Freiberg Germany Temple

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Freiberg Temple (2006)

The Freiberg Germany Temple (formerly the Freiberg GDR Temple) is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in Freiberg, Saxony, Germany. The Church announced the temple in October 1982, ground was broken for construction on April 23, 1983, and the temple was dedicated from June 20 to June 30, 1985. Built in what was then the German Democratic Republic, the Freiberg Germany Temple was the first LDS temple to be built in a then communist state.

The East German government approved the building of the temple on practical grounds, because of the many Latter-day Saints requesting visas to travel to Switzerland, the location of the nearest temple. The government wished to minimize citizens' travel outside the G.D.R., so they invited the Church to build a new temple inside the country. Latter-day Saints popularly attribute a hastened fall of the communist regime to the temple's presence and influence on the country.

A groundbreaking ceremony and site dedication were held for the Freiberg Temple on April 23, 1983. Thomas S. Monson presided at the ceremony. The site of the temple is one acre. The temple was open to the public for tours June 3-15, 1985. Those who attended the tours of the 14,125 square foot temple were able to see the exterior and its German-influenced design with gothic style arches, as well as the interior with its one ordinance room and two sealing rooms. More than 90,000 people visited the temple during the open house.

The temple was dedicated on June 29-30, 1985 by Gordon B. Hinckley.

After the reunification of Germany in 1990, the country became the only country outside of the United States to have more than one temple, this and the Frankfurt Germany Temple.

When the temple was originally built some of the best materials were not available, and the Church was not allowed to put a statue of the angel Moroni on its spire. Accordingly, renovations were conducted in 2002 which nearly doubled the square footage and added twelve oxen to support the baptismal font, a waiting room for those not able to enter the temple, a matron and brides room, as well as an office for the temple president. On December 20, 2001 an angel Moroni statue was placed on top of the temple. A second open house was held August 17-31, 2002. After renovations, Gordon B. Hinckley rededicated the temple on September 7, 2002. Aside from Church members in eastern Germany, the temple serves those in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine.