St. Ludger Church in Germany, Essen resort
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The Catholic Church of St. Ludger is located in the Verdun district, in the city of Essen. Nowadays, the relics of bishops who were recognized as saints by the Russian Orthodox and Catholic churches rest in the crypt of the church. This church – a place of pilgrimage not only for the believers in Germany, but also for the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium. At the turn of VIII – In the 9th century, a Benedictine monastery was founded in Verdun by Saint Ludger as a center for Christian missionary work in western Saxony. The first church of the monastery complex was built in 800-808, and was named the Church of the Savior. The temple was a three-aisled basilica. Next to him, in a place specially chosen by Ludger, a crypt was built, in which in 809 the saint was buried. In the 840s, the church expanded, in connection with which the crypt turns into a crypt. Until the X century, the church was both parish and monastic. In 943, after the Basilica of St. Mary was erected next to the church, the church became the main monastery, and the functions of the parish church were given to a new building. In the middle of the 11th century, a new one was built the crypt of the temple, where the relics of Saints Ludger, Hildegrim, Tigrim, Herfried and Altfried were transferred. In 1256, a massive fire broke out in the building, which severely damaged the church. Soon it was decided to build a new basilica with a transept. The main nave of the temple was built on the foundations of the main nave of the old basilica, but the width of the longitudinal naves was increased. The consecration of the basilica took place in 1275. The appearance of the church remained unchanged until the 18th century, when, during the reconstruction work, the middle dome and the west tower were crowned with baroque hoods. In 1803, after the secularization of the Abbey of Verdun, the Church of St. Ludger received the status of a parish church. During the reconstruction works carried out in 1884-1898, the late Romanesque style was returned to the temple. The church was not damaged during the Second World War. The new organ was installed in the church in 1982. The main attraction of the church's treasury is the 'portable altar of St. Ludger' raquo; in which, in all likelihood, the shrines brought by the saints from Rome were kept. The treasury also contains a large collection of art.   We also recommend reading Essen Cathedral in Germany, Essen resort Topic: St. Ludger Church in Germany, Essen resort. |
