Night of the Open Churches Cottbus

Cottbus and the Lusatian Church Landscape

Cottbus, with just under 100,000 inhabitants, is the second-largest city in Brandenburg and home to a rich church landscape: Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran (Landeskirche and SELK), Evangelical Methodist, free churches, as well as Sorbian/Wendish traditions. The city has a turbulent confessional history and is today the seat of several inter-congregational initiatives — including the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen Cottbus (Working Group of Christian Churches Cottbus), which has been putting ecumenism into practice for decades. The Night of the Open Churches is one of the most visible formats of this ecumenism.

Ecumenical Tradition Since 2002

The Night of the Open Churches has been held on Whit Sunday since 2002 in Cottbus and many other cities in Berlin-Brandenburg. The concept: church spaces become meeting places at night. Concerts, readings, dances, devotions, or simply silence — each congregation designs its own program. The Cottbus edition involves 14 churches of various denominations and movements, cooperating under a common motto. In 2026, the motto is “Churches are open spaces for everyone!” — an invitation to believers and the curious alike to experience church spaces anew.

Program — Diverse Styles, Shared Night

The 2026 program combines very different musical and cultural styles. In the Kreuzkirche (SELK), the St. Peter Gospel Singers, under new direction, will sing “I've got a reason” — Gospel until 11 p.m. The Kirche Mittendrin is dedicated to the Wendish-Sorbian tradition: the Tanzhaus Lausitz will present Sorbian-Wendish folk dances three times (9, 10, and 11 p.m.). In the Oberkirche St. Nikolai, the Berlin vocal ensemble N.E.o.N will perform the concert “Summa” with classical vocal music (9, 10, and 11 p.m.). In the Ev.-Methodistische Kirche, the group Jarobinka will play Wendish music starting at 8 p.m. (with encores at 9 and 10 p.m.). The Klosterkirche offers a liturgical tour until midnight. A total of 14 venues with individual programs — a church-hopping night in the best sense.

Getting There and Practical Information

Cottbus is reachable from Berlin in 1 hour and 15 minutes by RE 2 or ICE. The participating churches are mostly located in the city center and are within walking distance. The main program starts at 9 p.m. on Whit Sunday — perfect for day-trippers from Berlin who want to experience an evening in another city after dinner. Admission to all program points is free — donations for the congregations are welcome.