Kreuzkirche (Wittekindsberg)

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Remains of the Kreuzkirche in the protective pavilion

The Kreuzkirche on the Wittekindsberg (in the transition area to the Häverstädter Berg ) near the Porta Westfalica is a church building excavated in the years 1996/97 by the LWL Archeology for Westphalia in the area of ​​the Wittekindsburg . The area of ​​the Kreuzkirche is in the district of Häverstädt in the urban area of Minden .

It is about the remains of the foundations and walls of a central building, bound with clay mortar, dating back to the 10th century. The floor plan in the form of a Greek cross is absolutely symmetrical and about 14 m long and wide. Four square rooms (4 × 4 m) are arranged around a 4 × 4 m central room. In the southern and western interior of the church, the remains of five graves were uncovered. There is one grave for women and four for children. The name of the family and their status are not known. The builder of the Kreuzkirche is also not known. However, it is believed that it was Bishop Milo von Minden (from 969 to 996 AD).

Only four other directly comparable buildings are known from the 10th and 11th centuries ( St. Laurentius Basilica in Prague-Vyšehrad, St. Salvator in Krakow , the chapel west of the monastery church in Schuttern and the Holy Cross chapel in Trier) . Except for the church in Trier, nothing of these structures can be seen. Therefore, the ground monument within the Wittekindsburg is an architectural and historical rarity in Europe.

Protection pavilion of the Kreuzkirche

In order to keep the exposed foundations visible, the Society for the Promotion of Archeology in Ostwestfalen eV erected a protective glass structure between 2000 and 2003. The company collected almost € 200,000 in donations from local businesses and the citizens of the region. In addition, there were substantial contributions in kind from third parties and funding of € 70,000 from the North Rhine-Westphalia Foundation for Nature Conservation, Homeland and Cultural Care . The protective structure may only be entered for maintenance purposes. The sole owner of the property and the protective structure is the Society for the Promotion of Archeology in Ostwestfalen eV

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Heinrich Rüthing : The beginnings of religious life on the Wittekindsberg according to the written sources. (PDF; 127 kB) In: Archeology in Ostwestfalen, Volume 4, Society for the Promotion of Archeology in Ostwestfalen, Verlag für Regionalgeschichte, Bielefeld, 1999. pp. 42–45. ISBN 3-89534-289-0
  2. ↑ Topographical Information Management, Cologne District Government, Department GEObasis NRW ( Notes )
  3. ↑ a b Werner Best: The excavation of the pre-Romanesque central building on the Wittekindsburg (preliminary report). (PDF; 403 kB) In: Archeology in Ostwestfalen, Volume 4, Society for the Promotion of Archeology in Ostwestfalen, Verlag für Regionalgeschichte, Bielefeld, 1999. pp. 33–41. ISBN 3-89534-289-0
  4. ↑ Tobias Schultes, Susanne Hummel: The genetic fingerprint from historical skeletons. DNA analyzes to determine the relationship of the individuals in Wittekindsburg. (PDF; 116 kB) In: Archeology in Ostwestfalen, Volume 4, Society for the Promotion of Archeology in Ostwestfalen, Verlag für Regionalgeschichte, Bielefeld, 1999. pp. 50–55. ISBN 3-89534-289-0
  5. ↑ amtage.de - Bishop Milo (969–996) ( Memento of the original from February 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed February 2016) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.amtage.de
  6. ↑ a b Matthias Untermann: Cross and Circle. The cross-shaped chapel on the Wittekindsburg in the light of medieval central buildings. (PDF; 396 kB) In: Archeology in Ostwestfalen, Volume 4, Society for the Promotion of Archeology in Ostwestfalen, Verlag für Regionalgeschichte, Bielefeld, 1999. pp. 56–64. ISBN 3-89534-289-0
  7. ^ Johann-Sebastian Kühlborn : Past and Present. A look back at the first two decades of the GeFAO. In: Archeology in Ostwestfalen 13, 2017, 7–15, ISBN 978-3-95741-075-7 .

Web links

Commons : Kreuzkirche  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
  • Werner Best: The excavation of the pre-Romanesque central building on the Wittekindsburg (preliminary report) ( Online ; PDF; 403 kB)
  • Heinrich Rüthing : The beginnings of religious life on the Wittekindsberg according to the written sources ( online ; PDF; 127 kB)
  • Tobias Schultes, Susanne Hummel: The genetic fingerprint from historical skeletons. DNA analyzes to determine the relationship of the individuals at Wittekindsburg ( online ; PDF; 116 kB)
  • Matthias Untermann: Cross and Circle. The cross-shaped chapel on the Wittekindsburg in the light of medieval central buildings ( Online ; PDF; 396 kB)
  • - Wittekindsberg cross church
  • - Protective structure with a list of sponsors

Coordinates: 52 ° 14 ′ 54 ″  N , 8 ° 52 ′ 53 ″  E