Name: Paul-Gerhardt Days Mittenwalde 2026
Start: 2026-05-27T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-06-07T00:00:00+00:00
Location: St.-Moritz-Kirche, Paul-Gerhardt-Haus (Rathaus) und Stadtgebiet Mittenwalde

Paul-Gerhardt Days

About Paul-Gerhardt Days

Mittenwalde is the Paul-Gerhardt town: the significant Protestant hymn writer worked here from 1651 to 1657 as provost at St. Moritz Church and wrote some of his most famous chorales. For the 350th anniversary of his death, the town of Mittenwalde, together with the Protestant parish, is organizing a twelve-day festival week from May 27 to June 7, 2026, with concerts, readings, hikes, church services, and a pilgrimage ride along the Paul-Gerhardt trails. The highlight is the choir and orchestra concert 'Wandelt eure Klag in Singen' (Turn your lament into singing) on June 5 with the Sächsischer Kammerchor in St. Moritz Church.

Dates 27 May — 07 Jun 2026

Venue Mittenwalde (12061)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Paul-Gerhardt Days — edition 2026

The Paul-Gerhardt Days 2026 commemorate the 350th anniversary of the hymn writer's death with twelve days of programming in Mittenwalde. Concerts in St. Moritz Church, hikes, a bike tour to Lübben, readings, and church services fill the festival calendar. Highlight: the concert 'Wandelt eure Klag in Singen' on June 5 with the Sächsischer Kammerchor.

The festival week for the 350th anniversary of his death begins on May 27 at 6 p.m. with a commemorative event featuring brass music and songs in St. Moritz Church. This is followed by the hike on the Paul-Gerhardt-Weg (May 30), a family service (May 31), Fabian Vogt's reading in Ragow (June 1), a guided tour of the Paul-Gerhardt-Haus (June 3), the grand gala concert with the Sächsischer Kammerchor (June 5, 6 p.m., €26), the Mittenwalde–Lübben bike tour (June 6), and the Mittenwalde Sermon to conclude on June 7 at 10:30 a.m.

Highlights Paul-Gerhardt Days 2026

350th anniversary of the death of the significant Protestant hymn writer
Gala concert with the Sächsischer Kammerchor on June 5
Reading by bestseller author Fabian Vogt
Pilgrimage and hiking trails in the footsteps of Paul Gerhardt

Programme Paul-Gerhardt Days 2026

Program 2026

May 27, 6 p.m. — Opening event Brass & Songs, St. Moritz Church
May 30, 10 a.m. — Hike Paul-Gerhardt-Weg (9.5 km, 3 hrs)
May 31, 11 a.m. — Family service, St. Moritz
June 1, 6:30 p.m. — Reading Fabian Vogt 'Meines Herzens Lust', Ragow
June 3, 4:30 p.m. — Guided tour Paul-Gerhardt-Haus (Town Hall)
June 5, 6 p.m. — Concert 'Wandelt eure Klag in Singen', Sächsischer Kammerchor, St. Moritz Church (€26)
June 6, 10 a.m. — Bike tour Mittenwalde–Lübben
June 7, 10:30 a.m. — Mittenwalde Sermon

Prices Paul-Gerhardt Days 2026

Gala concert June 5: €26. Hikes, readings, and church services mostly free or by donation.

Practical information

Practical information — Paul-Gerhardt Days

Getting There

Mittenwalde is located about 30 km south of Berlin in the Dahme-Spreewald district. Accessible by car via the A13 (Mittenwalde exit); by public transport via regional train RE7 to Bestensee station and bus 730 to Mittenwalde.

Tickets

Concert tickets for the gala concert on June 5 cost €26. Other program items are mostly free or by donation.

Contact

Town of Mittenwalde, Tourist Information: 033764 / 898640 — [email protected]

A Festival Week for a Great Hymn Writer

Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676) is one of the most important poets of Protestant church hymns — his texts such as 'Befiehl du deine Wege', 'O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden', or 'Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud' are still an integral part of Protestant and ecumenical hymnals today. His work in Mittenwalde (Dahme-Spreewald district) shaped the town: from autumn 1651, he was provost of St. Moritz Church, he wrote a large part of his songs here, and he married Anna Maria Berthold here. The town has therefore officially been known as Paul-Gerhardt-Stadt Mittenwalde for years.

Twelve Days of Programming — from May 27 to June 7, 2026

For the 350th anniversary of his death, the town is putting together an exceptionally extensive festival program in 2026, combining sacred music, theological reflection, historical exploration, and tourist experiences. The opening event on May 27 commemorates Gerhardt's death with brass music and songs in St. Moritz Church.

Hiking the Paul-Gerhardt Trails

Several hikes and a bike tour will take you to the poet's historical traces in and around Mittenwalde:

May 30, 10 a.m. — Hike on the Paul-Gerhardt-Weg (9.5 km, approx. 3 hours)
June 6, 10 a.m. — Bike tour from Mittenwalde to Lübben (Gerhardt's last place of work)

Concerts and Readings

The musical centerpiece is the concert 'Wandelt eure Klag in Singen' on June 5 at 6 p.m. in St. Moritz Church with the Sächsischer Kammerchor and a chamber orchestra — tickets cost €26. In addition, there will be other sacred concerts and devotions during the festival week. On June 1 at 6:30 p.m., author Fabian Vogt will read from his novel 'Meines Herzens Lust' about Paul Gerhardt in Ragow.

Church Services and Sermons

On May 31 at 11 a.m., the parish will celebrate a family service in St. Moritz, and on June 7 at 10:30 a.m., the traditional 'Mittenwalder Predigt' (Mittenwalde Sermon) will take place to conclude the festival week.

Historical Tours

On June 3 at 4:30 p.m., the town invites you to a guided tour of the Paul-Gerhardt-Haus — the former hospital on the market square, which now houses parts of the town administration and which Paul Gerhardt knew well during his lifetime.

Significance for the Dahme-Spreewald Region

The Paul-Gerhardt Days 2026 are one of Brandenburg's most significant cultural events this year and are supported by the Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia, the Dahme-Spreewald district, and tourism partners.