Georgskapelle (The Chapel of St. George), Bonn

The Chapel of Saint George is a small Romanesque chapel dating from about 1230, located in the historic Old Cemetery. Originally part of the Teutonic Commandery of Ramersdorf, it served monks and knights as their private chapel for prayer and services. Crafted from Tuff in the late Romanesque style with early Gothic elements, its three-aisled layout and apse reflect architectural trends of the Rhineland during that period.

In 1842, the chapel was badly damaged by fire during a devastating blaze that engulfed the Commandery. When the property owner planned its demolition in 1844, local officials and art historians intervened. Lead architect Johann Claudius von Lassaulx organized the chapel’s dismantling, transport, and reconstruction on the Old Cemetery grounds between 1846 and 184. Although much of its original 14th-century frescoes were lost, copies by artist Christian Hohe were made, and fragments remain visible inside.

Today, the Chapel of Saint George is officially listed as a protected historic monument under regional preservation laws, a designation it has held since 1984. It stands within the cemetery landscape marked by mature trees, some more than 150 years old. Inside the chapel, the interior layout includes slender columns and three stone altars, recalling its original function as a place of devotion.