The original building was constructed in 1756. In May 1945, the first church was burnt down by Red Army soldiers in a wave of looting and destruction that destroyed much of the old Herrnhut, but the community was able to rally together and build the current church in the 1950s (the walls survived the war carnage with the rest of the structure needing to be replaced/reconstructed). The building's architecture is typical for Herrnhuter prayer halls all around the world: The ground plan is a transverse rectangle and the building itself is plain - there is no steeple but, instead, a small bell tower in the middle of the roof. The interior is even plainer, all painted in white. There is neither pulpit nor altar, only a seat and a table for the preacher. There is a small museum on the second floor featuring various items connected to Count Zinzendorf (e.g. his prayer book, correspondence with the famous English revivalist John Wesley, etc.), although the text for the displays is in German only. The back entrance to the church is supposed to be open in the daytime. In case it is not and you are there during office hours, ask nicely at the office of the chairman (Vorsteher), which is in the yellow house on the other side of the street, and you will be admitted. Outside the church is a small garden featuring a bust of Count Zinzendorf and a wall with a bell atop it. The original church featured three bells which were confiscated by Nazi authorities in the war when metal was scarce. Two of the bells were melted down but the third survived and was returned to the Moravians. As such, it is the only surviving element of the original church building (along with the church walls).