The soaring spire of St Ewaldi Kirche pierces the Dortmund sky. A testament to faith resilience and the enduring spirit of a community.
This isn’t just any church. St Ewaldi Kirche in Aplerbeck has a story woven into its very stones. A story of fire faith and unwavering devotion. It began during the Industrial Revolution. Catholic families flocked to Aplerbeck. They lacked a church of their own. Their first attempt to acquire the dilapidated Georgskirche failed. Undeterred they purchased a cottage farm in 1867. This would be their mission center.
They planned to convert the barn into a prayer hall. Fate however intervened. A fire ravaged the barn and the cottage roof. Luckily they’d insured the property two days prior.
A temporary church followed. This simple two story building housed classrooms and a prayer hall. It solved their immediate needs but left them heavily in debt. The renovation cost them 8700 Reichstaler. Despite donations a significant debt remained. Their school thrived. It began with 75 children in 1868. By 1870 247 children attended.
The desire for a proper church persisted. In 1873 they acquired a large plot of land. The construction of the first St Ewaldi Kirche began. A neo-Romanesque basilica with a transept and an octagonal tower it was designed by Cologne architect August Carl Lange. Completed in 1880 it was consecrated on December 21. The still existing rectory was built in 1884. Extra funds and bricks remained from the church construction. In 1894 the Aplerbeck congregation became an independent parish. The church’s name honors the legend of the Brothers Ewaldi. Local tradition claims they were martyred in Aplerbeck.
Post-war growth made the 1880 church too small. A larger church was built from 1968 to 1971. The old church was sadly demolished in 1974. Many Aplerbeck residents still regret this loss. Architect Aloys Sonntag designed the new church. Its square base is surrounded by octagonal niches. This created a circular layout without a nave. Wilhelm Buschulte designed the modern windows each with a different theme.
Further renovations and alterations followed in 1991 1992 and 2008. The church was then deemed too large for its congregation. The layout changed. A chapel was added. It hosts smaller services.
The church’s organ built in 1987 by Siegfried Sauer in Höxter is a marvel. It incorporates eight registers from the previous organ. Its 30 registers boast 2092 pipes. The largest measures 315 meters the smallest just 4 millimeters.
A triumphal cross behind the altar deserves mention. It dates back to the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles. Around 1250. The original is on loan to the Dortmund Museum for Art and Cultural History. The church has a replica just like the Evangelical Georgskirche.
The baptismal font depicts the Brothers Ewaldi. Sculpted by Cologne artist Toni Zenz it was installed in 1982. The bells were recast in 1948. Three post-war bells were acquired. A fourth the Theodor bell was donated in 1950. They were moved to the new church during its construction. A new bell tower a campanile was added in 1980. It stands separately on a concrete base. The octagonal tower lacks a spire. It only features a flat roof with a cross.
St Ewaldi Kirche stands as more than a place of worship. It’s a living testament to the faith perseverance and community spirit of Aplerbeck. A story etched in stone and echoed in the ringing of its bells.