Construction began shortly before the outbreak of war, but despite material shortages and political uncertainty, it continued. The mine in the town of Beringen-Mijn in Belgium largely financed the project itself in order to create a religious and social centre for its workers. For many, the church was seen as a visible sign of stability at a time when the world around them was falling apart and Belgian villages as well as towns were suffering. The darkness of the interior of the Sint-Theodardus Church is reminiscent of underground tunnels, while the light from the windows symbolises the hope of salvation.

These windows are also the most unusual element of the church. They are not made of classic leaded glass, but of hand-cast glass set directly into concrete. At that time, this was a technical innovation, but a few decades later, this solution proved to be a real challenge for restoration. Over the years, weathering and static stresses had caused damage: pieces of glass had cracked or come loose from their frames.

A comprehensive restoration project has been underway since 2010, with two construction phases implemented starting in 2016. “The condition was particularly critical on the south side – glass had fallen out of the concrete frame and the pressure on the glass was enormous,” explains Jurgen Albert, who is responsible for glass restoration at the Brussels-based company Renotec. The biggest challenge was replacing missing parts. New glass in 42 different colours was manufactured in collaboration with the Lamberts glassworks in Waldsassen, Bavaria. The work was based on original plans from the construction period, supplemented by references to preserved fragments.

Today, Sint-Theodardus Church continues to be used for religious services, but it could also be turned into a museum as significantly fewer people in Beringen-Mijn are religious today. This was not the case when the church was built. In the midst of war, a place of worship was urgently needed for the miners.

The connection between the past and the present is also the focus of a conference organised by Glashütte Lamberts from 29 to 30 January 2026, in Waldsassen. Under the title “Glass is Cultural Heritage,” international reference projects will be presented there, including the Sint-Theodardus Church in Beringen-Mijn.