feuerschiff Elbe 3, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Franzius, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Gebrüder AZ:5, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Mauna Kea, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Mytilus, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Roland von Bremen, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Klipper Verandering, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Zuversicht, Europahafen (Q85) 

U Feuerlöschboot Bremen, Schlachte (S86) 

U Hanseat, Martini-Anleger, Schlachte (S86) 

U Schiff No. 2, Martini-Anleger, Schlachte (S86) 

U Seenotkreuzer Hannes Glogner, Schlachte (S86) 

U Wappen von Minden, Schiffsanleger Tiefer (369/S87) 

Thursday, Friday, 11.00 –18.00 

U Großherzogin Elisabeth [Grand Duchess Elisabeth], 

Europahafen (Q85) 

Every hour on the hour, Oldenburg characters will present 

themselves in conversations and with music. 

Arranged by: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg 

38 39 

Cultural programme 

A wide range of cultural events are listed in the German 

programme. If you look carefully at music titles you should 

be able to work out what they are and whether they interest 

you. Music and art go beyond words and can be a relief 

from too much talk. A selection of art and cultural events are 

listed below in English. 

Open-air concerts [Konzerte unter 

freiem Himmel] 

Please consult the German programme for further details 

(pages 268 –272) 

Festivals and concerts [Feste, 

Feiern und Konzerte] 

Please consult the German programme for further details 

(pages 272 –277)

Centre for church music [Zentrum 

Kirchenmusik] 

We invite you to visit the Church Music Centre at a most 

interesting place – a former railway station. On three days 

we will be looking for common answers to the question of 

the Kirchentag theme “Mortal, where are you?” The halls of 

the former goods station will awaken to new life as people 

make music and celebrate together, with gospel choirs and 

brass bands. Get in the mood through old and new sounds, 

through listening and singing along, carried away by the special 

atmosphere and the full-bodied music filling out a former 

industrial site. In the heart of it all, you can have a chat in 

the café, or browse around the exhibitions and information 

stands. (German programme pages 277 –283) 

Concert churches [Konzertkirchen] 

(German programme pages 283–291) 

A St. Ansgarii, Schwachhauser Heerstr. 40 (9/R88) 

By contrast with its predecessor, destroyed during the 

Second World War, the present St. Ansgarii is no longer 

in the centre of Bremen. However, it has the biggest fully 

mechanical organ in Bremen and takes up the style of a 

basilica, which has marvellous acoustics for performing 

church music. 

I St. Johann, Klosterkirchenstr. 1 (75/S87) 

A quite special atmosphere for services and concerts is to 

be found in the only preserved monastery church in Bremen, 

the Catholic church of St John’s. Situated in the oldest suburb 

(Schnoor-Viertel), its excellent acoustics are enhanced 

by the beautiful brick Gothic and it thus is an inviting place to 

spend some time and listen. 

I Hochschule für Künste [University of the Arts], 

Konzertsaal, Dechanatstr. 13 –15 (278/S87) 

In the premises of the former humanist grammar school, the 

University of the Arts has expanded its Music section since 

2004. The former auditorium of the “Old Grammar School”, 

that was founded in 1528 as a Latin school and was thus the 

oldest school in Bremen, is now a concert hall. 

40 41 

Community singing with the 

Kirchentag songbook 

[Offene Singen mit dem Liederbuch] 

Singing Kirchentag: we invite everyone to join in. Noon 

time is designed as time for an active break: catching your 

breath, breathing deeply and singing clears your voice, heart 

and mind. Musicians, choirs and bands lead the community 

singing with the songbook and show the gems it contains. 

You only need to bring your song book (“FundStücke”) and 

be prepared to enjoy singing together. 

(German programme pages 291 –297). 

Art [Kunst] 

Visual Art 


Mortal, where are you? 

The search for human beings 

On a bunker at the entrance to the overseas harbour is a 

work that has been made especially for the Bremen Kirchentag: 

Figures are set in their environments with yearning 

expressions looking far into the distance, so symbolising the 

Kirchentag theme in a rather different way. 

Artist: Victor Ash, Copenhagen/Denmark 

U Hochbunker, Hans-Böckler-Str. 6 (R85) 

Exhibitions 


Imagen y semejanza – Image and likeness 

Pictures which protest against violence. Painted in an expressive 

and rebellious way the pictures range from the beautiful 

to the decorative. Pictures which recall and bring to mind 

what people suffer, put up with and have to accept. 

The artist comes from Nicaragua. 

Artist: Karen Motta Krauß, Bremen


Credo Way 

Experience faith, question, grasp 

The Credo Way is a hands-on exercise with an experimental 

character. It motivates people to engage with insights of 

Christian faith and gain new understanding. Design your own 

way through this fascinating exhibition. 

Project partners: Credoweg, Lemgo 

M Hall 5, exibition ground. (302/R87) 

Museums in Bremen 

Kirchentag participants can visit museums in Bremen and 

Bremerhaven at a reduced rate by presenting their admission 

pass (from 20 to 24 May 2009). Entrance is free to the Weserburg, 

the Museum of Modern Art, the Cathedral Museum 

and the City Gallery [Städtische Galerie]. 

The following is only a selection of the many museums and 

exhibitions which may be visited. 

Art collections Böttcherstraße, Paula-Modersohn-Becker- 

Museum, Museum im Roselius Haus 

Böttcherstr. 6 –10 

Thursday, Saturday, 11.00 –22.00 

Friday, 11.00 –18.00 

Überseemuseum [Overseas museum] 

Bahnhofsplatz 13 


Friday, 09.00 –18.00 

Universum (interactive science museum) 

Wiener Str. 1a 


Saturday, 10.00 –20.00 

Deutsches Auswandererhaus [German emigrants centre] 

Bremerhaven, Columbusstr. 65 


42 43 

Cultural programme of the region 

Music 

Thursday, 20.00 –21.30 

Home away from home 

Concert by the Bremen City Immigrant Orchestra 

Eleven musicians from nine nations form a musical ensemble 

excelling at the upholding of traditions while also developing 

a new repertoire. These pieces are for the most part new 

compositions on traditional themes. 

