St. Theodor
A modern circular building of ochre-coloured concrete above a community-use ground floor — defined by the vision of parish priest Franz Meurer.
St. Theodor is a modern circular building of ochre-coloured concrete, incorporating the older, darker church tower into its design. The building is oriented around the congregation's social work, which parish priest Franz Meurer embedded into the fabric of the structure during reconstruction.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Roman Catholic parish church (St. Theodor und Elisabeth, Deanery of Cologne-Deutz)
- Location
- Cologne-Vingst, Kalk district
- Architect
- Paul Böhm (new building, consecrated 2002)
- Architectural style
- Modernism
- Named after
- Theodore of Amasea (Theodor Tiro)
- Organ
- 25 stops, approx. 1,700 pipes
- Notable feature
- Community-use ground floor; accessible rooftop
The church is not named after a saint, but after Pastor Theodor Baaken, who donated 10,000 Reichsmarks for its construction – and was thus made the church's namesake.
History
The first church in Vingst was St. Martin, consecrated in November 1905. As it grew too small, a larger building was begun in 1937 — it received the name St. Theodor at the suggestion of parish priest Theodor Baaken. During the Second World War the church was first hit in June 1943 and completely destroyed by further air raids in 1944.
Rebuilding After the Earthquake
After the war a temporary church served the congregation until 1949, followed by a new building of poor-quality materials. When an earthquake struck on 13 April 1992, the dilapidated structure was so severely damaged that it had to be demolished — except for the tower, which rested on its own foundations. Paul Böhm won the subsequent open architectural competition and integrated the old tower into a new circular design. Archbishop Joachim Cardinal Meisner consecrated the building on 16 March 2002.
Organ
The organ was built in 2001/02 by organ builder Siegfried Schulte of Kürten, reusing material from its predecessor. It has 25 stops with approximately 1,700 pipes across two manuals and pedal, with electric key and stop actions.
Timeline
- 1905Consecration of the first church (St. Martin) on 12 November
- 1937Foundation stone laid for a larger church
- 1938Consecration of the new building; renamed St. Theodor
- 1943First bomb attack in the night of 16/17 June
- 1944Further attacks (July & November) cause complete destruction
- 1949Emergency church used as provisional solution until 1949
- 1992Earthquake on 13 April; church demolished except for the tower
- 2002Consecration of the new building (Paul Böhm) by Cardinal Meisner on 16 March
Map
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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-27
Social Mission
Parish priest Franz Meurer insisted that the new building include a ground floor dedicated to social purposes, housing a clothes store, kitchen, food distribution point, community workshop, and garage. These spaces were meant to express the fundamental dimensions of Church life: worship, service to others, proclamation, and community. Adjoining the circular nave are a café and a long gallery for art exhibitions, keeping the secular and the sacred in dialogue. A spiral outdoor path with the Stations of the Cross (designed by Matthias Heiermann) leads to the accessible rooftop, offering views across the city.