Roman Catholic parish church of Saint Lawrence

The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Lawrence (St.-Laurentius-Kirche) is located in the Gern district to the west of the historic center of Munich. This archetypal structure made of exposed brick, reminiscent of a Romanesque basilica, was built in the mid-1950s according to the design of German architect Emil Steffann and is dedicated to the Roman martyr St. Lawrence. It is the affiliated parish of St. Lawrence, maintained by the Catholic congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. The architect, in close collaboration with the Munich Oratory, designed the nave based on the requirements of the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council, and it later served as a model for several other newly built church buildings in Germany.
The interior of the church is thoughtfully modest. The altar is placed in the center of the main hall with the priest facing the congregation, which was a novelty at the time. The tabernacle, blue enamel cross, altar candlestick, and radiant monstrance were designed by German goldsmith Fritz Schwerdt.
The cornerstone was laid in June 1955, and the completed church was consecrated by Cardinal Joseph Wendel on November 27, 1955. A year later, bells were added to the church, and in 1962, organs and a baptismal font were acquired. The parish center with a kindergarten, library, and community hall was built between 1968 and 1970. Deceased members of the local oratory are buried in a small cemetery next to the church.