Bremen City Immigrant Orchestra 

I Neues Schauspielhaus, Theatersaal, 

Goetheplatz 1 –3 (306/S87) 

Thursday, 20.00 –22.00 

Prince of peace 

Symphonic Gospel Oratorium for Solo, Choir and Orchestra 

by Ralf Grössler (2007) The Oratorium describes Jesus of 

Nazareth’s life and work in four parts. A theatre group that 

has come together expecially for the Kirchentag will also 

mime to the music. Joanne Bell (Soprano), Riverside, CA, 

USA Cantor and Gospelchoir from the Alexanderkirche, 

Wildeshausen Symphonic Gospel Orchestra Wildeshausen 

Theaterprojektgruppe Oldenburg Producer: Heike Scharf, 

Rastede Conductor: Ralf Grössler, Wildeshausen 

I Bühne [stage] am Hauptbahnhof (226/R87) 

Saturday, 11.00 –12.30 

Organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach 

Young organ scholars from Europe, Asia and America play 

J.S Bach’ s work on one of the best organs. University of 

the Arts, Bremen Under the direction of: Prof. Hans Davidsson, 

Bremen Prof. Harald Vogel, Bremen 

I St. Martini (Altstadt), Martinikirchhof 3 (89/S86) 

Saturday, 14.00 –15.00 

“I have called you by your name” 

Bach Motets A choral concert of some of the most beautiful 

motets by J.S. Bach Alsfelder Vocal ensemble, Bremen 

Direction: Wolfgang Helbich, Bremen 

I St. Martini (Altstadt), Martinikirchhof 3 (89/S86)

Saturday, 17.00 –18.30 

“What are human beings that you are 

mindful of them?” 

Several choirs sing Psalms by Heinrich Schütz and Felix 

Mendelssohn Bartholdy Teachers and students from the 

Bremen University of the Arts sing these superb choral 

works written for several choirs. Director: Prof. Detlev Braschke, 

Bremen Arno Janssen, Bremen Prof. Friederike 

Woebcken, Bremen 

A St. Ansgarii, Schwachhauser Heerstr. 40 (9/R88) 

Saturday, 20.00 –22.15 

Handel’s “Messiah” 

Sing it yourself Messiah with the Bremen Philharmonic 

This gives visitors to the Kirchentag the chance to rehearse, 

sing with, perform and listen to Handel’s Messiah. Bring your 

own copy of the music – but beware in Germany the Messiah 

will not be sung in English! You can go to the Kirchentag 

website to get the full list of the extracts that will be sung: 

www.kirchentag.de/messiah 

14.30 –16.00 (Thursday) Open rehearsal in the Church Music 

Centre 281 

20.00 Rehearsal for all singers 

21.00 Overture opus 96 (by Dimitri Shostakovich) 

21.10 The Messiah by Georg Friedrich Handel, 

Sing it yourself concert 

Patricia Andress (Soprano), Bremen Nadja Stefanoff 

(Soprano), Bremen Jürgen Sacher (Tenor), Bremen 

Allegro Choir of the Cooperative Comprehensive School, 

Stuhr-Brinkum, Bremen Cathedral Choir Bremen Philharmonic, 

neue kantorei.Bremen Director: Markus Poschner, 

musical director Bremer Philharmoniker 

I Bühne [stage] am Hauptbahnhof (226/R87) 

Visual Art 


Heiligenhafen 

Filigree lines with fragments of familiar seafaring clichés, 

overlaid with transparent layers of colour, and large broadbrush 

canvases: nine artists present very different pictures 

of the port. Artists from the Blaumeier-Atelier, Bremen 

U Roter Saal, Am Speicher XI, 1 (280/P84) 

44 45 


In transit 

Extracts from the retrospective “Beyond Human Nature” 

Photographs presented as light objects, coloured or blackand-white. 

Pure light, elementary life, provides a bridge to 

death and beyond. Olaf Schlote, Bremen 


(318/S87) 


Nebulous cross 

Walk-through sculpture 

Cruciform containers form a walk-through sculpture, filled 

with artificial fog, shaping sun and wind into unpredictably 

numerous shapes. On the one hand, rigid containers, on the 

other transitory mist: an image of duration and transience. 

Johann Christian Joost, sculptor, Bremen 

U Nebelcontainer, Konsul-Smidt -Str. (Q84) 


Reflections 

Videoart installation 

Retreat and reflection in times of hypertrends and information 

over-load. Keeping in the picture and getting a picture 

of something – these are contradictions of the modern age. 

Intelligent projection in an amazing ambience, staged by 

dancers from the Bremen Dance. Urbanscreen, Bremen 

I St. Petri Dome [Cathedral], eastern crypt, 

Domsheide (113/S87) 

Performing Arts 


! Here ! – a danced reply 

By and with the tanzbar_bremen project, an integrative stage 

project for dancers with and without a disability. Here – 

that is the name of the place, the moment, the movement. 

Here – is the special features of the dancers, who weave 

themselves into solos, duets or group sequences. The choreography 

was developed by and with the dancers. Dance: 

step-text dance project, Bremen Artistic direction: Corinna 

Mindt (choreography), Bremen 

A Blaumeier-Atelier, Theatersaal, Travemünderstr. 7a (P85)

Saturday, 20.00 –21.30 

Spring in autumn 

Dance theatre 

Hamburg young people dance a choreography by 

Royston Maldoom to “Already it is Dusk“ by Henryk 

Gorecki. 

Amaya Lubeigt dances her own choreography to “Walking 

Song” by Kevin Volans. 

“Spring in autumn” – 80 school students dance the new 

choreography by Royston Maldoom to the “Appalachian 

Spring” by Aaron Copland. 

