Zum Göttlichen Erlöser
Catholic church built 1953–1955 in Rath/Heumar, an early Fritz Schaller design that anticipated post-Vatican II ideas.
since 1955
The Catholic church Zum Göttlichen Erlöser stands in Cologne's Rath/Heumar district and belongs to the Roncalli parish community at the Heumar Triangle within the Archdiocese of Cologne. The building has been protected as a listed monument since 25 November 1991.
At a Glance
- Type
- Roman Catholic church
- Built
- 1953–1955
- Location
- Rath/Heumar, Cologne
- Architect
- Fritz Schaller
- Style
- Multi-aisled hall church with transept-like extensions
- Notable
- An early building that anticipated modern church-design principles before the Second Vatican Council
- Heritage status
- Listed since 25 November 1991 (no. 6294)
Age comparison
Age compared with other places in Cologne.
Architecture
The church is laid out as a multi-aisled hall church with transept-like extensions, over which the continuous gabled roof is drawn far down. It is regarded as the earliest work in which Fritz Schaller broke away from the traditional idea of a self-contained, enclosed space and rearranged the spatial structure. Remarkably, the architect was already following principles in the 1950s that only became common after the Second Vatican Council: the church had a people's altar from the outset, and its aisles turn toward the altar from all sides.
Furnishings
At the centre of the crossing stands the table-shaped altar of red sandstone, raised by three steps, above which hangs a wooden cross with a silver corpus from the workshop of Hans-Jakob Heppekausen. A skylight in the roof adds further light to the sanctuary. The concrete ceiling is decorated with mosaics by the sculptor Hein Wimmer, who also created the altar, font, holy-water basins and tabernacle. The tabernacle rests on a red-sandstone base, is adorned with gilded leaf ornaments and stands to the right behind the altar as seen from the nave. Close to the altar, on the east side, stands a Walcker organ built in 1961, its 22 stops spread across two manuals and pedal. In the rear, northern section stands the Marian altar, likewise made of red sandstone, bearing a wooden figure of the Mother of God; this chapel is often used today for weekday Masses and baptisms.
Garden Courtyard and Windows
The building encloses a rectangular garden courtyard. Along its walkway are the bronze Stations of the Cross by Joseph Hoentgesberg. Around the main portal on the south side is a partly coloured glazed side wall set in a concrete framework, its coloured glazing carried out to a design by Hubert Schaffmeister.
History
The rectorate parish Zum Göttlichen Erlöser was established on 11 November 1953, with Hans Macke as its first rector. On 28 March 1954, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ferche consecrated the church and its bells. In 1973 the rectorate was raised to a full parish; Macke retired in 1978 and was succeeded by Hartmut Hold. After several communities merged – St. Cornelius and Zum Göttlichen Erlöser (Rath/Heumar), St. Servatius and Zu den Heiligen Engeln (Ostheim), and St. Adelheid (Neubrück) – into the Roncalli parish community "Am Heumarer Dreieck," Gerd Breidenbach became its pastor in 2010.
Parish Life
The life of the parish is supported by several groups. A scout troop has existed since 1947, and since the parish was founded in 1954 there has been an altar-server community and a group of the Malteser Jugend Köln. A library has stood next to the church since 1954, and in 1957 a Montessori children's house was inaugurated nearby. The bells were cast in 1954, with consideration given to the sound of the bells of St. Cornelius Heumar.
Gallery
Map
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Address
Erlöserkirchstraße 8
51107 Köln
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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-07-10
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