St. Margaretha Chapel (Dorweiler)

The St. Margaretha Chapel

The St. Margaretha Chapel is located in Dorweiler , a district of the Nörvenich municipality in the Düren district ( North Rhine-Westphalia ). The chapel is in the center of the village. It belongs to the parish of Hochkirchen .

history

The chapel with its earliest components is dated by building historians to the 11th century . For the middle of the 12th century, renovation and expansion works are assumed, e.g. B. the establishment of the choir . The masonry, which is now white, consists of red sandstone and bricks , including Roman material and tuff from the area of Maria Laach .

A retracted choir is built in front of the three-axle nave to the east and a nave to the west, which today houses the entrance door, which is surrounded by red sandstone. The most recent renovation work lasted almost 20 years and brought important insights into the history of the building.

In 1953, the urgently needed work began, which dragged on until the mid-1970s. At that time the building was in a desperate condition. Shortly before the Second World War , the tower dome, which had leaned towards the street, had to be demolished by order of the building authorities. Probably because of the lack of skilled workers and building materials during the war and post-war period, it was initially not renewed.

The roof was badly damaged in an artillery bombardment on February 23, 1945 and was later covered with sheet metal. The entire structure was damp. It was not until 1959, when a drainage trench was dug, that it was discovered that there were no foundations . In the windowless north wall of the nave there were three walled Romanesque round arches with simple fighters made of red sandstone from a former Romanesque aisle, which was probably abandoned during the Gothic changes to the chapel and whose foundations came to light when the ground was dug up.

The arcade arches were opened and a narrow aisle was built on the site of the old foundations and placed under a roof that was towed deep from the ship. This is how the desired sacristy was created with a round arched ceiling and corresponding furnishings, as well as a small confessional niche with a built-in cupboard that is accessible from the ship. The missing helmet over the bell chamber was put on again and crowned with a tower cock. All roofing got a new slab with old German cover. This work was carried out in 1953.

When the helmet was erected over the bell chamber, it became clear that the tower substructure originally consisted of half-timbered structures that were later walled on on both sides. The walled-in half-timbering was completely rotten. The resulting cavities had to be sprayed with cement milk for static reasons.

After a long break, further renovation work began in 1956. The school chronicle reports on the findings during the work in 1956 that an old, arched entrance to the chapel must have existed between the first and second window on the street side, as became visible when the plaster was removed. Inside there were two mighty but now rotten oak beams at this point, which were removed. The reveal of the door arch and the wooden posts were originally painted. However, the motifs can no longer be reconstructed. This portal was walled up. A new entrance, also arched, was broken directly next to the tower on the street side and was later also closed, probably when the portal was moved into the tower.

The old lattice tower was separated from the ship. A connection from the tower to the ship can no longer be determined. The tower and ship were only connected to one another when the framework was covered with field fire bricks.

When the tower was built, the roof must have been changed. The old gable roofs over the nave and choir are Gothic carpentry. On the two gables , the course of the gently sloping Romanesque saddle roofs is still clearly visible in the interior of the tower. During the work in 1956 the windows got new stone surrounds; In the choir a walled, arched window with Gothic tracery was opened again. The floor was given a bluestone covering . At that time, the tower received a new staircase leading to the gallery, which was also renewed . For the parapet could communion rail be used with the stilted Holzbalustern.

All windows got new, hand-blown glass . The east window in the choir was provided with colored glass in bright colors in 1974. At the same time, the tower window with a colored representation of St. Hubertus built in.

A bench from the rustic Renaissance oak seating has an incised Christ monogram with a house brand and the inscription ANNO 1779 PETER MUNSTER VND MARIA FVS SEINE HAVSFRAW on the armrest .

The late Baroque altarpiece was created around 1600 . It was restored in 1986 by the Heiberg company in Bedburg and has since returned to its original place as an altarpiece. It was hung on the south wall of the chapel for several decades.

The picture shows a crucifixion group , above God the Father with the dove of the Holy Spirit , on the right stands the chapel patroness St. Margaretha with the cross staff with which, according to legend, she stabbed the dragon. On the left the parish priest Margaret of Scotland, in front of him the donor of the picture kneels in Praemonstratensian order.

On March 12, 1985, the chapel was entered in the list of monuments of the municipality of Nörvenich under No. 6.

Thanks sign

35 votive offerings (signs of thanks) from the 18th and early 19th centuries are kept in the chapel , namely 5 pairs of eyes, 1 single eye, 20 hearts and 9 crosses.

In ancient times, St. Margaretha in Dorweiler called from eye patients, pregnant women asked for her intercession . After the answers to prayer, those who were healed and heard gave a gift for the saint that was visible to all with the votive offerings.

Coordinates: 50 ° 47 ′ 34.2 "  N , 6 ° 40 ′ 34.8"  E