New prayer house for three religions
A new project that started in Germany will build the world's first building for Christians, Jews and Muslims to pray in. It is called the 'House of One'. It should open in 2016. People can donate money to help build it. The project will cost €43.5 million. The idea started in 2009 when archaeologists digging in Berlin found the city's earliest church. An architect called Wilfried Kuehn then decided it would be a good idea to build a multi-religion building on the same site. He said: "We quickly agreed that something visionary and forward-looking should be built on what is the founding site of Berlin." A Jewish leader said Berlin was the best place for the building because it was where the extermination of the Jews was planned in World War II. He said: "Berlin is the city of wounds and miracles. Now, the first house in the world for three religions is to be built here." The Christian leader agreed, saying: "Berlin is the city of the peaceful fall of the Berlin Wall and the peaceful coexistence of believers from different faiths." A Muslim leader hoped the building would let different religions understand each other better. He wanted "children to have a future in which diversity is the norm". |