St. Johann Baptist
Romanesque church on Severinstraße that made headlines in 2004 as Cologne's very own "Leaning Tower" and now serves as the Crux youth centre.
St. Johann Baptist is a Roman Catholic church on Severinstraße in Cologne's Altstadt-Süd district. One of the city's oldest churches, it now serves as the Archdiocese of Cologne's youth pastoral centre.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Roman Catholic church, listed monument in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Location
- Severinstraße, Altstadt-Süd district, city centre borough
- First recorded
- 948; documented as a parish church since 1080
- Tower height
- 44 metres
- Dedicated to
- John the Baptist
- Current use
- Crux Youth Pastoral Centre, Archdiocese of Cologne
- Notable for
- Tilting 77 cm in 2004, dubbed "Cologne's Leaning Tower"
In September 2004, the 44-metre church tower tilted 77 centimetres overnight due to subway construction work beneath it, briefly earning the nickname 'Leaning Tower of Cologne' – repairs using hydraulic jacks cost around one million euros, covered by the Cologne transit authority's insurance.
History
First mentioned in 948 and a parish church since 1080, St. Johann Baptist is one of Cologne's most ancient places of worship. Until secularisation, the Teutonic Order's Church of St. Katharina (1219) stood alongside it to the south. The Second World War left the church almost entirely destroyed: the tower collapsed completely and the chancel was reduced to its base. The nave and parts of the aisles survived, and between 1960 and 1962 the church was rebuilt — a new brick west tower was added and the whole structure unified as a basilica.
Cologne's Leaning Tower
On 29 September 2004, the 44-metre tower lurched 77 centimetres to the west after a utility tunnel for the North–South City Rail line had been driven through 14 metres below the church the previous day. To prevent collapse, the tower was braced with six steel profiles and the cavities beneath filled with concrete. On 26 October, hydraulic presses straightened it again in carefully controlled steps. The repair bill came to around one million euros, covered by the insurer of Cologne's public transport operator KVB.
Interior
The church's furnishings include a seated Madonna dating from around 1320, a reliquary shrine of St. Antonina from the second half of the 14th century, a brass baptismal font of 1566, and bronze eagle lecterns. The ornamental stained glass was created by Willi Strauß in 1963. Of the four pre-war bells, only the great bell "Antonina" of 1400 survived — now in private hands; since 1962, six new bells have hung in the tower, tuned to complement the peal of neighbouring St. Severin.
Today
After extensive renovation, the church was reopened on 28 June 2009 and dedicated to the youth of the city. It now goes by the name CRUX — Church of St. Johann Baptist and forms the heart of the Crux youth pastoral centre. The church belongs to the parish of St. Severin, is supported by the Friends of Cologne's Romanesque Churches association, and gained a partitioned church café as part of the conversion.
Timeline
- 948First documented mention of the church
- 1080Attested as a parish church
- 1219Teutonic Order church St. Katharina built on the south side
- 1943–1945Church almost entirely destroyed; tower and choir demolished
- 1960–1962Reconstruction: brick west tower added, basilica style
- 29. September 2004Church tower tilts 77 cm westward due to metro construction
- 26. Oktober 2005Tower straightened again using hydraulic presses
- 28. Juni 2009Reopening after renovation as CRUX church
Gallery
Map
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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-27