The roots of the American Church in Berlin (ACB) can be
traced back to the time of Bismarck with documentation
indicating that formal services were held in an American
Chapel in 1865. In 1886 the name of the American Chapel was
formally changed to the American Church. Sporadic efforts
to affiliate the church with the AFCU were initiated in 1889
and repeated periodically. Finally, after many
negotiations, in 1914 the AFCU agreed to manage a trust fund
for the building or purchase of a parish house on behalf of
the American Church in Berlin. Thus began the formal
relationship with the AFCU.
Turmoil followed World War I and in the efforts to come
to terms with the situation, the AFCU agreed to accept the
ownership of the Berlin Church building in 1921. This
ownership continued until World Ward II when the church was
destroyed by allied bombing. Without the money or desire to
rebuild the church at this location, the lot was sold in
1956 for $49,000 and the money put into the trust fund.
Also, in 1967, the U.S. War Claims Commission awarded the
AFCU $195,000 as compensation for the loss of the building.
These funds became the primary base for the endowment fund
which today supports the American Church in Berlin.
Following World War II, many challenges faced this and
other churches. These struggles culminated in the merger
with the Lutheran American Church in Berlin. This church
continues to this day with the endowment fund being managed
by the AFCU and the minister selected jointly by the ELCA
and ACB.
American Church
in Berlin website
