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In 2017, the Fire Organ Chapel in Krobitz, and thus the first IBA project, was completed. It is one of several model projects of the "STADTLAND:KIRCHE" initiative of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany and IBA.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The St. Anna Chapel in Krobitz, with its small nave, inspired Carsten Nicolai, an internationally renowned artist, to build a fire organ for the long abandoned chapel.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The old chapel had been closed and almost forgotten for many decades. Only once a year, on Ascension Day,  was a service celebrated outside.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
Before the artwork could be installed, minimally invasive restoration measures were carried out in the chapel according to preservation standards. For a long time, the chapel was merely a storage space.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The local residents, Carsten Nicolai, the church congregation and community of Weira, EKM, and IBA representatives exchanged ideas about the history of the chapel and its possible future as a cultural venue.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
Nicolai's sculptural work "organ" — the English word for organ — was completed in just a few months. It is both a work of art and a musical instrument, inspired by the so-called flame organs from the late 18th century.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
The project community and curious visitors came together in 2017 for the opening of the project and the premiere of the fire organ with a piece specially composed by the artist.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
Since then, the cultural venue has attracted numerous musicians and hikers. The concerts are often accompanied by a communal meal at a festively decorated table, supported by the Landfrauen of Weira, an association of and for women in rural areas.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
Even the devout Minister-President of Thuringia, Bodo Ramelow, marveled at the fire organ during his summer tour in 2020.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
Jan David and Frank Scholz from the Friends of the Fire Organ open the small chapel monthly from April to September and on special occasions. Without their commitment, the project could not have been realized.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
At least once a year, there is a concert with regional and international musicians who interact with the artwork >organ<.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
During the final IBA tour in 2023, the IBA presented the project sponsors with a certificate of inclusion in the IBA final presentation.
© Stiftung Baukultur Thüringen/IBA Thüringen, photographer Thomas Müller
For the six-year anniversary of the fire organ's opening in 2023, Carsten Nicolai returned to Krobitz with artists friends and performed a new piece.
Photographer: Henry Sowinski, Weimar
Unlike a classic organ, the tones of the flame organ are produced by gas flames, which cause the airflow to vibrate in 25 glass cylinders arranged in two rows.
Photographer: Henry Sowinski, Weimar
Photographer: Henry Sowinski, Weimar

Fire Organ Chapel

⸺ Art chapel with an ›organ‹

https://feuerorgel-kapelle-krobitz.de
For many decades, the 950-year-old Romanesque chapel of St. Anna in Krobitz near Weira was closed off. Only once a year, on Ascension Day, a church service was held outdoors. Mentioned for the first time in 1074 and last used in the 1950s, the building was almost forgotten. However, this monument is a historic treasure in the Saale-Orla district. As part of the call for ideas by the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM) and the IBA Thuringia in 2016, courageous and dedicated neighbors and artist Carsten Nicolai came together to take the future of the chapel into their own hands, together with the church community and the municipality of Weira. A ›Kunstkapelle‹ (art chapel) with an organ was created as a result of this effort. Together with the project team of the call for ideas StadtLand:Kirche, Carsten Nicolai was searching for a suitable location for an art installation. Which church was particularly suitable for his vision? The chapel of St. Anna in Krobitz, with its small nave, inspired him particularly strongly. He designed an unusual organ specifically for this place, using funding from the German Federal Cultural Foundation. 

Nicolai's sculptural work ›organ‹ is both a work of art and a musical instrument, inspired by so-called flame organs from the late 18th century. In contrast to a classical organ, the sounds are here generated by gas flames, which cause the air flow to vibrate in 25 double-rowed glass cylinders. The tubes were built by media artist Frank Fietzek and contemporary art producer Rob Feigel, both from Berlin. The shapes of the variously long resonance tubes are based on pipe organs. What is special about this installation is that the sound generation is visible thanks to the flames. Igniting them signals the start of the twelve-minute piece composed specifically for the fire organ by Carsten Nicolai. Each of the individual flames under the glass cylinders must be ignited manually. Their heat then flows into the glass tubes, producing different tones. The Krobitz fire organ is thus both a musical instrument and a source of light and warmth.

However, before the artwork could be installed, minimally invasive conservation measures were carried out in the chapel. In addition to the restoration with a new rammed earth floor, a surrounding oak bench was installed. The architecture office nitschke + kollegen from Weimar planned and supervised the construction measure. To maintain and care for the church and the artwork, to start the fire organ, to repair it if necessary, and to inform visitors about the project, a circle of friends was formed consisting of local residents and members of the Krobitz/Weira Protestant church. Without them, the chapel would remain closed, as such places need dedicated people who are willing to take care of them voluntarily. 

The chapel is opened for the public from Easter to autumn. At least once a year, there is a concert featuring regional and international musicians who correspond with the artwork ›organ‹. The concerts are often accompanied by a communal meal at a festive table, supported by Landfrauen, a network for women in rural areas, of the municipality of Weira.

The Feuerorgel Kapelle Krobitz is the first realized project within the open call for ideas ›StadtLand:Kirche‹ in 2017, and it exemplifies how a creative co-use of church spaces can inspire and invigorate community life. With the installation of the fire organ, the chapel has gained an additional use as an art space and has already welcomed a large number of visitors since its reopening, which is managed by the community and the church congregation.

Ort

Kapelle St. Anna

Ortsteil der Gemeinde Weira
07806 Krobitz

Cooperation partner

Financial support

Involved In Planning

Involved In Construction

Musiker:Innen

  • Matthias von Hintzenstern
  • Pina Rücker
  • Jan Heinke
  • Neue Dresdner Kammermusik