The interior of the University Church St Paul, Leipzig
The Foundation promotes, within its financial resources, the creation and use of a site, which as a structural and functional unit, is both church and university auditorium. The interior is largely based on models of the historic origin.


At  the end of a much noted sermon in the St Nikolai Church in Leipzig on the 40th Anniversary of the demolition of the University Church St Pauli on 30 May 2008 Bishop Jochen Bohl succinctly identified the historic significance of the shared space of assembly hall and University Church:
'Forty years ago, faith and science were to be separated, yet they do belong together. It is good that in future they will have a common ground at the Leipzig Augustus Square. There should be no partition between them. Amen.'

Innenraum der Universitätskirche St. Pauli im 19. Jahrhundert
Innenraum als Aula und Universitätskirche St. Pauli, Entwurf EEA Erick van Egeraat

        Interior of the University Church in the 19th century                      Modern resurrection of the University Church            
          Watercolored painting of Carl Ferdinand Sprosse                                  Courtesy of epd-BILDERDIENST



The Custody of the University of Leipzig, under the direction of Dr Rudolph Hiller von Gaertringen and with the support of private donations undertook several years of extensive restoration of more than 50 epitaphs, pictures and sculptures to be shown in the choir of the University Church.

In December 2008, the former Director of the Regional Conservation in Saxony, Professor Dr Dr hc Heinrich Magirius in a Opinion on important national heritage and functional issues of the interior design expressed the following:                     
'The  owner, the Free State of Saxony, and the designing architect Erick van Egeraat designed the interior of the 'Paulinum' on the site of the University Church St Paul which was destroyed in 1968 as 'memorial architecture'. The long, three-aisle nave and the hint of an arch bearing area are meant to be reminiscent of the late Gothic style of the church. The future use is to be based on this tradition: The space will serve as a worship space, as a concert hall and as a university auditorium. Last but not least the more than 50 epitaphs, pictures and sculptures, which were salvaged in 1968 under difficult conditions and which are currently being restored at great expense, will be exhibited in the form of a museum. This includes not least the Baroque pulpit, created by Valentin Schwarzenberger in 1738. (...) In the context of the proposed memorial architecture, it would be wrong to separate the choir as a worship space and 'museum' from the nave as the 'Great Hall' and 'concert room' through a glass partition. It would rather important to create a space which can be experienced in its entirety as it was historically determined. The photos from the time before 1968 show that the pulpit has a crucial role as a link between the choir and the nave. It is inconceivable for the pulpit to be placed anywhere other than where it was intended to be historically. It seems completely incomprehensible today that the historic pulpit should not be placed in the building. (...) Finally, as a conservator I want to argue strongly once again that the epitaphs should be affixed on the walls. Most of them are huge stone-carvings which need the rear walls with the choir screens in place like they used to in the University Church. The idea of the architect to have the extant monuments as if they were free-floating in space, is contrary to any understanding of their appropriate aesthetic role and impact. If the architect had intended to create a building free from any reminder of the historical givenness, one could perhaps imagine such a play with novel aesthetic effects, but not as part of a building which is specifically intended to remind through use as a church of the former University Church St Paul.'

The Foundation is convinced that future generations will accomplish the purpose of the building as expressed in this Opinion by Professor Magirius, which at the request of the University of Leipzig has not yet realized by the owner, the Free State of Saxony. One of the long-term objectives of the Foundation is -within its financial possibilities- to participate in such a future.