Beschreibung
The Dormition Abbey Church on Mount Zion is not only a striking landmark in Jerusalem’s skyline but also one of the city’s most significant Christian sites of memory. Standing at the intersection of tradition and the present, the abbey church links the biblical accounts of the Last Supper and Pentecost with the tradition of the Dormition (falling asleep) of Mary. In this guide, theologian and historian Georg Röwekamp illuminates the eventful history of this „Christian Zion“—from the early Byzantine Hagia Sion and the monumental Crusader church to the current Neo-Romanesque rotunda built in the early 20th century.
The publication offers a detailed tour of the basilica and its crypt, paying special attention to the recent major renovation (2021–2023). It provides in-depth explanations of the theological background and artistic features of the interior, including the monumental apse mosaic, the highly symbolic wheel chandelier, and the crypt housing the memorial to the Dormition of Mary. Enriched by contributions from Abbot Dr. Nikodemus C. Schnabel OSB and Prior Basilius Schiel OSB, this concise guide offers profound insights into a place where German-speaking Benedictines have lived for over a century, while highlighting the spiritual resonance of a site that serves as a destination for pilgrims from all nations.
The Author
Georg Röwekamp (PhD), born in 1959, is a theologian and historian specializing in early church history. Following a year of study in Jerusalem, he developed a particular interest in the Holy Land and the history of pilgrimage. He served as Managing Director and Theological Director of Biblische Reisen GmbH until 2016, and subsequently—until 2025—as the representative of the German Association of the Holy Land (Deutscher Verein vom Heiligen Lande) in Jerusalem and director of the Pilgrim House in Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee.
Also published by Kunstverlag Josef Fink by Georg Röwekamp:
→ Die Geburtskirche in Bethlehem (only German Edition available)
→ The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, Tabgha
Also published by Kunstverlag Josef Fink regarding the Holy Land:
→ 50 Heilige Stätten in Israel – Ein spiritueller Begleiter für Heilig-Land-Reisen (only German Edition available)
→ The Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Resurrection in Jerusalem
→ Der Abendmahlssaal auf dem Zionsberg in Jerusalem
