The Church of the Redeemer (Erlöserkirche) is a Lutheran church in the Christian Quarter, built by Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and consecrated in 1898 during his flamboyant visit to Jerusalem. The church sits just meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and its tower offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the Old City that many visitors consider the best in Jerusalem.
The Tower
The climb is 178 steps up a narrow spiral staircase, but the reward is the closest aerial view of the Holy Sepulchre dome that any visitor can get. From the top, you look down on the domes, courtyards, and rooftops of all four quarters. The Dome of the Rock is directly east. The Mount of Olives rises behind it. And the modern city spreads to the west and north. The tower is one of the few places where the entire geography of the Old City becomes clear, and many visitors find it the best orientation point before diving into the streets below.
The Excavations
Beneath the church, archaeological excavations have revealed remains that are directly relevant to the Gospel narrative. The excavations uncovered quarry marks in the bedrock, proving that this area was outside the city walls in the 1st century CE. This is significant because the Gospel of John states that Jesus was crucified “near the city” but outside the walls (John 19:20), and the Letter to the Hebrews says he “suffered outside the city gate” (Hebrews 13:12). The quarry marks beneath the Redeemer confirm that the entire area of the Holy Sepulchre, which sits next door, was indeed outside the walls at the time of the crucifixion.
The Museum
The church includes a small but excellent museum called “Through the Ages,” which presents the archaeological layers beneath the building and explains the history of the site from the quarry period through the Crusaders. The museum uses multimedia displays and original artifacts to tell the story, and the combination of the museum, the excavations, and the tower view makes the Redeemer one of the most rewarding stops in the Christian Quarter.
Kaiser’s Visit
Kaiser Wilhelm II’s visit to Jerusalem in 1898 was one of the great spectacles of the late Ottoman period. The Kaiser arrived in full imperial regalia, and a section of the city wall near the Jaffa Gate was breached to allow his carriage procession to enter without passing through the narrow gate. The consecration of the Church of the Redeemer was the centerpiece of his visit, and the building’s neo-Romanesque design reflects the Kaiser’s taste for monumental German architecture.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Church of the Redeemer is a hidden gem steps from the Holy Sepulchre. Hoshen Tours includes the tower, the museum, and the excavations for visitors who want evidence alongside faith.