Freiberg Germany Temple

The Freiberg Temple is the 33 still existing temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( Mormons). He stands in Freiberg in Saxony.

History

The Freiberg Temple was the first temple of this church, which was built on German soil. He is the only temple that was built in a socialist country, namely the former GDR. Officially, the building of the temple on October 9, 1982, it was announced. Previously, there were many years of negotiations, the church leadership with the government of the GDR, since the members of the GDR only very rarely got permission to travel to visit a temple outside the GDR. These negotiations eventually led to the plan to build a temple even in the GDR. The groundbreaking ceremony of Thomas S. Monson of the construction was begun on 23 April 1983. The temple was consecrated on 29 June 1985 by Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor in the First Presidency. The original temple had an area of ​​30 mx 25 m. With a floor space of 730 sqm, he was one of the smallest temple of the Church. As the first president of the temple functioned until 1991 by Henry Burkhardt, who was also President of the Church in East Germany until German reunification.

With the fall of the Iron Curtain, the church grew in Eastern Europe. Thus an extension of the temple was necessary. The usable area of the temple grew by a cultivation and the construction of a basement of about 600 m². In the course of these conversions a statue of the angel Moroni was placed on the tower. After completion of the renovation of the temple of Gordon B. Hinckley, then president of the church was rededicated on September 7, 2002.

Until the dedication of the Kyiv Ukraine Temple of the Temple District of the Freiberg Temple handed to Russia. He now serves the church members in the new federal states of Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. On Temple Square is available in a limited number of hostel accommodation for temple visitors.