Schwerin (dpa/mv) - The churches in Mecklenburg want to save energy in the future - for climate protection and also because of the current energy crisis in Germany. As the city of Wismar also announced on Thursday, the city churches it administers should no longer be illuminated at night. This should save energy and costs, as it was said.
The other landlords in the region are also concerned: while the Protestant Church in Mecklenburg is already addressing the issue on a larger scale, the Catholics are still preparing.
The Evangelical-Lutheran North Church in Mecklenburg sees itself on the right track when it comes to energy transition. A "Climate Protection Plan 2030" has already been adopted to reduce emissions from churches and vicarages. They would also like to set up four of their own wind turbines on church land and equip church roofs with photovoltaic systems. Here, however, the Protestant Church in the state sees itself slowed down by both the planning and the monument protection authorities.
According to the North Church in Mecklenburg, each congregation decides independently on the lighting of the places of worship. However, permanent lighting is not usual anyway, it said. As a rule, there is a timer that switches off the outside lights during the night.
The Archdiocese of Hamburg, whose territory includes Mecklenburg, also wants to address the issue. As a spokesman announced, consultations are currently underway to prepare for the coming autumn. In the end, there will be recommendations to the Catholic parishes, who will then decide for themselves. The Archdiocese does not have an overview of which energy-saving measures are already being implemented by the parishes in Mecklenburg.
