the church to its essential shape, the lighting of the altar and the sophisticated design of the altar, he created a new tradition of modern church architecture. In particular, he treated light as if it were a building material, and as part of the liturgy. Böhm also considered liturgical questions which may have indirectly influenced the doctrine of the Second Vatican Council. His special merit was his belief in the participation of the community in worship, using the structure of early church buildings as a model. His churches are characterized by simple monumentality and especially by the new emphasis on the centrally-located altar area. Stained glass was one of his passions. He designed the stained glass windows, built for Holy Ghost Church in Brunswick-Lehndorf in 1952. He also served as a musician and composer, and composed numerous songs and sacred music. The postmodern architect Heinz Bienefeld began his career as his assistant. Part of his legacy is preserved at the German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt, while another part was located in the Historical Archive of the City of Cologne but was probably lost in the collapse of the archive building on 3 March 2009. He was the father of architect Gottfried Böhm. References 1880 births 1955 deaths 19th-century German architects Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Knights of the Order of St. Sylvester People from Günzburg (district) 20th-century German architects