DE LooPERS, Bremen Quartier, Bremen 

m Hall 7, exhibition grounds (302/R87) 

Culture church St. Stephani 

St Stephan’s Church, was founded in 1139. It is the old 

fisherfolks’ church in Bremen. In 2007 it became the first cultural 

church in northwest Germany. Since then it has become 

a place of cultural experiment, of spiritual play and searching 

for meaning. Its mission is to host a dialogue between 

church and culture. 


Hearing and seeing silence – the space installation 

“Resting Cube” by Prof. Yuji Takeoka 

Sound installation “Wave fronts” by Prof. Kilian Schwoon 

The walk-through space installation is in the church centre 

under the crossing. From the organ loft, you can hear the 

sound installation – its tones changing according to the time 

of day and weather. In this situation, silence opens up as a 

very basic experience. 

I St. Stephani, Stephanikirchhof (129/R86) 

46 47 

Cultural meeting places 

[Treffpunkte MTK] 

Best of entertainment 

[Treffpunkt Best of MTK] 

Artistic variety at the floating stage in Überseestadt. A 

wonderful mix of pop and rock, musical and theatre, cabaret, 

gospel, jazz and more, enticing you into lingering, listening, 

singing and swinging along. (German programme pages 

326 –327) 

U BLG-Schwimmbühne [stage], Europahafen (220/R85) 

Gospel music 

[Treffpunkt Gospel] 

For three whole days the place will ring with passionate 

music to listen to and join in, including in the traditional 

daily gospel music workshop. (German programme pages 

328 –330) 

A Wilhadi-Kirche, Steffensweg 89 (145/Q85) 

Jazz 

[Treffpunkt Jazz] 

Be with it, when swing, Latin, salsa or jazzrock rings out over 

the River Weser; experience the spirit of free sounds and the 

power of improvisation. On the Kirchentag’s jazz steamer 

different bands will present their programmes live, and the 

audience is right in the middle. (German programme pages 

331 –332) 

I Wappen von Minden, Schiffsanleger Tiefer (369/S87) 

Theatre and music theatre 

[Treffpunkt Musiktheater und Theater] 

The Waldau Theatre provides a space for theatre and 

musicals. All productions focus on a wide variety of aspects 

of the Kirchentag theme. (German programme pages 

335 –340) 

A Waldau Theater, Theatersaal, Waller Heerstr. 165 (368/ 

P85)

Newcomer stage 

[Treffpunkt Newcomerbühne] 

A selected series of new music groups from the field of rock 

and pop appears at short intervals. The bands create an attractive 

programme for young people. None of those familiar 

cardboard box seats here – but there’s plenty of room for 

rocking, just asking you to take part! (German programme 

pages 340 –342) 

A Junges Theater/Stauerei, Theatersaal, Cuxhavenerstr. 7 

(Q84) 

Dance and movement 

[Treffpunkt Tanz und Bewegung] 

Where can we find people? For example at the most varied 

dance-floors. In Bremen people and different forms of dance 

come together on church ground. Watching, joining in, 

making acquaintances, trying out and reflecting – these are 

all communicative and spiritual components of the meeting 

point. (German programme pages 342 –344) 

A Immanuel-Kapelle, Elisabethstr. 21 (69/Q85) 

TEN SING 

[Treffpunkt TEN SING] 

TEN SING – teenagers singing, dancing, praying, chilling, 

and all that at the meeting point, at the Market of Opportunities 

and in the whole of downtown Bremen. The Kirchentag’s 

creative youth project is many-facetted. Come along and 

discover for yourself at the Market Stand in Area 2 (Überseestadt) 

why Ten Sing is not tea. Be carried away all over 

town by our street teams to sing and dance along. 

(German programme page 345) 

MKulturzentrum Schlachthof, Kesselhalle, Findorffstr. 51 

(290/Q87) 

Music, theatre, performance art 

[Musik, Theater, Kleinkunst] 

Curtain up! ... is the motto for over 200 artistic groups from 

German-speaking countries and abroad – groups that will 

enrich the programme in Bremen with contributions that are 

modern, out-of-the-ordinary or traditional, according to your 

taste. In their own way, they will all present and perform 

the Kirchentag theme “Mortal, where are you?”. (German 

programme pages 348 –388) 

48 49 

Miscellaneous 

Goodnight-Cafés 

Another special feature of the Kirchentag is finding a “Gute- 

Nacht-Café” on your way home after a long day at the Kirchentag. 

These are offered by local church congregations as a 

place to pause for refreshment and relaxation, for conversation 

or just for a time of quiet reflection. 

A Altes Pfarrhaus Barrien, Glockenstr. 14, Syke 

A Berufsbildende Schulen Osterholz, Am Osterholze 2, 

Osterholz 

A Berufsbildende Schulen, An der Weide 8, Syke 

A Bürgerhaus Hemelingen, Godehardstr. 4 (13/U92) 

A Bürgermeister-Smidt-Gedächtniskirche, Bürgermeister- 

Smidt-Str. 45, Bremerhaven 

A Bürgerzentrum, Berliner Freiheit 10 (15/R92) 

A Café Becker, Stiftung Friedehorst, Rotdornallee 64 

A Diakonissenmutterhaus, Adelenstr. 68 (25/N83) 

A Dionysiuskirche, Lange Str., Bremerhaven-Lehe 

A Ev.-freikirchl. Kreuzkirche, Hohenlohstr. 60 (83/R87) 

A Friedenskirche, Humboldtstr. 175 (45/S88) 

A Gemeindehaus Christophorus, Postweg 2,Ottersberg 

A Gemeindezentrum Horn, Horner Heerstr. 28 

A Gemeindezentrum Lüssum, Neuenkirchener Weg 35 

A Gemeindezentrum Tenever, Auf der 

Schevemoorer Heide 55 

A Georg-Büchner-Schule, Georg-Büchnerstr. 5, Bremerhaven- 

Geestemünde 

A Grundschule an der Carl-Schurz-Str., Carl-Schurz-Str. 

