Evangelisches Johannesstift

The Evangelisches Johannesstift is a Protestant diaconal foundation (Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts) based in the Hakenfelde district of Berlin-Spandau, Germany. It was founded on 25 April 1858 by Johann Hinrich Wichern, a leading figure in the German diaconal movement, who named it after his favourite evangelist John and took its motto from the First Epistle of John: "Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." The foundation's purpose is to support people in need through a range of diaconal services. Its work began in a rented apartment in Berlin-Moabit, where twelve young "brothers" from Wichern's Rauhes Haus in Hamburg were trained as deacons and engaged in prison ministry, poor relief and care for released prisoners. In 1864 the foundation acquired a large site at Berlin-Plötzensee and built a settlement of some thirty houses with a church. When the Westhafen inland port was planned, the site had to be sold, and in 1906 the foundation bought about 75 hectares in the Spandau city forest, moving there by 1910. The Spandau campus remains its home today, with a church, hospital, hotel and conference centre, school, bookshop, shops, a nursery and numerous diaconal facilities. Over the decades the Johannesstift expanded its services from deacon training and youth welfare into geriatric care, elderly care, disability support and youth welfare, and from 1992 it also ran diaconal services in Brandenburg. In 2018 it merged with the Paul Gerhardt Diakonie, and since 2019 the merged entity has operated under the name Johannesstift Diakonie, with the Evangelisches Johannesstift as a shareholder. The foundation relies on donations and legacies to fund investments, while its ongoing work is generally refinanced from public funds. It is known in the region for large annual harvest festival and Christmas events that draw thousands of visitors.

The Evangelisches Johannesstift was founded on 25 April 1858 by Johann Hinrich Wichern in Berlin, in the presence of friends and patrons at the Sing-Akademie (today the Maxim Gorki Theatre). Wichern, a theologian and pioneer of the Inner Mission movement, had already founded the Rauhes Haus in Hamburg in 1833 and had been called to Berlin by King Frederick William IV as an adviser on social affairs and prison reform. He named the new foundation after his favourite evangelist, John, and adopted the motto from the First Epistle of John: "Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." Its dual purpose was service to neighbours and the training of deacons. Work began in September 1858 with twelve young brothers from the Rauhes Haus, initially in a rented apartment in Berlin-Moabit. The brothers were trained as educators and poor-relief workers in the Christian-diaconal sense, worked in Moabit prison, engaged in poor relief and cared for released prisoners. In 1864 the foundation acquired a 30-hectare site near Plötzensee and laid the foundation stone of the main building, designed by architect Carl Wilhelm Hoffmann. By the turn of the century the settlement had grown to about thirty houses, with the church consecrated in 1897 at its centre. Alongside deacon training, the care and education of children and young people were central. When Berlin planned the Westhafen inland port on the Plötzensee site at the end of the 19th century, the foundation had to sell the land and vacate it by 1910. Lengthy negotiations secured a favourable price of around 11.2 million marks (roughly 85.5 million euros in today's purchasing power), enabling the foundation in 1906 to buy its present site, about 75 hectares in the Spandau city forest. The building ensemble with the Stiftskirche at its centre was erected by 1910. The Johannesstift thus became a diaconal community in Spandau, combining care, education, housing and work. Over the 20th century the foundation broadened its activities from deacon training and youth welfare to include youth, disability and elderly care. From 1992 it also became a provider of diaconal services in Brandenburg. On 1 January 2018 it merged with the Paul Gerhardt Diakonie, and since 2019 the merged organisation has operated under the name Johannesstift Diakonie, with the Evangelisches Johannesstift as a shareholder. The foundation continues to rely on donations and legacies for investments, while its ongoing work is generally refinanced from public funds. Its campus in Hakenfelde remains a lively diaconal community with a church, hospital, hotel and conference centre, school, bookshop, shops, nursery and numerous social institutions, and it hosts large annual harvest festival and Christmas events that attract thousands of visitors from Berlin and beyond.

• 2019

  The merged organisation adopts the name Johannesstift Diakonie.

• 2018

  Merger with the Paul Gerhardt Diakonie on 1 January.

• 1992

  The Johannesstift becomes a provider of diaconal services in Brandenburg.

• 1910

  Completion of the building ensemble with the Stiftskirche and move to Spandau.

• 1906

  Purchase of the present site, about 75 hectares in the Spandau city forest.

• 1897

  Consecration of the church at the Plötzensee site.

• 1864

  Acquisition of a 30-hectare site at Berlin-Plötzensee and laying of the foundation stone of the main building.

• 1858

  Foundation of the Evangelisches Johannesstift on 25 April by Johann Hinrich Wichern in Berlin.

• 1858

  Work begins in September with twelve young brothers from the Rauhes Haus in a rented apartment in Berlin-Moabit.

A Christian diaconal foundation providing social care and community services, rooted in the tradition of Johann Hinrich Wichern and funded partly by donations.

• Geriatric and elderly care

  Residential and support services for older people.

• Disability support

  Assistance for people with disabilities.

• Youth welfare

  Educational and social services for children and young people.

• Diakonisches Bildungszentrum

  Training centre for social professions.

• Hospices

  Accompaniment for people at the end of life.

• LeNa visiting service

  Visiting service reconnecting isolated older people with their neighbourhood.

1. 1Startseite | Evangelisches Johannesstiftevangelisches-johannesstift.de
2. 2Über uns | Evangelisches Johannesstiftevangelisches-johannesstift.de
3. 3Geschichte | Evangelisches Johannesstiftevangelisches-johannesstift.de
4. 4Evangelisches Johannesstift – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Evangelisches Johannesstift Berlin – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org