Little known in the history of Siegburg Abbey in the years 1937-1945
After my First Communion in 1937 I was the only boy of the city who became an acolyte at the Abbey Michaelsberg through the guidance of Father Dr. Reginhard Spilker. I now regularly served Mass at 7.00 clock on the high altar in the abbey church with Father Liborius Hardebusch. Of my parents' house in Katharinenstreet in Siegburg-Zange it took me about 20 minutes to the abbey. I was already at 6.45 clock in the sacristy.
Quick steps I walked through the city. In the summer I used the short climb to the abbey, at the House of the Red Cross I turned to the right from the Bersgstr., then 85 steps up to the rose garden. (Incidentally, this year [2010] all the steps have been painstakingly restored, so that access to the Abbey is easily accessible again.) In winter with ice and snow I used only the Bergstr. In the rose garden which I passed too, materials for the heating of the monastery was stored before WWII. After the attack on the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 wounded Russian prisoners of war were housed in barracks here. The number of wounded is unknown.
The left of the archway was a private apartment, which was rented out to the Müller/Wittgendorf and other families. In the 2nd World War II the apartment served as orderly office for the Reserve Hospital (until summer 2010 restaurant Abteistuben). Aside were a garage and the laundry, where later the book and art shop was located. In the 2nd World War there was a large iron gate at the doorway with security and with an additional outlet for people.
Behind the arch on the left was the carpenter, during the war it was a prison camp with wounded French soldiers, today the youth hostel. Opposite the entrance to the crypt was a square building, the use before WWII is not known. From 1941-1945, about 15-20 Sisters (Franciscans) from the Siegburg hospital lived in this house who caredfor the wounded soldiers and were working in the kitchen. Behind the arch on the right there was the Museum of the town of Siegburg, in the war military hospital, after the war from 1949 Federal Finance Academy.
Before implementing the bomb damage had been eliminated. Today it houses the retreat house of the Cologne Archdiocese, the "Edith Stein House." At the entrance of the church stood the figure of Christ carrying the cross, the staircase was inside of the church.
The figure of Christ carrying the cross now stands at the entrance of the abbey, the stairway to the abbey church is now outside of the church (and a popular photo opportunity!). The church has a Gothic choir. The high altar and the right side altar, the altar of St. Benedict's came in 1919 from St. Remigius in Bonn to Siegburg. The picture in the high altar with the St. Michael the Archangel and to his feet the town of Siegburg was made by the painter Mr. Lauterbach. Photos of this place can be found in the book Weber/Mittler from the year 1967.
In the left aisle, there was the Lady altar, he came from Saint Irminen from Trier to the hill.
In the crypt, there were three altars, the main altar was consecrated to St. Anno, and two side altars. In the eastern part of the south wing is the so-called night choir, today called house chapel, where before WWI in the night at 2.00 clock Matins and Lauds were prayed. The choir stalls of the night choir was constructed out of the doors of the wing with the jail cells. At the gate the ever-popular and friendly Frater Eberhard Tueg was present. At the left of the gate began the klausur, separated by a large portal and closed for females.
In the wide corridor on the right was the kitchen, then followed the refectory, the monastery dining room. The abbot was Father Dr. Ildefons Schulte Strathaus at that time. The Convention had before the war: 27 priests, 12 clerics and 15 brothers.
The following priests and friars are still in the memory of the senior citizens of our city and me:
Father Wunibald Weber, Father Anno Kreuzkamp, Father Michael Odenthal, Father Ludger Klein-Hessling, Father Gregor Dreschers, Father Johannes Braukämper, Father Kilian Orlowski, Father Hermann Walter, Father Dr. Reginhard Spilker, Father Gabriel Busch, Father Adalbert Steffen Father Ludwig Reul. Cleric was Don Meinrad Kerkhoff. Brothers: Hilarion, Brother Luke, Brother Egbert, Brother Hubert, Brother Maurus Rauschenberg, Brother Pirmin Schrodi. Cellarer was Father Adalbert Steffen until 1943.
The Convention service of the monks was Sunday at 10.00 o’clock, on weekdays at 8.00 o’clock.
Before WWII there was a liturgical movement. Holy Mass was celebrated on Sundays to go to church a wooden altar that was placed in the choir area of the church.
The 2nd World War began on 01 September 1939.
In May 1940, nine priests and two clerics were drafted. The municipal museum in the north wing of the abbey was closed. In the buildings a military hospital was established. the Red Cross was painted On the roofs; visible from afar.
the first of the wounded of the Western campaign arrived on the Michaelsberg on 15 June 1940.
The abbey was dissolved by the Gestapo on the 06th May 1941. Abbot Ildefons went into exile in the near village of Oberpleis.
Father Dr. Reginhard Spilker, Father Gabriel Busch and Don Meinrad (who was in preparation for the priesthood) returned after a military basic training and training as a paramedic back to the Michaelsberg. The pharmacy of the hospital was above the archway, Don Meinrad worked in the radiology department. Father Reinold Braukämper and some nurses from the hospital in Siegburg were working in the kitchen. In July 1941, also wounded from the Eastern Front were admitted to Hospital. The first manager of the reserve military hospital was a Surgeon-Dr Schlickum.
He was a practicing Catholic, from which I received a card with the following text:
"The student K. H. Neifer is entitled to access and to leave the Hospital Siegburg at any time."
Now I could exercise my altar service daily in the night choir of the monks. French prisoners of war were housed in the former joinery who were looked after by a French priest, who celebrated on weekdays in the night chorus. On Sundays, he celebrated Mass in the prison camp. Russian wounded prisoners of war were housed in the Rose Garden in barracks.
There were also civilian employees in the hospital. Father Ludwig Reul had mostly the task the cellarer in the monastery, brother Egbert was the baker, brother Nauru and brother Christopher kitchen help, brother Luke head of laundry.
Brother Hilarion and brother Hubert were as soldiersposted in the hospital. On 28 December 1944 Siegburg saw the heaviest bombing. Much of the abbey was destroyed by bombs, the abbey church burned. The military hospital was partially resolved already before the bombing.
Now the military hospital became a front hospital with seriously wounded. A makeshift chapel was set up after the bombing in the basement where also a holy mass was celebrated. After three weeks of shelling, in which the abbey which got more significant damages, the Americans captured Siegburg on 10 April 1945.
Some personal notes:
My extensive research was sometimes difficult because only a few people could give me information (here I have to mention Father Mauritius Mittler, Brother Lukas and especially sister called Edeltrud Koch from Kall). Much of the history of the Abbey Siegburg in the 2nd World War therefore remains unmentioned or slumbering in archives not known to me.
A final personal note: In 2001, I started writing my life in my home town of Siegburg.
The first paper deals with the acolyte activity on the hill, with the present work on the abbey in the years 1937 -1945 I would like, not least for reasons of age, to end this activity.
Thus, a full circle. Maybe there is someone who wants to pursue my related activities. I would support him, if desired, with advice and practice. If any readers knows more details about my above article, I would be happy if they contacted me.
Karl-Heinz Neifer, Siegburg