Before the Wilhadi-Kirche stood tall a sacred chapel marked the spot. This was the Wilhadikapelle a humble structure built in the 9th century. It served as a burial place for Willehad Bremen’s first bishop. The Wilhadi-Kirche’s story began long ago. This is its legacy.
The original Wilhadikapelle wasn’t just any chapel. It was one of Bremen’s oldest church buildings second only to the Bremen Cathedral. Imagine the reverence. People traveled from far and wide to pay homage to Bishop Willehad.
Sadly the first Wilhadikapelle was destroyed by fire in 1013. It was mostly wood. Bishop Unwan then constructed a replacement. This was a more substantial Romanesque building made of fieldstone. It lacked a tower initially. It measured 27 meters long and 7.4 meters wide. It featured a semi-circular apse. That’s detail most people miss.
In 1050 Bishop Adalbert I founded the collegiate churches of St Wilhadi and St Stephani. These were significant religious centers. Bishop Adalbert II transferred the sanctuary of St Stephani to St Wilhadi in 1139. This move happened because St Stephani had been abandoned. The new location was on Steffensberg northwest of the market settlement. The church initially bore both names St Wilhadi and St Stephani or simply St Wilhadi. It served as a parish church for residents of the cathedral district until the Reformation. The Wilhadikapelle’s influence spread far.
The Wilhadikapelle was under the Ansgaristift from 1187. This was a charitable foundation established by Archbishop Hartwig II. In 1221 the Ansgaristift traded it with the cathedral chapter for the Jacobikirche. The Jacobikirche was built by a private individual Gerhard von Kemnade. This swap altered the church’s trajectory.
By around 1300 the Wilhadikapelle had a tower. This tower burned down. The church underwent a significant expansion. It was transformed into a three-aisled Gothic structure. It measured 37.80 meters long and 19.60 meters wide. A new west tower with a square base and a pyramid roof was added. This expansion created the grand Wilhadi-Kirche many remember.
The Reformation brought changes. St Wilhadi closed in 1527. It was used as an armoury. Later it became a hop store. It was even called “Hoppenkarke” a Low German term for “hop church”. The building eventually served as a warehouse and wine cellar. Decay set in. The dangerous tower was demolished in 1726. The bell cast by Berend Klinge in 1456 was hung in the Ostertor tower. This tower became known as “Die Glocke”. That’s quite a journey for a bell.
By 1820 parts of the nave were demolished. Finally in 1860 the remaining structure was torn down. This occurred to make way for the construction of the New Stock Exchange at the marketplace. Archaeologists uncovered the foundations of the former apse and an ornate Romanesque capital during the demolition. The Wilhadi-Kirche’s physical presence vanished. Yet its story lives on. The Wilhadi-Kirche is a reminder of Bremen’s rich past. Its story is a tapestry woven with faith fire and transformation.