The central building, designed by the Siegburg architect Hans Lob, consecrated in 1970, shares the fate of many churches: As the number of worshippers has been declining for years, the former places of worship are being decommissioned. Forced by necessity, the St. Josef parish in Eitorf and the Archdiocese of Cologne decided years ago to sell the listed round church. 17 interested buyers came forward, among them Thomas Baumgärtel. He was awarded the contract – however, this was initially associated with a questionable clause. The Archdiocese had demanded that church-critical content could not be shown in the Bananensprayer Museum in the purchase agreement. Baumgärtel successfully protested this act of anticipatory censorship. The clause has since been removed from the contract.
Now the artist and soon-to-be builder is full of eagerness: "The building," says Baumgärtel, "is in good overall condition. There are a few construction defects that need to be fixed. The roof was newly covered not long ago, and the 3000 square meter plot is well maintained." The interior of the church is largely empty. In the outdoor area, a sculpture of St. Joseph, created by the Hennef sculptor Manfred Saul, commemorates the patronage. A bell is also still present – "but it must not be rung," says Baumgärtel.
What is the status of the negotiations with the Archdiocese of Cologne? Thomas Baumgärtel: "A notary appointment has been commissioned. The purchase agreement still needs to be reviewed by both sides. There is supposed to be a site visit at the end of January or the beginning of February to check the church for any damage from the last two years of negotiations. It still needs to be clarified what renovation measures are urgently needed – for example, ground-level accessible sanitary facilities." And what about the financial side of this ambitious project? "The financing is not yet 100 percent secured," explains the artist. "I am in negotiations with further sponsors."
Two to four presentations, possibly accompanied by events, is what Baumgärtel is planning in the Eitorf Culture Church. One of them is intended to be dedicated to his own work. "The rest," says the sprayer, "can become group exhibitions, exhibitions of guest artists, or of work groups with collaborative works created in cooperation with other artists over the decades." Thomas Baumgärtel hopes for an opening in the second half of the year.
