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Geschiedenis
The German Evangelical Church, later the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church, was built 1882-1883. The foundation stone was laid on 13 July 1882 in Dacres Road, Sydenham and the church was finally dedicated on 17 March 1883.
The origin of the Sydenham congregation preceeds the building of the church. On Good Friday 1875, the first service was conducted by Pastor Elias Schrenk in Park Hall Congregational Church, The Grove, Sydenham. On 14 April of the same year, the first church committee was formed.
The church suffered greatly during the two World Wars. From Easter 1916 until October 1921, the church was forced to close because of hostility towards the German community. In December 1940, incendiary bombs set fire to the church. The damage was such that the building was finally demolished in August 1950. Negotiations with the War Damage Commision raised $34,000 in funds for the rebuilding of the church.
The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 20 July 1958, and the church was dedicated 21 June 1959. The new church was renamed the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church, a suggestion made by Professor Franz Hildebradt. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was pastor of the German Evangelical Church in Sydenham and the German Reformed Church of St Paul's, Whitechapel between 1933-1935. He led his congregations to join the Confessing Church in Germany, and in the early years of the Nazi regime, German refugees recieved help from the two congregations. He was a prominent member of the German Resistance Movement and was involved in a plot to assasinate Hitler. On 9 April 1945, he was hanged by the Nazis in Flossenburg concentration camp.
Other pastors who served at the church (until 1953) are as follows:-
1876-1890 Wagner, C (Budapest) 1890-1894 Meister, M (Berlin-Brandenburg)
1895-1902 Diettrich, Dr (Berlin)
1902-1911 Wollschlager (Westphalia)
1912-1918 Goehling, O (Berlin-Brandenburg)
1922-1933 Singer, F (Wurttemberg)
1933-1935 Bonhoeffer, D (Berlin)
1935-1939 Bockheler, M (Wurtemberg)
1953 - Bethge, E (Berlin)