St. Agnes (Cologne)

St. Agnes in the northern Neustadt is, after the cathedral, the largest church building in Cologne. The mighty neo-Gothic hall church gives its name to the surrounding Agnesviertel.

At a glance

• Built: 1896–1901, architects Carl Rüdell and Richard Odenthal
• Style: neo-Gothic (modelled on St. Elizabeth's in Marburg)
• Dimensions: 80 m long, 40 m wide, tower 61 m
• Location: Neusser Straße, Agnesviertel

A foundation with a social mission

The church goes back to an endowment by the merchant Peter Joseph Roeckerath, who had it built as a burial church for his late wife Agnes. Remarkably, Roeckerath stipulated that no pews be rented to wealthy parishioners – seating was to be open to all regardless of means. In 1920 St. Agnes was Cologne's largest parish, with 27,000 members. After severe wartime damage the church was restored into the 1950s; today it is also a lively venue for art and culture.