A Grundschule Farge, Betonstr. 4, Blumenthal (QR89) 

A Haus der Adventgemeinde, Plantage 22 (57/Q86) 

A Haus der Landeskirchlichen Gemeinschaft, 

Georgstr. 15a, Verden 

A Hoffnungskirche, Waller Heerstr. 58 (084/P85) 

A Immanuel-Kapelle, Gemeindesaal, Elisabethstr. 17 –18 

(69/Q85) 

A Integrierte Stadtteilschule, Neukirchener Weg 119 –121 

A Jona-Gemeinde, Saal, Eislebener Str. 58 (77/S91) 

A Kirche Alt-Aumund, An der Aumunder Kirche 5 (33/G75) 

A Kirche Alt-Hastedt, Großer Saal, 

Benningsenstr. 7 (35/390) 

A Kirche Oberneuland, Gemeindehaus, Hohenkampsweg 6 

U Klipper Verandering, Europahafen (Q85) 

A Kooperative Gesamtschule Brinkum, Brunnenweg 2 –4, 

Stuhr-Brinkum 

A Kooperative Gesamtschule Weyhe, Hauptstr. 99, Weyhe 

A Laurentius-Kirche, Pfarrstr. 1, Achim

A Lise-Meitner-Schule, Danziger Str. 5, Stuhr 

A Marienkirche, An der Mühle, Bremerhaven-Geestemünde 

A Martin-Luther-Kirche, Saal, Neukirchstr. 86 (91/Q87) 

A Paula-Modersohn-Schule, Dreibergen 21, 

Bremerhaven-Wulsdorf 

A Paulus-Gemeinde, Habenhauser Dorfstr. 27 –31 

(111/ V90) 

A Peter-Ustinov-Schule, Hurreler Weg 2, Hude 

A Philippus-Kirche, Seewenjestr. 100 (117/O84) 

A Schule DudweilerStr., Dudweilerstr. 2 

A Schulzentrum Süd, Schillerstr. 11, Sottrum 

A Schulzentrum, Lerchenstr. 86 (Aumund) 

A Schulzentrum, Alfred-Faust-Str. 34 

A St. Ansgarii, Gemeindesaal, Schwachhauser Heerstr. 40 

(9/R88) 

A St. Jacobi, Seehauser Landstr. 166 

A St. Johannes, Gemeindehaus, Hegelstr. 2, Ritterhude 

A St. Lamberti, Markt 17, Oldenburg 

A St. Marien, Café, Findorffstr. 18, Osterholz-Scharmbeck 

A St. Matthäus, Gemeindezentrum,Hermannsburg 32 e 

I St. Michaelis, Gemeindehaus (Vegesack), 

Doventorsteinweg 51 

I St. Pauli, Gemeindesaal, Große Krankenstr. 11 (109/S86) 

A St. Remberti, Friedhofstr. 10 (121/Q90) 

A St. Sigismund, Kirchweg 27, Langwedel 

A St. Willehadi, Gemeindehaus, Am Kirchplatz 3, Osterholz- 

Scharmbeck 

A Stadtkirche, Kirchplatz 1, Delmenhorst 

A Stiftskirche, Stift 6, Bassum 

A Versöhnungsgemeinde, Gemeindehaus Die Brücke, 

Sebaldsbrücker Heerstr. 52 (141/T92) 

A Weserstadion, Parkplatz, Osterdeich (T89) 

A Wilhadi-Kirche, Saal, Steffensweg 89 (145/Q85) 

Market of Opportunities [Markt der 

Möglichkeiten] 

Thursday, Friday, 10.00 –18.00, 

Saturday, 10.00 –17.00 

The marketplace is at the heart of the Kirchentag and over 

the years has developed into a vital meeting place for groups 

working in church and society. Around 800 groups present 

their various projects, offering visions and alternatives, both 

large and small, encouraging efforts to change the world. 

Here you will find information, opportunities for discussion, 

networking and building new contacts. 

50 51 

Thematically the Market of Opportunities is divided into 

three areas: 

Area 1: Horizons of faith 

M exhibition grounds, Hall 5 – [M5] 

Area 2: Prospects for society 

U Überseestadt, Zelt Ü2a –d, Überseetor – [Ü2a –d] 

Area 3: Opportunities for the world 

U Überseestadt, Schuppen 1, Konsul-Smidt-Str. – [ÜS] 

See the German programme, pages 408 –435, for a full list 

of all the stalls. Please note that these areas are divided under 

thematic headings. The listing of the groups is alphabetical 

under each heading. The stall number given will help you 

find the right stand: the first letter-digit combination indicates 

the location, the following letter denotes the aisle and the 

last two digits indicate the “house number” of the stall. 

Besides what the stalls have to offer, small-scale events 

and activities will be presented by market groups at the 

“market squares”. The programme on these stages will be 

advertised by posters at the Marketplace and at the stands 

of the groups responsible. We wish you an exciting time, a 

lot of fun and new opportunities! 

The Exhibition in the Marketplace [Messe im Markt] is 

another element of the Market of Opportunities. Located at 

the Bürgerweide, it features presentations by church agencies 

and associations, church-related service organisations 

and institutions, along with Kirchentag sponsors. 

In the tents on the Bürgerweide you will also find the 

Media Mall [Medienmeile]. This is a presentation of a wide 

variety of church-related media and outreach activity. 

Kirchentag bookshop 

The Kirchentag bookshop contains books and media publications 

on all topics related to the Kirchentag and a wide range 

of the latest Christian literature, music, videos and more. 

