St. Maternus, Gothic Revival church in Rodenkirchen, Germany

St. Maternus is a Catholic church built from 1865 to 1867 in the Gothic Revival style, standing between the Rhine and Hauptstraße in northern Rodenkirchen. The architect Vincenz Statz designed a three-aisled hall church of unpainted red brick, with the tower and portal at the west end and a choir flanked by sacristies at the east. Inside, three aisles of equal height are separated by slender columns, and the interior forgoes ornament.

St. Maternus was built from 1865 to 1867 to designs by Vincenz Statz, replacing the older Alt St. Maternus, which had become too small as Rodenkirchen's population grew. The three-aisled hall church in unpainted red brick was badly damaged in the Second World War because of its proximity to the Rodenkirchen Rhine bridge.

The Madonna statue from the earlier Alt St. Maternus, dating to 1470, remains inside and connects the space to its religious past. Visitors can see how this preserved work continues to hold meaning for those who come to worship here.

You can reach the church easily using the Cologne Stadtbahn lines 16 and 17, which run near the site. Check ahead for opening times and any services that might be scheduled when you plan to visit.

The organ came from Keene, New Hampshire: built by Steere & Turner in 1869, it stood in a US church until the Schulte firm restored it in 2011 and installed it here with 23 stops on two manuals and pedal. The small bronze bell of 1927 is the only one of the earlier four-bell peal left on the tower after the war.