St. Jakobus d. Ä. und Christophorus, Romanesque church in Marienmünster, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
St. Jakobus d. Ä. und Christophorus is a former abbey church built of light tan stone blocks. Two square west towers with slate pyramidal spires flank a round crossing tower capped by a dark dome and lantern. The Romanesque westwork, transept and crossing tower survive; the nave was rebuilt as a hall church from 1661, with a steep dark roof over the main body.
The church was damaged by Hessian and Swedish forces during the Thirty Years' War and then rebuilt starting in 1661. This reconstruction shaped much of what visitors see today.
The two patron saints appear on the doors flanking the high altar: figures of St. Christopher and St. James stand on the panels beside the 1685 altar wall carved by Paul Gladbach of Rüthen. The parish belongs to the Pastoral Area Steinheim-Marienmünster-Nieheim in the Archdiocese of Paderborn, and Passionist fathers provided pastoral care from 1967 to 2014.
The church is located in Marienmünster and can be reached on foot from the town center. Being an active place of worship, visiting hours may vary depending on services, so checking ahead is helpful.
The 1693 choir screen was forged by monastery smith H. Pieperling under Abbot Augustin Müller. Its painted ironwork carries blossoms, leaves, birds, fruits and heads, and it is see-through, so the high altar stays visible from the nave. It was restored in 2008 along with the altar.
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