Picture this a humble chapel nestled at the foot of Kreuzberg. This is the Marterkapelle also known as the Mordkapelle. It stands as a silent witness to centuries of history faith and tragedy.
Built between 1719 and 1721 the Marterkapelle began as a pilgrimage chapel. It commemorated the martyrdom of Roman soldiers Cassius and Florentius. Legend says these soldiers along with seven others were executed here in the 3rd century for their Christian beliefs. Their supposed execution site lay at the foot of Kreuzberg. The site had a hermitage then a small chapel before the current structure.
The Marterkapelle’s history isn’t just about martyrs. After secularization in 1803 the chapel fell into disrepair. It even served as a hayloft and stable. A significant turning point arrived around 1840. Baroness Caroline von Romberg acquired the property. She initiated the chapel’s reconstruction. She also added buildings. She founded a convent for Benedictine nuns in 1857. These nuns were expelled in 1875 during the Kulturkampf.
In 1887 Countess Pauline von Fürstenberg-Stammheim. She was Baroness Romberg’s daughter. She gave the property to the Benedictine nuns. They established the Maria-Hilf convent. They placed a devotional image Our Mother of Perpetual Help inside the Marterkapelle.
The original Marterkapelle was integrated into a larger neo-Gothic church in 1892. This was designed by Bonn architects Becker and Böhm. Further expansions connected it to the nuns’ living quarters from 1908 to 1915. The architect was Max Cronenberg.
Tragedy struck again during World War II. The Benedictine nuns had to leave. From 1941 to 1942 the buildings served as a collection point for 474 Jewish citizens. They were deported to extermination camps. Only seven survived.
The nuns returned in May 1945 resuming convent life until 2001. Age and economic hardship forced them to close the convent. The Cologne Archdiocese took over in 2002 establishing the Redemptoris Mater seminary.
The memory of martyrs Cassius and Florentius lives on. Their memorial day is October 10th. Every year the Endenich community makes a solemn procession to the Marterkapelle. This occurs on the Sunday after October 10th. They travel from St. Maria Magdalena church. This small chapel remains a place of remembrance reflection and prayer. A place where history faith and tragedy intertwine. A place of quiet contemplation. A place to remember.