You can find the Kirchentag Bookshop in Hall 3, 

exhibition grounds (302/R87) M 


A branch of the bookshop is in Schuppen 1 

at the Überseestadt U 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 10.00 –18.00

52 53 

Information 

Practical Information 

PROGRAMME (1 Seite) Practical

Important telephone numbers 

Police 

Phone 110 

Fire Brigade 

Phone 112 

Ambulance/Paramedic 

Phone 112 

Emergency doctor 

Phone +49 (0)421/1 92 92 

Emergency dentist 

Phone +49 (0)421/1 22 33 

Central information desk – Kirchentag 

Phone +49 (0)4 21/35 05 91 10 

Lost property of the Kirchentag 

Phone +49 (0)421/35 05-91 30 


Phone +49 (0)421/43 483-216 

Telefax +49 (0)421/43 483-304 

First aid services 

Phone +49 (0)800/1 92 14 02 

54 55 

Bremen Tourist Information 

Phone +49 (0)180 5/10 10 30 

Hotel Reservation Service (HRS) 

Phone +49 (0)221/20 77-300 

Telefax +49 (0)221/20 77-661 

German railways 

Phone +49 (0)180 5/99 66 33 

and +49 (0)800/1 50 70 90 

Railway Mission 

Phone +49 (0)421/1 34 83 

Lost property offices for German Railways 

Phone +49 (0)421/221 47 96 

Lost property office of the city of Bremen 

Phone +49 (0)421/36 11 00-80/-81 

Childcare at the Kirchentag 

Phone +49 (0)1520/2 96 56 69 

Taxi 

Phone +49 (0)421/1 40 14

Accommodation 

The Kirchentag offers to arrange accommodation for a 

fee of €17 per person (€34 for families requesting similar 

accommodation together): this is provided either in private 

family homes or in communal accommodation, mostly in 

schools in and around Bremen. This provision is conditional 

on your purchase of a Kirchentag admission pass. 

If you have booked private accommodation please 

contact your host preferably by telephone as soon as you 

receive their name and address to arrange the time of your 

arrival. Private accommodation offers you the opportunity to 

come into direct contact with local people but you have to 

be prepared to adapt to the home you will be living in as you 

would with any personal visit. Your hosts are not landlords 

or landladies renting rooms but people who wish to show 

hospitality to their Kirchentag hosts. If you find you have to 

cancel your attendance at Kirchentag please contact your 

host directly to inform them. If you have booked a hotel you 

must pay for this yourself. 

The region where we are able to offer you accommodation 

can be anywhere within the area covered by the railway 

links coming into Bremen. All of the surrounding towns can 

be easily reached using the public transport system. 

Arrival 

By car 

There are no parking places available at the exhibition 

grounds, as the Bürgerweide is being used for events during 

the whole five days. If you really cannot avoid using your 

car, we recommend using the Park & Ride (see the BSAG 

transport map on the back of the city map): 

Roland Center (Huchting) 

Universität 

Norderländer Str. 

Bardenflethstr. 

Sielhof 

Use Akschen 

Sebaldsbrück 

Coach 

Groups travelling to Bremen in their own coach need to 

contact us in advance to receive further information and 

instructions: Tel +49 (0)421/43483-216 or e-mail international@kirchentag.de 

56 57 

By Air 

Bremen Airport can be reached directly on the line 6 tram 

from the central railway station in about 20 minutes. The 

tram stop is 22 metres from the airport check in desks. 

From Wednesday 20 May your Kirchentag pass is also valid 

for this journey, as long as you have received it in advance. 

Otherwise you will need to buy a ticket from the machine for 

€2.20. Going by taxi to the city centre will cost about €10 

and takes about 20 minutes depending on traffic. 

By rail 

A range of possibilities for travel by train to Bremen are 

available from German railways [Deutsche Bahn] www.bahn. 

de. For example the bargain return ticket for € 99, valid from 

any station within Germany. Groups of six of more can take 

advantage of the “group and save” (“Gruppe & Spar”) offers. 

To reach the Kirchentag main locations exhibition 

grounds/Bürgerweide and the city centre 

All trains coming into Bremen stop at the central station, 

from the station you can walk to the exhibition grounds/ 

Bürgerweide in one direction and the city centre in the other. 

To avoid overcrowding in the railway station, when 

going from the Exhibition grounds to the city centre or to the 

tram stops please use the Gustav-Deetjen tunnel which will 

be closed to traffic during the Kirchentag and reserved for 

pedestrians and cyclists. 

Überseestadt [Harbour area] 

To get to the Überseestadt there are several possibilities: 

Bus 23 (special Kirchentag bus) 

Bus 26 from the exhibition grounds (bus stop Messezentrum, 

Kirchentag/Bürgerweide, Theodor-Heuss-Allee) see 

back of map of exhibition grounds (15 –20 min.) 

by tram either from the central railway station line 3 in the 

direction Gröpelingen to Konsul-Smidt-Str. or Waller Ring 

(15 –20 min.) 

or from the city centre from the Domsheide stop or the 

Am Brill stop with line 3 direction Gröpelingen to Konsul- 

Smidt-Str. or Waller Ring (10 –15 min.) 

as above 

On the back of the Kirchentag city map which is with your 

programme book you can find the transport map for the 

whole region where people are offering accommodation 

(Linienübersicht VBN).

Travel pass for the accommodation area 

[Quartierbereich] 

Your admission pass (whether for the whole period, or just 

a day or evening ticket), also covers all travel on public 

transport within the whole tariff-area of the local transport 

authority, including 2nd-class travel on local trains of the German 

Railways (DB). The travel pass is valid from Wednesday 

20 May to Sunday 24 May inclusive and the cost is included 

in the Kirchentag fee. If you arrive earlier on Tuesday, or stay 

on after Sunday, then you will have to buy your own ticket for 

travel on those days. 

Banks and exchange facilities 

Cash machines are available in several places at or near to 

the exhibition grounds: 

Sparkasse Bremen: exhibition grounds – public area in 

the entrance to the AWD-Dome 

Sparkasse Bremen: central railway station [Hauptbahnhof] 

ReiseBank AG: central railway station 

Sparda-Bank Hannover: square outside the railway station 

[Bahnhofplatz] 

Postbank AG: Bahnhofplatz, square outside the railway 

In addition the ReiseBank in the railway station also offers: 

exchange of currency and travellers cheques, cash payments 

on credit cards, worldwide money transfers. 

Opening hours: Monday –Saturday, 8.00 –20.00 

Bicycle hire [Fahrradverleih] 

A bicycle hire service is available at three locations. See 

also the city map, which shows cycle routes in Bremen and 

recommended routes between the Kirchentag locations. 

