Alt St. Alban – Church Ruin and War Memorial at Quatermarkt
Preserved Romanesque church ruin at Quatermarkt; left unrestored after WWII bombing and consecrated as a memorial to the war dead in 1959.
since 1200
At Cologne's Quatermarkt stands Alt St. Alban, the ruin of a former parish church considered one of the city's earliest Romanesque sacred buildings. Inside, a memorial today honours the victims of both World Wars.
At a Glance
- Type
- Romanesque parish church ruin with war memorial
- Location
- Quatermarkt, Altstadt-Nord district (city centre)
- First documented
- 1172
- Tower
- built in 1494
- Status
- listed monument in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Access
- not publicly accessible; memorials visible through the iron gates
- Highlight
- replica of the Grieving Parents sculpture
The sculpture "Grieving Parents" in the memorial was originally commissioned from Ewald Mataré, who passed the task to his two master students Joseph Beuys and Erwin Heerich – with Beuys creating the mourning father and Heerich the mourning mother.
Things to do here
- Admire the Romanesque church ruin from the outside
- Take in the surviving walls and the tower from 1494
- View the memorial with the "Grieving Parents" through the gates
- Take photos at the Quatermarkt
- Pause for a quiet moment of remembrance for the war dead
- Look out onto the church from the neighbouring Wallraf-Richartz Museum's founders' hall
Age comparison
Age compared with other places in Cologne.
History
First mentioned in records in 1172, St. Alban underwent several medieval alterations before Arnold Gülich converted it into a hall church between 1668 and 1672. The tower dates to 1494, while the facade was added as late as 1896. Wartime bombing left almost nothing standing except the tower; the ruins were secured but deliberately left unrestored. What survives are the piers and bays of the hall nave along with the apses and window openings — glazing and roofs are gone entirely.
The Memorial
After Cardinal Frings granted permission for deconsecration in 1954, the shell of the church was transformed into a memorial for the war dead. The dedication ceremony took place on 21 May 1959, attended by Federal President Theodor Heuss, among others. At its centre stands a replica of the sculpture Grieving Parents: Ewald Mataré received the original commission but passed it to his master students Joseph Beuys and Erwin Heerich — Heerich created the mother figure, Beuys the father. The original work by Käthe Kollwitz now stands at the German military cemetery of Vladslo in West Flanders. A separate memorial to prisoners of war is also on display.
Setting and Surroundings
The entrance on the west side faces Quatermarkt street. In the post-war years, the staircase and foyer of the Gürzenich banqueting hall were added to the south and east. To the north, the Wallraf-Richartz Museum has stood since 2001; a panoramic window in its founder's hall frames a direct view of the church. The ground floor of the tower houses the Chapel of Saint Brother Conrad, consecrated in 1964, where a Crescent Moon Madonna from the first half of the 16th century has been on display again since 2007.
Current Condition
According to the City of Cologne, the structure is in such poor condition that small fragments can break loose and fall. The floor slabs laid in the 1950s over cavities and medieval vaults are no longer considered load-bearing. As a result, the memorial can no longer be used even for events; a comprehensive restoration would be needed, though no concrete plans have been drawn up to date.
Timeline
- 1172First documented mention of St. Alban
- 1494Church tower built
- 1507Bronze bell cast by Johann von Andernach
- 1668–1672Rebuilt as a hall church by architect Arnold Gülich
- 1896New church façade erected
- 1943Church bells confiscated (except the St. Alban bell)
- 1954Cardinal Frings approves deconsecration as memorial (23 Dec.)
- 1959Memorial inaugurated on 21 May by Federal President Heuss
Gallery
Map
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Address
Quatermarkt 4
50667 Köln
Hours
So: 00:00–24:00
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Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-26
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