Sennheiser Provides Microphones for Dresden’s Frauenkirche Reconstruction Project
Nov 17, 2005 8:00 AM
For more than six decades, Sennheiser has been making a difference in the lives of the countless audio professionals and enthusiasts who rely on its products every day. But for Sennheiser, making a difference goes far beyond the recording studio or performance stage—as its role in the world’s best-known humanitarian projects clearly attests. In Dresden, Germany, for example, the company is helping to enrich lives through its donation of microphone technology for the city’s beloved Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), a 300-year-old church that recently re-opened after 12 years of painstaking reconstruction.
For decades, ruins were all that remained of the Frauenkirche. In 1993, reconstruction began to bring the magnificent 18th-century baroque church back to life. Today, the building has all the modern technical facilities of the 21st century, including electricity, air conditioning, and state-of-the-art audio technology donated by Sennheiser. The Frauenkirche is also equipped with Sennheiser’s GuidePort visitor guidance system, which tells visitors all they need to know about the church and its moving history.
“The reconstruction of the Frauenkirche was financed by an unprecedented campaign of national and international donations. We are very pleased to have been able to make our contribution by providing our microphone technology,” says Rolf Meyer, speaker of the Sennheiser Executive Committee, Sennheiser GmbH, at the opening ceremony. “In particular, the new equipment will be ideally suited for broadcasting services and events from the Frauenkirche.”
In the church itself, the pulpit is equipped with a Neumann AK 40/KM 100 microphone, while sound at the altar is picked up by a Sennheiser MKH60 shotgun microphone for maximum directivity and resistance to feedback. For concerts and other events, a Sennheiser MD421SE and a Neumann KM 100 with an AK 30 capsule, a GFM 132 boundary mic, and a KM 184 are available. Wireless audio transmission is provided by Sennheiser’s SKM5000 handheld transmitters, SK50 pocket transmitters with MKE2 Gold clip-on microphones, and the EM3032 true diversity double receiver.
In addition, the GuidePort’s Audioguide helps tell the fascinating story of the Frauenkirche at the touch of a button. One hundred Audioguide units with information in five languages have been provided by the GuidePort system partner, GPT Audio. And operating the service will not cost the Frauenkirche a single cent.
The Frauenkirche donation is the latest humanitarian project to benefit from Sennheiser’s efforts. Two years ago, the company provided financial support and cutting-edge audio technology to the highly successful “46664-The Concert,” a global event hosted by Nelson Mandela to raise awareness of AIDS in Africa. More recently, the company leveraged its global network to provide technical support for “Live 8,” the event organized by Sir Bob Geldolf to focus world attention on the G-8 Summit and the fight against global poverty. This ongoing commitment to supporting worthwhile causes has been a company hallmark for decades.
For more information, visit www.sennheiserusa.com.
