Leipzig celebrates 25 years after the reopening of the Thomaskirche!

Leipzig celebrates 25 years after the reopening of the Thomaskirche!

On June 7, 2025, the congregation of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig will proudly look back on an important historical event: the rededication of the church 25 years ago, on June 11, 2000, after thorough renovation. This renovation was urgently needed and lasted over three years, during which the church was not only restored but also adapted to its original late Gothic color scheme. The total cost of the project was twelve million euros, with the Protestant St. Thomas Church community raising around ten million marks itself to finance the extensive renovation work. In order to raise this amount, the community initiated a fundraising campaign in the 1990s.

An important part of these efforts was the founding of the “Thomaskirche – Bach 2000” association on March 21, 1997. The association has since established itself as a central player in the preservation and promotion of the Thomaskirche. One of the first initiatives was the opening of a gift shop in the churchyard, which opened its doors on July 10, 1998 and was heavily frequented by a tour group. The association currently has around 357 members from Germany, Europe, Japan, the USA and Australia who are actively involved in the preservation of the church and support important projects such as the purchase of a new ventilation and humidification system and the restoration of the two organs.

A variety of projects support the preservation of St. Thomas Church

Thanks to the commitment of the support association, numerous important projects have been realized in recent years. This includes, among other things, the production of a tactile model of St. Thomas Church for the blind, which makes it easier for them to access the church. Another highlight was the return of the neo-Gothic Jesus altar in 2016, which was made possible through the commitment of a club member. A consecration of bells in October 2021 marked the completion of the restoration and expansion of the historic bells of St. Thomas Church.

The Thomaskirche is not only home to the famous St. Thomas Choir, but also the resting place of Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most important composers in music history. A surprising number of guests were expected in 2024, around 132,000 people who would like to visit the historic site. In order to cope with this rush and to keep the church in perfect condition, stonemasonry work is currently underway in the entrance area of ​​the Bach portal to refurbish the historic entrance doors.

Next Pentecost Sunday, June 8th, the community will commemorate the inauguration of the church 25 years ago with a special service and festivities. Christian Wolff, who was pastor of St. Thomas Church until his retirement in 2014, looks back gratefully on the previous renovation and the numerous progress the community has made since then. In the years since its founding, the support association has raised around 6 million euros to support the parish and will continue to make a decisive contribution to ensuring that the Thomaskirche in Leipzig is preserved in its full splendor.

Further information about the support association and how you can support it can be found on the [association] website (https://www.thomaskirche.org/helfer/thomaskirche-bach-e-v/). In addition, [evangelisch.de](https://www.evangelisch.de/contente/244156/08-06-2025/wiedereinweihung-vor-25-jahren-leipzig- Feiert-seine-thomaskirche) reports in detail about the history and significance of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig.