If you want to take a short break from the stress of shopping in Cologne, St. Aposteln offers the best opportunity.
In St. Aposteln you can escape the noise of the big city in a wonderful way and surrender to the fascination of this over 1000-year-old church.
In 1021, Archbishop Pilgrim is said to have founded a canonry here in honor of the 12 apostles.
Pilgrim is buried in the west choir of the church.
Did you know that until the end of the 12th century, St. Aposteln had its altar in the west choir, instead of in the east choir as is usual in Christian churches?
The model was St. Peter’s Church in Rome, which is still oriented to the west today.
But from 1200, after a fire destroyed large parts of the church, the orientation was changed with the construction of the large east choir.
And that was not all: the east choir was built as a “three-apostle choir”. Contrary to the usual arrangement of the nave and transept as a cross, three semi-circular rooms were set around the choir, which in their overall arrangement form a cloverleaf, hence the term “cloverleaf choir”. After Napoleon ordered the abolition of the Apostles’ Foundation in 1802, the foundation building was subsequently demolished. Severe destruction in the Second World War required the reconstruction and redesign of the interior. Unfortunately, there are hardly any memories of earlier times left in the wall and ceiling design: War damage was repaired with a few different colors, but with strong and clear colors and shapes, giving St. Apostles a contemporary look inside. The Mary altar, which was created around 1500, is also worth seeing. The twelve half-sculptures to the right and left of the Madonna were only created in 1994. The so-called 14 “helpers in need” or better known as “patron saints” from A for “Achatius” to V for “Vitus” come from the former “helpers’ chapel” and are scattered as sculptures in the interior of St. Aposteln.
The crossing altar with the radial canopy, under which a dove holds the tabernacle, is also impressive.
The 12 wooden carved figures behind the altar, which venerate the holy apostles, date from 1330.
A few more steps and then we are at Neumarkt. Most people know it from shopping,
Neumarkt has a lot to offer in terms of history. Be curious and let’s go there.
