Christ König

Christ König stands in Longerich on Cologne’s left bank of the Rhine, with a red brick façade and a single-sloped gable roof. Built in 1951 to plans by Cologne architect Fritz Schaller, the church belongs to the residential setting of Gartenstadt-Nord.

Inside, four V-shaped wooden beams support an open roof structure and divide the space into three naves. Their shape recalls Bethlehem’s stable, which gives the church its local nickname, the Christmas Church. A convex eastern apse follows early Christian basilica forms, while the southwest baptismal chapel projects beyond the main wall. Elmar Hillebrand created the altar, tabernacle base, pulpit, and shell-limestone baptismal font with its carved oak lid.

Ludwig Schaffrath designed the ornamental stained-glass windows from 1952, including the rear window showing Christ the King above the four Evangelist symbols. The church also holds a 1951 hanging altar cross by Hildegard Domizlaff and a 29-stop Seifert organ. A hand-embroidered Stations of the Cross survived fire damage and received extensive restoration in 1977. Protected as a monument since 1999, the building brings post-war architecture, Christian symbolism, and local craftsmanship together.