Kreuzkirche, Medieval church ruins in Melsbach, Germany

The Kreuzkirche is a ruined structure with a Gothic floor plan that originally consisted of a single-nave design. The entrance portal and southern wall remain visible, situated on a flat hill near the village of Melsbach.

The Kreuzkirche was first documented in 1399, when it belonged to the Abbey of St. Thomas in Andernach; its builder and exact construction date are unknown. Its single-nave, no-choir plan and the absence of a porch suggest a date before the 13th century, and a predecessor building may have existed in the 6th or 7th century. In 1542 Friedrich IV von Wied established an evangelical foundation there, obliging the priests to preach daily and hold a quarterly pilgrimage service.

The name Kreuzkirche ("Cross Church") appears in old records as Kreutzkirche and Kreutzeskirche. From 1542 a Protestant foundation obliged the priests to preach "every early morning around eight o'clock" and to hold a quarterly pilgrimage service whose collection went to the poor; the Catholic parish of Rengsdorf resisted this. Legend says the reformer Philipp Melanchthon preached here and that the White Lady appeared.

The ruins are located at the southern entrance of Melsbach along the main road from Neuwied, positioned east of the modern sports field. Visitors can easily spot and reach the remains on foot from the road.

Archaeological excavations near the church uncovered three human skeletons dating to the 6th century. This discovery suggests a Christian presence at the site that predates the visible ruins.