Parish Church of Christ's Resurrection
Old Catholic parish church in Cologne's Südstadt — a red steel frame on its 1990s successor traces the silhouette of the wartime predecessor at full scale.
The Parish Church of Christ's Resurrection is the Cologne church of the Catholic Diocese of Old Catholics in Germany. Located in the Südstadt district within the inner city borough, the congregation today numbers just over 600 members.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Old Catholic parish church, Deanery of North Rhine-Westphalia
- Location
- Südstadt, inner city borough
- Congregation
- formed around 1872, officially recognised October 1874
- Previous building
- Church of the Resurrection, 1906/07, destroyed in the war
- New building
- 1991–1993, designed by František Sedláček
- Listed status
- Protected monument in North Rhine-Westphalia
By order of the heritage authority, the office building that replaced the destroyed church (built 1991–1993) reproduces the original church's outline at a 1:1 scale — a bright red steel frame makes the silhouette of the historic building visible through the mirrored glass.
History
The congregation began forming around 1872 and received official state recognition in October 1874. It initially used the former Cologne council chapel of St. Maria in Jerusalem, which soon proved too small for the growing community. A second congregation also existed in what is now the Cologne district of Mülheim.
The Former Church of the Resurrection
Between May 1906 and October 1907, a purpose-built church was erected at the corner of Jülicher Straße and Moltkestraße, consecrated on 17 November 1907 to a design by Cologne architect Peter Recht. The building joined the row of ecclesiastical structures along Cologne's ring boulevards, featuring a transept, a crossing dome, and two rose windows. The pulpit was donated by Carl Stollwerck; the lead glazing was a gift from industrialist Franz Clouth. In 1944, two bombing raids destroyed the church, leaving only the tower standing.
Rebuilding and Current Use
From 1953 to 1992, a plainer building by Bonn architect Helmut Kröger served as the church; the tower was restored in 1989/90. A full reconstruction was beyond the congregation's means, and the shrunken community would not have filled the original building. The corner plot was sold and developed as an office block. At the insistence of the heritage authority, the mirror-glazed new building by František Sedláček keeps the memory of the original alive: a red steel frame traces the former silhouette at a 1:1 scale on the exterior. The congregation has worshipped since 22 May 1993 beneath a glass pyramid; the entrance passes through the archway of the former parish garden.
Art
The chancel houses a multi-part bronze sculpture by Cologne sculptor Franz Josef Lipensky depicting Christ enthroned on the cross, the four Evangelists, and a burning bush rendered in glass elements. Also by Lipensky are the tabernacle door with a Last Supper scene and a sculpture at the ambo. In the foyer hang backlit stained-glass windows salvaged from the emergency church of the post-war years.
Timeline
- um 1872Foundation of the Old Catholic congregation in Cologne
- Oktober 1874Official state recognition of the congregation
- Mai 1906 – Oktober 1907Construction of the Resurrection Church on Jülicher Straße (architect Peter Recht)
- 17. November 1907Consecration of the Resurrection Church
- 1944Church largely destroyed by two bombing raids
- 1953Move into post-war interim church on the site (architect Helmut Kröger)
- 1989/90Comprehensive restoration of the surviving church tower
- 22. Mai 1993Consecration of the new building (1991–1993, Prof. František Sedláček)
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
You might also like
Comments
- Loading comments…
Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-27