July 4. On this date in 1964, after three and a half years of construction, the Bahá'í House of Worship in Langenhain, Germany was dedicated.

 

July 4. On this date in 1964, after three and a half years of construction, the Bahá'í House of Worship in Langenhain, Germany was dedicated.

The dedication program opened with Psalm 23, sung in German. This was followed by the reading of Bahá’í prayers in several languages and the dedication address in German by Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum. At the close of her address, she asked all to rise while she read a prayer revealed by Bahá’u’lláh. This was followed by a prayer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in German, an extract from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh in English, a prayer chanted in Persian and further readings from the Old and New Testaments in German. A music arrangement of the Arabic Hidden Words was sung. There were further readings in German and additional prayers in Swedish, French and Spanish. The program concluded with the prayer of Bahá’u’lláh, From the Sweet-Scented Streams, sung in German.

Following this program, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum arranged the portraits of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb on a table before Persian rug which had lain in the room of Bahá’u’lláh at the Mansion of Bahjí. Red roses brought from the grave of Shoghi Effendi in London were placed near the portraits. The Bahá’ís then viewed these pictures, first passing in front of Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum who anointed each one with attar of rose.