Donations enable the work of the House of One

In a three-month fundraising campaign, the House of One Foundation successfully raised 110,000 euros. Of this amount, 90,000 euros were matched by the Bethe Foundation and the HeLe Avus Foundation. As a result, the foundation was able to raise a total of 200,000 euros.

On Wednesday (April 30), Martin Hamburger from the Bethe Foundation presented a symbolic check at the construction site of the House of One in the center of Berlin to Rabbi Andreas Nachama and Imam Kadir Sanci of the House of One. "All real life is encounter," said retired pastor Hamburger, quoting the religious philosopher Martin Buber. “Especially in today’s world, encounters between religions and cultures are more important than ever. That is what the work of the House of One Foundation stands for.”

The funds will be split equally between educational programs and the construction of the sacred building. “The money enables us to further strengthen our interreligious educational work with schools, companies, and other institutions,” said Osman Örs, Education Coordinator at the House of One Foundation. In 2024 alone, 3,000 people took part in workshops that promote knowledge of religions, counter prejudice, and encourage peaceful coexistence. This educational work is currently supported by Berlin’s Senate Department for Culture, which has approved funding for three projects in 2025.

Requirements for House of One have changed

The funds are also helping to push forward the preparation for construction, which had been delayed due to a sharp rise in building costs. “We are currently revising the plans,” said Rabbi Andreas Nachama, a member of the House of One’s executive board. After all, the architectural competition took place 12 years ago, and the requirements have changed in some respects. “For example, our educational program has developed far more positively than we could have anticipated. This is due to increasing social polarization, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the rise in antisemitism and anti-Muslim sentiment, and other political developments,” Nachama said. The importance of education must be reflected in the spatial planning.

At the same time, the foundation is doing everything possible to remain within the funding framework provided by the federal and state governments, which have together pledged nearly 45 million euros. Most recently, the overall cost had risen to 69.5 million euros due to rising construction prices. “Our revised plans will take both the increased costs and educational requirements into account, in order to stay within the approved budget.”

The House of One is a unique sacred building being constructed on Petriplatz, uniting a synagogue, church, and mosque under one roof. At the heart of the building is a large central meeting space on the first floor, from which the three prayer rooms are accessible.

(c) Photos: Benjamin Pritzkuleit