NB: Pedestrians should beware of walking on the cycle 

paths which are often indicated by red brick pathways 

on the ground. Watch out! 

58 59 

Bicycle hire stations 

[Radverleihstation] are at: 

Exhibition grounds: in front of the AWD-Dome (East side) 

City centre: corner of Herdentorsteinweg/Am Wall 

Überseestadt: in front of Schuppen 1 

Hire costs: 

A returnable deposit of €15 is charged for a period of 3 

hours. If kept for a longer period, then this is regarded as 

the hire charge for a day. 

Additional cycle parking places have been provided at 

the three main Kirchentag centres, in locations near to the 

hire stations: 

Exhibition grounds: along Theodor-Heuss-Allee and 

Findorff-Strasse (in front of Hall 7) 

City centre: along Martini-Str. between Bredenstr. 

and Langenstr. 

Überseestadt: by Warehouse XI [Speicher XI] 

You can also find secure and dry parking at the two cycle 

stations provided by the ADFC (Cycle Club of Germany) at 

the central railway station and at Vegesack station. During 

the Kirchentag (20 –24 May) cycles may be left here for a 

reduced charge of €2.50, plus €5 deposit. 

Kirchentagsrad 

A special limited-edition bicycle has been produced specially 

for this Kirchentag, which can either be purchased, or hired 

for the full period of the Kirchentag (while stocks last). It can 

be ordered in advance online. 

Price new: €399 (inc. lock); used (after Kirchentag – 

whilst stocks last): €366 (without lock). 

Hire charge during the Kirchentag: €33 + €50 deposit. 

See also: www.kirchentagsrad.de

Central information desk 

[Zentrale Information] 

Central Information of the 32nd German 

Protestant Kirchentag: 

AWD-Dome, Foyer 

Phone +49 (0)4 21/35 05 91 10 

Wednesday–Saturday, 8.00 –23.00 

Changes to registration 

Please inform us immediately if you find that you cannot 

participate in the Kirchentag and need to cancel your registration, 

or if there are any changes to your requirements, 

especially relating to accommodation. 

Environmentally-friendly Kirchentag 

Litter 

Please avoid litter [Müll or Abfall] especially disposable packaging. 

Please only take brochures and advertising leaflets 

you are really interested in, not every leaflet you are offered. 

Take care to separate your rubbish so that it can be re-cycled: 

at the exhibition grounds there are separate collection 

bins for glass, paper, special items and other rubbish. These 

are marked in different colours. Committed volunteer helpers 

are at the collection areas and can give more information if 

needed. Please take care not to drop litter on streets and 

squares in the town, as this would give a bad impression of 

the Kirchentag with the people of Bremen. 

Traffic 

Please avoid travel by car. A travel pass for use on all public 

transport in the whole area covered by the VBN is included in 

the Kirchentag admission pass. 

Food 

Make use of the organic food on offer in the eating places at 

the exhibition grounds and also at the organic food market 

[Naturkostmarkt] at the Überseestadt, as well as the Glass 

Restaurant [Gläsernes Restaurant] in the tent in front of the 

AWD-Dome on the Bürgerweide. 

60 61 

Future Centre 

In Hall 6 you will find stalls and exhibitions on future mobility, 

sustainable energy production and use, justice in the use of 

water and global climate change. 

First aid services [Sanitätsdienst] 

A first aid service is provided by St John’s Ambulance in cooperation 

with workers from the Maltese Cross and others, 

and attendants will be on duty at all the main large events. 

Phone +49 (0)800/192 14 02. 

first aid station can be found at: 

Exhibition grounds: in the AWD-Dome 

Überseestadt: in front of Schuppen 1 

City centre: Cathedral square 

Children’s centre (Ostertorsteinweg/Am Wall) 

Central railway station (at the front) 

International Centre 

The International Centre is the central meeting point for 

international visitors to the Kirchentag. Its team is available 

for questions about the Kirchentag, in cooperation with the 

International Visitor Service. 

The Café International is exclusively open to visitors 

from abroad and invites you to relax in a pleasant atmosphere. 

In addition you can find out about the programme and 

the region in the appropriate language. There will be a “talking 

corner“ in which you can give feedback on events and 

general impressions to the directors of the Centre, Daniel 

Schmid Holz and Gerhard Koepsel, or the members of the International 

Standing Committee. This is also a way of getting 

into conversation with one another. We are looking forward 

to hearing your opinions, suggestions and impressions. 

The International Centre can supply you with a volunteer 

with language skills, who will be pleased to accompany 

visitors to the events and help solve any problems that 

might occur. They may also be booked to provide summary 

translation for sessions with no official interpretation, or into 

languages other than English.


Kirchentag office Bremen 

Bahnhofsplatz 21 (on the left side of the square 

as you come out of the central railway station, next 

to the post office) You will find it marked on the city map. 

Phone +49 (0)4 21/43 483-216 

Fax: +49 (0)4 21/43 483-300 

Tuesday, Wednesday, 8.00 –24.00 


Internet Café 


Join in, surf, check things out – in the Red Hall [Roter Salon] 

Go online and get involved! That is the motto at the Kirchentag 

Internet Café in 2009 too. The Red Hall of Speicher 

XI in Bremen’s Überseestadt contains numerous computers 

for emailing, surfing and chatting. In addition there will be 

exciting participatory activities thanks to the internet and 

new media. 

The groups involved will present themselves at information 

stands and offer more activities to try out and join in. 

It will be clear here that the internet and new media offer 

many options for church (youth) work and are already firmly 

established there. 

Have a look at the Red Hall via webcam at 

www.kirchentag.de/internetcafe. 

