St. Joseph, Catholic church in Ehrenfeld, Cologne, Germany

St. Joseph is a neo-Gothic brick basilica on Venloer Straße in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, built 1872–1875 to plans by Vincenz Statz. Its 60-metre square tower, added in 1912/13, has a slate pyramid spire and two smaller corner spires. The exterior walls were plastered during the 1949–1955 rebuild, leaving the stone tracery visible.

St. Joseph was built between 1872 and 1875 to plans by Vincenz Statz, who donated the building plot together with Johann and Jakob Wahlen. The first service was held at Christmas 1873, and Archbishop Paulus Melchers consecrated the church on 11 April 1875. In 1912/13 a transept-like extension was added and the low facade tower was replaced by the present 60-metre square tower. A bombing raid on 31 May 1942 destroyed everything except the tower; rebuilding under Otto Bongartz ran from 1949 to 1955.

The church is dedicated to Saint Joseph, whose figure stands in the tower room alongside statues of Judas Thaddaeus, Anthony and a Fatima Madonna. In the east aisle, three altarpieces from the former high altar of the Chapel of the Assumption show Saints Helena, Gertrude and Anne; a late-Gothic Anna selbdritt from the 15th century stands near the baptismal font.

St. Joseph stands on Venloer Straße, framed by Klarastraße and Wahlenstraße, a short walk from the Ehrenfeld market square. The main entrance faces the street at ground level. The church is an active parish of the Ehrenfeld pastoral area, so visits are best timed outside service hours; the parish office can confirm opening times.

The tower survived the 31 May 1942 bombing raid that destroyed the rest of the church; the nave was rebuilt between 1949 and 1955 to plans by Otto Bongartz, with a flat wooden ceiling painted with geometric figures replacing the lost vault. The exterior walls were then rendered, leaving the stonework articulation visible.