Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche (Holy Cross Church), Aachen

Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche is a Roman Catholic parish church built in the early 20th century. Construction began in 1900, and it was consecrated in 1902. The site has been used for religious buildings since 1363. Designed by Josef Buchkremer, the church features a Historicist style with German and French High Gothic influences and a cross-shaped, three-aisle basilica plan.

The exterior features a tall tower, solid stone walls, and clear Gothic shapes. On the façade is the Latin motto “Stat crux, dum volvitur orbis” (“The cross stands firm while the world turns”), along with a statue of Saint Helena at the top of the gable, linked to the discovery of the True Cross. The church was heavily damaged in the Second World War and rebuilt between 1947 and 1949. The flat wooden ceilings in the side aisles date from this post-war reconstruction.

Inside, the layout is open and filled with light. The interior was redesigned in the late 1960s and renovated again in 2006. Stained glass by artists such as Maria Katzgrau and Paul Weigmann focuses on color and symbolic forms rather than detailed scenes. The church remains active today, hosting regular services as well as organ concerts and other musical events, helped by its good acoustics.