Saint Marien Church, Bonn

Saint Marien Church in Bad Godesberg is a neo-Gothic building designed by architect Vinzenz Statz. Its foundation stone was laid in 1860, and the church was completed two years later. Between 1894 and 1896, a transept was added, giving the interior a cross-shaped layout. The brick exterior, twin aisles, and the nearly 60-meter-high west tower still reflect the church’s original Gothic Revival design.

Step inside and you’ll find an elegant hall church whose vaults are complemented by exquisite stained-glass windows in the transept. These depict scenes from the lives of Saints Elizabeth and Hermann-Josef, while choir windows illustrate Old Testament episodes-the Sacrifice of Isaac and the Passover Meal-rich in Eucharistic symbolism. A particular highlight is the Gothic Pietà from around 1300, donated by artist Paul Kemp in 1954.

Saint Marien continues to function as the active parish church of Saint Marien and Saint Servatius. Its liturgical interior underwent thoughtful renovation in the 1960s following Vatican II reforms, with a modern altar and bronze doors depicting the snake-entwined tree of life-symbolizing Mary and Jesus’s journey. Music enthusiasts will appreciate the two beautiful organs: one historic Klais instrument from 1941 and a newer two-manual organ installed in 2002.