Whispers from the past cling to the stones of St. Jost Kapelle. This is no ordinary chapel. St. Jost Kapelle stands near Trier-Pallien at Biewer’s entrance. Today, a bypass road and railway confine it.
St. Jost’s history is intertwined with leprosy. Imagine the plight of those afflicted centuries ago. Leprosy had no cure in the Middle Ages. To prevent its spread, lepers were isolated. They lived in leper houses outside towns and villages. It was considered a civil death. Strict rules still governed their lives.
St. Jost became their refuge. The facility is first mentioned in a 1283 testament. But it may have existed long before. Locals were usually the only ones admitted. Records show three residents in 1458. St. Marien’s Abbey oversaw the leprosarium. The abbot held spiritual authority. The Amtmann of Pfalzel had secular oversight. A “Schellenknecht” managed the site. He handled the land and provided for the sick.
Alms formed the main income. A partially preserved wayside shrine stood between Biewer and Pallien. Passersby left food or coins for the needy. A “Klingelmann” or “Klingelfrau” collected alms. They went door to door with a basket and bell. They gathered money and food for the leprosarium. The brotherhood received estates from deceased beneficiaries. They also got money paid upon admission.
Each year, St. Jost hosted a two-day festival. It was for the arch brotherhood of lepers. A mass and sermon took place. The brotherhood paid for preachers and candles. Attendance was mandatory for all lepers. The afflicted found their final resting place in the St. Jost cemetery. Locals called it Paradise.
The last leper’s death in Biewer remains unknown. Leprosy declined in Europe in the 18th century. Other terminally ill patients then found refuge here. The French closed the facility in 1804. The property of all charitable institutions went to United Hospices.
Around 1960, they gave up the church. It was deconsecrated. Today, St. Jost includes a main building. Several small residences surround it. There is also a chapel and a cemetery. St. Jodocus is the patron saint of the chapel. The chapel was rebuilt and consecrated in 1706. No one has proven that it stands on older foundations. The cemetery lies across from the road to Biewer. Its enclosing wall and gate still stand.
The United Hospices owns the former leprosarium St. Jost. A group formed in 1988 to save St. Jost in Biewer. In 1994, they signed a leasehold agreement. The goal was to renovate the chapel. By 2008, renovations allowed opening the chapel to the public. Visitors saw exposed layers of paint. The church opens only for special events. The former leper house has been converted into apartments.
A cross with a later shaft stands across the road. It stands about 100 meters toward Biewer. As you stand here, remember the lives intertwined with St. Jost. Consider the isolation, faith, and community that shaped this place.