Kirchentag shop 

The Kirchentag shop will be open at the following 

places and times: 

In front of the railway station: opposite the stage at the 

Überseemuseum (19 –24 May) 

Downtown: in front of Kapitel 8, Domsheide 8 (19 –23 May) 

Überseestadt: Konsul-Smidt-Str., opposite Plaza Überseestadt 

at the Europe Harbour [Europahafen] (21 –23 May) 

62 63 

Exhibition grounds: Bürgerweide, Exhibition in the Marketplace/Media 

mall, near AWD-Dome, corner Gustav-Deetjen- 

Allee (21 –24 May) 

Weser: Altenwall/Osterdeich, opposite Bremen 4-Bühne 

[stage] (only during the Evening of Encounters) 

The shops will sell e.g. fair-trade T-shirts made of organic 

cotton and the music CD to the songbook “FundStücke”, 

along with pins, mugs, jewellery and communion utensils. 

Orders: 

www.kirchentag.de/shop 

Email: shop@kirchentag.de 

Please note that postage will be charged extra. 

Left luggage 

The Kirchentag offers a free left-luggage service [Gepäckaufbewahrung]. 

Please note that your luggage is not insured in 

these left-luggage areas. You will need to take out your own 

luggage insurance as appropriate. 

Wednesday, 16.00 –24.00 

Eurosparparkhaus, Theodor-Heuss-Allee 


Zelt [tent] 11 Bürgerweide (in front of exhibition grounds) 

Sunday, 8.00 –14.00 

AWD-Dome, exhibition grounds

Lost property 

Lost property of the Kirchentag 

The Kirchentag has its own lost property offices in the Foyer 

of the AWD-Dome, exhibition grounds. 

Phone +49 (0)421/35 05 91 30 


Any items not claimed by the end of the Kirchentag 

will be sent to the Bremen city lost property. 

Lost property office of the city of Bremen 

Stresemannstr. 48, 28207 Bremen 

(Entrance via Steubenstr.) 

Phone +49 (0)421/36 11 00-80 or -81 

or +49 (0)421/36 11 00-81 

Telefax +49 (0)421/36 11 56-26 

Online Search: 

http://fundsuche02.kivbf.de 

www.stadtamt.bremen.de 

Lost property offices for German Railways 

(Deutsche Bahn AG) 

Central railway station 

Phone +49 (0)4 21/2 21 47 96 

Monday –Thursday 8.00 –12.00 and 13.00 –16.30 

Friday 8.00 –12.00 and 13.00 –14.00 

Outside these hours please go to the servicepoint 

in the station hall. 

For the Bremen Tram Company (BSAG) 

Customer Service Centre (“Kundencenter“) Gropelingen, 

Pelzerstraße 40 

Phone +49 (0)4 21/55 96 79 79 

Thurday–Saturday 8.30 –17.30 

Sunday 8.30–13.30 

64 65 

Meals 

Exhibition grounds/Bürgerweide 

The official catering services at the exhibition grounds, Arena 

Catering Bremen, will offer a variety of special dishes for the 

Kirchentag at their restaurant and in the various other places 

available to eat. Here you will find organic food on offer 

[Bioangebot] and all coffee served is fairly-traded. 

Hall 1 – South Foyer (Pizza and pasta, freshly filled ciabattas 

from €4.50, grilled snacks) 

Messe restaurant (every day, salad buffet from €3.50, 

soups and stews from €4.50, Main courses from €6, 

desserts from €4) 

Hall 4 – “For small appetites” (waffles, fish rolls, 

pretzels, hot dogs) 

Hall 5 – “Soup Bar” (a variety of soups from €4.50) 

Hall 6 (a range of organic meals) 

Hall 7 (snacks from €3, organic chili con carne) 

Gläsernes Restaurant 

The “Glass Restaurant” seeks to show that it is possible 

to provide ecologically-sustainable meals at a reasonable 

cost using seasonal, locally produced and fairly-traded 

ingredients. The Café area serves fairly traded organic 

tea and coffee. 

The Glass Restaurant receives support from the Federal 

Government programme for ecological agriculture and is an 

initiative organised by catering staff from several different 

church-run conference/training centres under the umbrella of 

the Lay Academies Association in Germany. 

Cost of a two-course menu: (starter and main course, 

or main course and dessert, and including water and bread) 

€10; reduced price €7 for those in full-time education, and 

unemployed. 

You will find the Glass Restaurant on the Bürgerweide in the 

tent in front of the AWD-Dome. 

Thursday –Saturday 11.30 –14.00 

City centre 

The “Diaconal Village” around the Church of Our Lady [Unser 

Lieben Frauen] features a village inn. 

The Children’s Centre will offer a midday lunch of coffee, 

cakes and soft drinks

Überseestadt 

At the Centre for Young People [Zentrum Jugend] and also at 

the organic food market, you will find a wide range of things 

to eat. In addition there are established restaurants on-site 

giving a wider choice. 

Naturkostmarkt 

Once again this year there will be an organic food market. 

Come and enjoy the varied and natural flavours of the region 

in which Bremen is situated, offered at fair prices both for 

you and the businesses providing the goods. The regional 

trade-mark “Weser-class” provides products ranging from 

drinks and milk products, through fruits and salads, to vegetable 

and potato dishes, as well as meat and sausages. 

Police 

The Bremen Police are available during the Kirchentag in 

many locations, e.g. in the areas where Kirchentag events 

are happening (see below) 

Town Centre Police Station: Am Wall 201 

Contact office in the shop window of the Karstadt department 

Store, Obernstr. In addition there will be extra contact 

points set up for people to go to during the Kirchentag, in 

the AWD-Dome and a mobile police station at the Überseestadt. 

Opening hours may vary. In case of difficulty please 

use the central contact number for the Police service: 

+49 (0)421/36 20 

In case of emergency, where urgent assistance is 

absolutely necessary, or you have important information 

to pass on to the Police, please call the emergency Police 

Phone 110 

The police have issued a warning about pickpockets: 

take extra care in crowds, especially if there is pushing and 

shoving, and also on public transport. Watch out if you are 

jostled or distracted by trickery. Keep your valuables on your 

body or in a purse round your waist, not in handbags or in 

external pockets in your rucksack. If you do lose your credit 

card or bank card, or your mobile phone, there is a special 

emergency number you can ring to get them blocked: 

116 116. 

