Catholic Parish
The Parish of Geuenich
The Catholic parishes from the historic towns of Inden and Altdorf were reunited during the relocation, with the construction of the new church building, within the new parish of St Clement and St Pancras.
Since the Middle Ages, they had shared a common origin in the parish of St Remigius in the hamlet of Geuenich.
The church in Geuenich was owned by Wenau Abbey until the parish was dissolved in 1804. The church’s assets were confiscated, and the furnishings were moved to Inden. In 1824, St Remigius in Geuenich was demolished.
When the parish of Altdorf became independent in 1806, a dispute arose over the furnishings from Geuenich, which had remained entirely in Inden. The dispute was not finally settled until 1817 by the district administrator of the Jülich district.
You can find out more about the history of Geuenich at Stop S06 on this circular walk.
The Altdorf parish
A chapel was built in Altdorf around the year 1500, which was administered by the pastor from Geuenich and the curate from Inden. However, this chapel, along with its bells, was destroyed in a fire in 1749. The chapel was rebuilt and two new bells were consecrated in 1759. Following the establishment of a permanent parish, the chapel was enlarged as early as 1825, and a new vicarage was built in 1833. In August 1856, the summer heat caused several fires in Altdorf; in addition to 24 houses, the church and the school were also burnt down. The church was rebuilt between 1858 and 1864. The new bells were consecrated in 1862, and in 1868 the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Aachen.
During the First World War, the bells from Altdorf were confiscated, but thanks to the generosity of the local people, replacements were procured as early as 1926.
During the Second World War, the bells were destroyed, and in 1959 four new bells were consecrated.
On 28 December 1997, the last Mass was held in the church in Altdorf, which was finally demolished in September 1999.
The Parish of Inden
The medieval church in Inden owes its existence to the Domhof, which used to be situated to the south of it and was owned by the noble family of Randerath (Heinsberg) in the 12th century. Around 1220, the Count of Randerath donated the estate to Cologne Cathedral, which used the adjoining chapel as its own chapel. Cologne Cathedral managed the estate for around 100 years and built a stone church in place of the estate chapel.
In the 14th century, the estate chapel became the church of Inden, although the parish church was in Geuenich. Around 1580, it was rebuilt and enlarged.
In 1871, the interior was completely gutted by fire and the masonry was also damaged, so the building was demolished in 1894. The new church was built between 1894 and 1897. It was fully refurnished by 1904.
In 1997, a festive service was held to mark the church’s 100th anniversary, at the end of which all the bells of Inden rang out for the last time. The last service in the Inden church took place in May 1998. Demolition finally took place on 28 June 2000.
The Church in Inden/Altdorf
As early as 1993, the two parishes of Inden and Altdorf were merged to form the parish of St Clement and St Pancras in Inden/Altdorf. For the new church building, the decision was made to construct an integrated complex comprising, in addition to the church itself, a youth centre, two flats and a Caritas care home. The ground-breaking ceremony took place in June 1996, the topping-out ceremony was held in August 1997, and the church was consecrated as early as 27 September 1998. Many elements from the old churches were reused here in the construction and furnishings, thereby helping to preserve a sense of home for the local community from the old villages. The bell tower houses all the bells from the two old churches, although two of the old bells were recast into a single new bell so that its tone would blend with the rest of the peal. The new bell was consecrated in June 1998.