Texts and Research

Reconstruction of the chapel with the school building (erected in 1718),
based on records from the parish archive of Immendorf and
Oswald Weiler, Local History of Rondorf.

Reconstructive depiction of the Rondorf chapel based on historical sources (acrylic painting by Carola Steiner).

Postcard commemorating the foundation stone laying of the new Catholic church in Rondorf on April 23, 1899
(private collection, C. Steiner).

The laying of the foundation stone for the new church on April 23, 1899 marked a deliberate new beginning. With the demolition of the old chapel, Rondorf’s ecclesiastical center shifted to what is now Rondorfer Hauptstraße.

Anyone walking through Rondorf today can hardly imagine how deep the history of this place reaches. Long before a coherent village developed, the area was already shaped by roads, farmsteads, and early settlements. Archaeological finds show that people lived here as early as Roman and Frankish times and left lasting traces.

A branch of the Roman road from Cologne to Bonn passed west of Rondorf. South of today’s village center, remains of Roman buildings were discovered. In the spring of 1875, five Frankish graves made of large tuff stone slabs were uncovered. The grave goods were generally sparse, but a tall drinking glass deserves special mention. Such finds make it clear that Rondorf was not a random point on the map, but part of an area that was used and settled at an early stage.

Early Mentions and Ecclesiastical Ties

The village of Rondorf is first mentioned in documents in the year 922. From an early period, several Cologne monasteries owned land here, including St. Ursula and St. Cecilia. These close ties to ecclesiastical institutions shaped the development of the place over many centuries.

In 1233, a chapel in Rondorf is mentioned for the first time. It stood on what is now Kapellenstraße, on the grounds of the former Büchelhof. The western part of the building was constructed of rubble stone, was small—about six by six meters—and fitted with Gothic rib vaults. From Kapellenstraße, a staircase led up the embankment to the simple chapel, which was closely connected to the farmstead and the surrounding settlement.

The Chapel and Its Dedication

The chapel in Rondorf was dedicated to the Holy Three Kings. This dedication is presumably connected to an old route legend: around July 23, 1164, the relics of the Holy Three Kings are said to have been carried through Rondorf on their way to Cologne. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa had brought them from Milan and presented them to the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald of Dassel.

According to an unverified tradition, the relics were temporarily stored near St. Maria im Kapitol before being placed in the Carolingian cathedral. This event is considered one of the impulses for the later construction of Cologne’s Gothic cathedral. Whether the route actually led through Rondorf cannot be historically proven. Nevertheless, the dedication of the chapel shows how strongly such narratives could shape the religious self-understanding of a place.

Until secularization, the chapel was under the protection of the monasteries of St. Cecilia and St. Anna zum Lämmchen.

Architecture and Furnishings

The small church building consisted of a late Gothic western structure and an eastern extension of equal width added in the 18th century. There was no separate chancel. The western part was partially built of rubble stone and, in its upper sections—especially on the gable side—of brick. The eastern part was constructed entirely of brick. Both sections were covered by a shared slate gabled roof, from which rose a small pyramidal bell turret.

Inside, the chapel formed a rectangular hall with a flat ceiling. Late Gothic vault consoles were preserved in the western corners. Among the furnishings was a wooden Madonna from the early 15th century, later heavily altered by an oil-based repainting. A late Romanesque bronze holy water font was eventually transferred to the Provincial Museum in Bonn.

Extensions and Use in the 18th and 19th Centuries

Around 1730, the chapel was extended eastward under Pastor Leonard Soenius of Immendorf. The new section, built of brick, created a larger, flat-ceilinged interior. A simple altar with a white-painted superstructure and a framed image of the Holy Three Kings formed the liturgical center.

One or two masses were celebrated in the chapel during the week, while Sunday services took place in Immendorf. Only the patronal feast was celebrated in Rondorf. Twenty kneelers arranged in two rows provided seating for the congregation.

In 1750, the chapel was officially assigned to the parish of Immendorf, and around 1800 a separate chapel community was formed. In 1861, a new bell turret was added; the old bell was melted down and replaced. After the theft of six brass altar candlesticks in 1865, the windows were secured with heavy iron grilles.

The Chapel Association and the New Building

On March 1, 1865, committed citizens of Rondorf founded a chapel and church building association in the Burbach inn. Its aim was to establish a fund for maintaining the chapel, securing the salary of a clergyman, acquiring a residence, and, in the longer term, enabling an extension or a new building. Over several decades, considerable sums were raised—between 1870 and 1899, donations amounted to around 17,000 marks.

In 1883, the chapel received a new altar with a carved superstructure by Cologne sculptor Josef Fink. The depiction of the Holy Three Kings was inspired by the famous altarpiece by Stephan Lochner.

Despite all efforts, in 1897 the old chapel was declared unworthy for the celebration of mass by church authorities. The decision to construct a new building was therefore made.

Architect Jacob Marchand designed a new neo-Gothic chapel in brick. After obtaining the necessary approvals from church and civil authorities, construction began in 1899. The foundation stone was laid on April 23, 1899, and on December 26 of the same year—on the feast of St. Joseph—the new chapel was solemnly blessed. Construction costs amounted to more than 34,000 marks.

Farewell to the Old Chapel

In 1902, the old chapel on Kapellenstraße was demolished. During the removal of the ground, numerous burials of adults and children were discovered. It appears that the chapel had once been surrounded by a small cemetery.

In front of the altar, the remains of a priest were found, clothed with a stole and holding a rosary and a crucifix. According to tradition, this was Pastor Roderich of Immendorf, who died in 1748 and had chosen this place as his burial site. The remains were later transferred to the cemetery in Immendorf.

A Place That Is More Than a Building

The history of the Rondorf chapel shows how closely place, road, faith, and community were intertwined. The chapel was never merely a building. It served as a point of orientation, a place of memory, a meeting place, and an expression of shared religious life. Even though it no longer exists today, it continues to live on through sources, narratives, and images—as part of Rondorf’s grown history.

From the Historic Site to the Present-Day Church

With the construction of the new chapel at the end of the 19th century, the religious center of Rondorf shifted to today’s main street. The further development of the Church of the Holy Three Kings—its structural changes, extensions, and its role in parish life—is closely connected to the history of the village in the 20th century.

This more recent building and usage history is documented in detail on the website of the Catholic parish of the Holy Three Kings.

→ History of the Church of the Holy Three Kings
https://www.heilige-drei-koenige.de/unsere-gemeinde/kirchen/hl-drei-koenige/