The story of a vanished church
St. Moritz Church in Spandau was possibly the oldest church in what is now Berlin. A wooden church with a churchyard existed there as early as 1180, which was replaced by a stone building in the 13th century and later remodeled.
Image gallery
Kreuzbeschlag, 1. Drittel 13. Jahrhundert, Fundort: Berlin-Spandau, Moritzkirche Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte
The French-Napoleonic occupation of Spandau in 1806 desecrated the building and used it as a slaughterhouse and warehouse. The Prussian army also retained the former church as a barracks. In 1920, the year Spandau was incorporated into Greater Berlin, the originally medieval structure was demolished to make way for new residential buildings.
While its approximate location remained known (Breite Straße 32, 13597 Berlin), it was still a minor sensation when the medieval foundations of St. Moritz Church were rediscovered during construction work in 2023. With this exhibition, the Spandau City History Museum is dedicating itself for the first time to a comprehensive history of this forgotten house of worship. The exhibition focuses on the archaeological excavations carried out there in 2023/24 and their findings. On display are selected original objects—some from graves in the churchyard—and archival materials, some dating back to the Middle Ages, which are rarely exhibited. Later documents, historical photographs, and digital archaeological analyses offer further fascinating insights—and raise the question of whether Spandau's church history is even older than that of Berlin-Cölln.
OPENING RECEPTION
Speakers:- Dr. Carola Brückner, District Councillor for Culture
- Dr. Torsten Dressler, Archaeologist and Curator
- Dr. Urte Evert, Museum Director
Additional information
Dates
March 2026
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