St. Reinoldi Chapel (Rupelrath)
The chapel of the Protestant parish of St. Reinoldi Rupelrath is the second oldest surviving building in Solingen .
history
The chapel already existed in the 14th century. According to a Cologne document, relics were transported from Cologne to Dortmund in 1056. One theory about the unusual location of the chapel, because it is located outside the actual village, says that a memorial stone was first erected at the place where the relics were handed over. Later, at the time of the plague, a church dedicated to the plague saint St. Reinoldus was built from it .
In 1718 the chapel was rebuilt and partially renewed. Some remains of the wall from the old building have been used, but the portal side has been completely redesigned. The chapel was formerly used for Catholic worship. After the religious comparison in Cleve in 1672, it was awarded to the Evangelicals, as almost all residents here had converted to the Evangelical faith. A collection book from August 25, 1783 has been preserved from the Protestant community of Rupelrath . Until 1840 the chapel was a branch of the Solingen church and the church service was carried out by the Solingen pastors. From then on, Rupelrath is its own parish.
architecture
The chapel is a simple hall construction with a choir and apse . It is covered by a gable roof made of slate and has a roof turret as a bell tower on the portal side. The bell tower has sound holes on all four sides and ends in a slender spire that is crowned with a cross.
The interior of the little church is simple and simple. The former baptismal font now bears the pulpit. In 1952, old wall paintings were uncovered in the medieval choir, which were presumably whitewashed when the church was expanded in 1718. They are reminiscent of the "bonten kerken" in Oberberg, which, however, are more elaborately designed and colorful. The Last Judgment with Christ , Mary and John the Baptist can be seen in the apse calotte . In the hell scene, a wheelbarrow filled with poor souls is driven away by the devil. The Himmelspforte appears as a Romanesque church building.
This chapel is located in the associated cemetery on the outskirts of Solingen. Services are held here regularly. The oldest gravestone is dated 1702 and is older than the current chapel. A double stone with the dates 1708 and 1719 shows the house brand of the Dickes family.
organ
The organ has 1 manual (four octaves and a fifth) and pedal (one octave and a sixth) with 8 sounding registers with the following disposition:
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- Pairing : 9. Pedal Coupler
Say
Several legends are linked to the construction of the St. Reinoldi Chapel.
A legend connects the creation of the chapel with the construction of Cologne Cathedral . One of the workers is said to have thrown his hammer away, but it did not fall to the ground immediately, but flew the distance of at least 5 hours through the air and then fell to the ground where the chapel is now. This miracle caused the craftsman to build the Reinoldi chapel.
Another legend reports: The master builder of Cologne Cathedral got lost one day in the large forest area that spreads in our area. After long errands, he took the vow that a chapel would be built in the place where he would find salvation. At the place where the chapel now stands, he met a man who was familiar with the area and who politely gave him information and even a long way to escort him. A short time later, the builder fulfilled his vow.
A third legend tells that St. Reinold had intended to build a monastery in the solitude of the great forests that covered this area at that time. First he had the chapel built, but got into an argument with his workers and was killed, which meant that the overall plan could not be carried out.
literature
- Melchior, Walter. History of the Evangelical Church Community of St. Reinoldi Rupelrath. Solingen 1990.
- Weiland, Gerd: The Capellers. The St. Reinoldi parish Rupelrath - 150 years and older. Solingen 1990.
- Andreas Sassen / Claudia Sassen: The St. Reinoldi Chapel in Rupelrath / Contributions to local history, Solingen 2010
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 7 ′ 25 ″ N , 6 ° 59 ′ 52 ″ E