Eighty per cent are under preservation orders as historical buildings, only five per cent are in a good state of repair, and thirty per cent are in such bad condition that they should actually be abandoned or demolished. In other parts of Germany, particularly in the east, the situation is not much better. The consequences of the Second World War are still in evidence. In spite of many efforts, many restoration attempts during the lifetime of the East German Republic failed due to the attitude of those responsible, lack of money and bad materials. Preservationists, church parishes and the local councils now face almost insurmountable problems because of their empty purses.
Churches belong to the village scene, say many people.
And churches boarded up by the building control authorities or with collapsed towers do not fit into the picture of the improved appearance of the villages. That is one reason. Even in a secular society, that is already in the second and third generation, there is a growing feeling that church buildings could be more than just historical monuments. Now hope is stirring, that churches could form the new central point of community life - equally for the ecclesiastical and the civil community. Therefore, many people are prepared to tackle the problems and to make many things possible using self-help measures that appear hopeless by normal bureaucratic procedures.