GERMAN DIOCESE: 26 May, 2026
Bishop Job of Stuttgart performs Divine Liturgy in the mausoleum of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna in Rotenberg

On the hill of Württemberg, Stuttgart, Germany, in the oldest Russian Orthodox church still preserved in Germany, His Grace Bishop Job performed Divine Liturgy. The festive event marking the memory of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna, Queen of Württemberg, is annually observed on the days preceding the feast of the Holy Trinity. Bishop Job was joined by 16 clergymen. Among the worshipers were both Orthodox people from the surrounding area and guests from the local population.

The “Church on Rotenberg” was built in 1824 and is the burial place of the Grand Duchess, her husband King William of Württemberg, and their daughter.

After Liturgy, a requiem was held at her remains. Ekaterina Pavlovna, daughter of Emperor Paul I, married William of Württemberg in 1816 and during her short reign she developed extensive social activities – building schools, hospitals, and other social institutions.

Herald of the German Diocese