Is that a Roman wall I spy? Indeed it is. Before us stands St. Mauritius. This church has a long history. It began as a simple house of worship. Now, it’s a testament to Cologne’s resilience.
St. Mauritius’ story starts in the Middle Ages. The first mention of St. Mauritius dates back to 1135. At that time, it was the abbey’s “Eigenkirche” in the suburb of Cologne. An Eigenkirche was a church on private property. Many existed in Cologne then.
The church served the Benedictine monks of St. Pantaleon Abbey. Otto the Great founded this abbey in the 10th century. St. Mauritius later became a parish church.
The parish grew quickly. More space was needed. Hermann de Scipiona and his wife Ida provided the funds in 1135. They were wealthy citizens of Cologne. After six years of construction, Archbishop Arnold I of Cologne consecrated St. Mauritius in 1141. It was dedicated to Saint Mauritius.
St. Mauritius was built near the old Roman city wall. You can still see remains of this wall today. They are in the gardens behind the church. In 1144, Arnold I declared that the westwork of the church with its Michael chapel should be left to the adjacent monastery of the Benedictine nuns for their services.
The church was built in the Romanesque style. It was a pillar and vault basilica. The nave and aisles had vaults. This was a first for Cologne churches. Originally St. Mauritius had no transept. It had three bays and three apses at the east end. Slender flanking towers marked the façade.
The windows of the nave were arranged in pairs. The westwork had double-storied side wings. A mighty tower rose above the westwork.
Some changes occurred in late Gothic times. Windows were enlarged to let in more light. A new high altar was installed in 1483. In 1572, the pastor was dismissed. He had dared to preach in the spirit of Martin Luther.
The church once had a nuns’ gallery. These were common in medieval monastery churches. After secularization they were often torn down as they were here at St. Mauritius.
The church’s end began with the French occupation. The monastery was dissolved in 1802. The church was then sold. In 1830, the western part of the church was demolished. The rest of the church was closed in 1846. It was said to be structurally unsound. Despite expert opinions to the contrary, the remaining church building was demolished in 1859 with the exception of parts of the substructure.
Heinrich Nikolaus Frank funded the new Gothic church. Construction began in 1861. It was designed by Vincenz Statz. The church was consecrated in 1865. The tower was completed in 1866. A statue of St. Mauritius crowned the tower.
After 1945, only parts of the outer walls and the tower remained. A smaller church was built starting in 1956. Fritz Schaller designed the new building. It included a polygonal hall and an octagon above the choir. The old tower was integrated.
Today, the tower features a statue of St. Mauritius. Peter Fuchs created it. Sculptures above the former main portal depict the martyrdom of saints.
Inside, few items from the old church remain. Elmar Hillebrand designed the new liturgical furnishings. Franz Pauli designed the windows. They are in the octagon and side walls. The windows integrate the old pillars.
Treasures include a forked cross from 1415. There is also a 17th-century painting of St. Reinoldus’ martyrdom and a late Gothic crucifixion group.
A small green space surrounds St. Mauritius. The ground floor of the tower and parts of the church square serve as a café. You can climb the church tower by appointment. Since 1994, the neighboring parish of Herz Jesu has provided pastoral care for St. Mauritius.
Five bells hang in the tower. The largest is the Mauritius bell. Konrad Adenauer donated the smallest bell. It serves as the Angelus bell.
So, next time you hear those bells, remember the layered story of St. Mauritius. It is a place of worship. It is a landmark of Cologne and a beacon of faith.