66 67 

Programme pack 

The Kirchentag admission pass gives free admission to 

all Kirchentag events including the wide ranging cultural 

programme (reduced price entrance to all museums in 

Bremen and Bremerhaven). In addition it is valid as a travel 

pass for all journeys on public transport in the whole Bremen 

region from 20 to 24 May. Your programme folder includes 

the German programme, the English programme booklet, 

the songbook, a city map and further information leaflets. 

Unfortunately, some of these are only available in German. 

Return of unused tickets 

Unused tickets may be returned to the International Visitor 

Service at the latest by 14.00 on Thursday, 21 May. Day 

tickets may be returned up to 10.00 on the relevant day and 

evening tickets up to 15.00. 

Smoking ban 

No smoking is allowed at any of the Kirchentag events 

because of the fire risk and the no-smoking laws. Please 

observe this general rule strictly, for this reason and for the 

safety of yourself and others. There is also a smoking ban in 

all the schools being used for group accommodation.

Stewards [Helfer] 

Around 4,500 stewards will be on hand, taking responsibility 

for the smooth running of events and are easily recognisable 

by their “Helfer“ neckties. They carry out all kinds of jobs, 

large and small and without them the Kirchentag just couldn’t 

happen! They build structures, give information, keep order, 

act as guides, and tackle even the more difficult and technical 

jobs. These volunteers, mostly young people, work with 

unstinting enthusiasm and commitment, providing the skilled 

work which would otherwise have to be done by expensive 

professionals. Most of the stewards come from local church 

groups or denominational bodies, or from scout/guide 

groups or similar youth organisations. 

The official organisers are dependent on these young 

staff members for carrying out the more unpleasant jobs, 

like having to close the doors and refuse entry to people 

when the halls are full to capacity. Thus it can sometimes 

happen that the stewards find themselves under pressure in 

critical situations. If there are occasional problems, then they 

need the full support of all the Kirchentag visitors and an appreciative 

understanding of the service they are giving. 

Taxi 

Taxi-Ruf Bremen. Phone +49 (0)4 21/1 40 14 

Tourist Information 

The Bremen Central Tourist office is at your service for 

advice and assistance: 

Tourist-Informationen Obernstr/Liebfrauenkirchhof and in the 

central railway station 

Opening hours during the Kirchentag: 

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 9.00 –20.00, 

Sunday, 9.30 –16.00/18.00 

Queries, reservations, entrance tickets, guided city tours 

Phone +49 (0)180 5/10 10 30 or +49 (0)421/3 08 00 10 

Email dekt2009@bremen-tourism.de 

or info@bremen-tourism.de 

Hochschule f. Künste 

H 

280 

Markt der 

Möglichkeiten 

Zelt Ü2b 

68 69 

Markt der 


Zelt Ü2a 

300 

319 

Cap San Diego 

Maps 

Harbour area [Überseestadt] 

BLG-Forum 

Zentrum Jugend 

H 

H 

H 

P 

Markt der 

Plaza 


Überseestadt 

Zelt Ü2c 

Markt der 


Zelt Ü2d 

242 

216 

218 

Beluga- 

Bühne 

Junges 

Theater 

H 

Markt der Möglichkeiten 

Schuppen 1 

Feuerschiff Elbe 3 

Alexander von Humboldt 

334 

Spiel- und Sportpark 

Veranstaltungs- 

Zentrum Jugend 

zelt Ü4 

362 

322 

H 

325 

Maps 

Großherzogin Elisabeth 

P 

324 

Reformiertes Zentrum 

Schuppen 2 

H 

BLG- 

Schwimmbühne 

220 

P 

Shuttlebus in die 

Innenstadt 

Information 

Erste-Hilfe 

Naturkostmarkt 

KirchentagsShop 

Fahrradparkplatz 

Fahrradverleihstation 

Busparkplatz 

Internetcafé 

Rollstuhlgerechte Toilette 

mit Pflegepersonal 

H 

H

City centre [Innenstadt] 

70 71 

International visitor 

service

Exhibitiongrounds [Messe] 

Findorffstraße 

P 

H 

Zentrum 

Zukunft 

Foren/ 

Podien 

T reffpunkt 

Ten Sing 

Schlachthof 

Markt der 


Marktbereich 1 

Beratung & 

Seelsorge 

Bühne 

Hollerallee 

Foren/ 

Podien 

Messe im Markt Medienmeile Messe im Markt 

Bürgerweide 

Theodor-Heuss-Allee 

Congress-Centrum-Bremen 

Lloyd- 

Saal 

Borgward Saal 

Hanse Saal 

Kaisen Saal Internationales 

Kirchentag 

Barrierefrei 

Buchhandlung 

WC 

72 

Zentrum 

P 

H 

Hauptvorträge 

Hauptpodien 

Globalisierung 

Gläsernes 

Restaurant 

Zentrum 

Älterwerden 

Messe im 

Markt 

P 

EKD- 

Media 

Messe im 

Markt 

H 

Fußweg zur Innenstadt 

HBF 

Tunnel 

Gustav-Deetjen-AlleeGustav-Deetjen- 

P 

Kinderbetreuung 

H 

WC 

P 

Shuttlebus in die 

Überseestadt 

Gepäckaufbewahrung 

Fundbüro 

T reffpunkt 

Information 

Rollstuhlgerechte Toilette 

mit Pflegepersonal 

Erste-Hilfe 

Essen 

KirchentagsShop 

Fahrradparkplatz 

Fahrradverleihstation 

Ein- und Ausgang 

Imprint 

Published by: 32nd Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag 

Responsible: Dr Silke Lechner, Sarah Schad 

Editorial team: Sheila Brain, Elaine Griffiths, 

Jane Stranz, Rania Al-Sahhoum 

Layout: adome.it GrafikDesign, Dortmund 

Print run: 4000 

Status: March 2009 

Subject to change

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