Kornelimünster ( ksh, Mönster) is a town in the rural ''Münsterländchen'' area of

Kornelimünster/Walheim Kornelimünster/Walheim is the southernmost ''Stadtbezirk'' (borough) of Aachen, Germany, and borders the Eifel area of North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as Belgium. It became part of Aachen in 1972, after all of the communities surrounding the cit ...

, a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

History

The

Kornelimünster Abbey Kornelimünster Abbey (german: Benediktinerabtei Kornelimünster), also known as Abbey of the Abbot Saint Benedict of Aniane and Pope Cornelius, is a Benedictine monastery that has been integrated since 1972. The abbey is located in Aachen (in t ...

was founded in 814 on the

Inde Indian English (IE) is a group of English dialects spoken in the republic of India and among the Indian diaspora. English is used by the Indian government for communication, along with Hindi, as enshrined in the Constitution of India. E ...

River by

Benedict of Aniane Benedict of Aniane ( la, Benedictus Anianensis; german: Benedikt von Aniane; 747 – 12 February 821 AD), born Witiza and called the Second Benedict, was a Benedictine monk and monastic reformer, who left a large imprint on the religious prac ...

(750–821), at the suggestion of

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...

, son and successor of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Holy ...

. The cloister was originally called Redeemer Cloister on the Inde (''Erlöserkloster an der Inde''). In the middle of the 9th century, the cloister was given

imperial immediacy Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular pri ...

and subsequently came into possession of a large swath of area surrounding the church. In 875, certain reliquaries were exchanged for one belonging to the martyr saint,

Pope Cornelius Pope Cornelius was the bishop of Rome from 6th or 13th March 251 until his martyrdom in June 253. He was pope during and following a period of persecution of the church, while a schism occurred over how Lapsi (Christianity), repentant church membe ...

(who died in 253). The cloister thereafter became known as Sancti Cornelii ad Indam (St Cornelius on the Inde), and then Kornelimünster. Today, the official title of the abbey is the Abbey of St Benedict of Aniane and Pope Cornelius. In 1500 the abbey became part of the

Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle The Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle (german: Niederrheinisch-Westfälischer Reichskreis, nl, Nederrijns-Westfaalse Kreits) was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised territories of the former Duchy of Lower Lorraine, Fr ...

, and in 1802, the area fell to the French. Along with other abbeys in French controlled areas, the abbey at Kornelimünster was abolished and the monks were forced to leave. During this time, the community of Kornelimünster came under administration of the French, under the Mairie system. In 1815

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

came into possession of Kornelimünster and was subsequently administered as part of the old district of Aachen (before the administrative restructuring of 1972). Benedictine monks returned to the Kornelimünster Abbey in 1906 to found the New Benedictine Kornelimünster Abbey. The St Cornelius Church of the former abbey is today the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of the community and is the oldest abbey building still used in the state of

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

U.S. forces reached the area south of

in the fall of 1944. On 19 September Kornelimünster was captured without major damage. The first summary court in Germany during World War II opened in Kornelimünster late in September. In 1971 Kornelimünster joined together with other area communities such as Breinig, Mulartshütte,

Roetgen Roetgen () is a municipality in the district of Aachen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Roetgen is located approximately 16 km (10 mi) south-east of Aachen, near the border with Belgium. It is in the north of the High Fe ...

, Venwegen and

Walheim Walheim is a town in the district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany with a considerable viticulture. Besides the village Walheim there are no other places belonging to the municipal area of Walheim. Geography and climate Walheim is s ...

to argue in favor of creating a Münsterland district. Instead, on 1 January 1972, the area was divided as follows: the Kornelimünster and Walheim communities were combined into the

, while Breinig and Venwegen went to Stolberg. The remaining communities of Mulartshütte, Rott and Roetgen were combined into the Roetgen district.

Politics

Mayors

* 1945–1952: Karl Siemons * 1952–1956: Viktor Hoven, FDP * 1969–1971: Egon von Reth

Traffic

Kornelimünster no longer lies along the

Bundesstraße 258 The Bundesstraße 258 is a German federal highway. It starts in Aachen, crosses the Eifel from northwest to southeast and ends in Mayen. From Aachen, the road first runs south along the Belgian border. One curiosity on this part is a 3 k ...

, which connected

to the

Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...

. The nearest onramp of the Autobahn 44 ( E40) is in

Brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

, another district of Aachen. Kornelimünster is, however, reachable by bicycle along the

Vennbahn The (, "Fen Railway") is a former railway line that was built partly across what was then German territory by the Prussian state railways. It is now entirely in Belgium, because the trackbed of the line, as well as the stations and other install ...

bike path.

Notable persons

* Johann Josef Brammertz (1668–1729), organ builder *

Hubert Giesen Hubert Giesen (13 January 1898 – 11 February 1980) was a German pianist. Life and career Born in Kornelimünster, Giesen came from an old family that had lived in Kornelimünster since the 17th century. He studied music at the Conservatory in ...

(1898–1980), Pianist * Viktor Hoven (1909–1968), Politician (FDP), Member of Parliament (

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Commons ...

), Member of Parliament (

Landtag A Landtag (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence in non- ...

)

Nearby towns

Historical fairs * Oberforstbach *

* Schleckheim *

Breinig Stolberg (, Ripuarian: ) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has a long history as an industrial town and belongs to the district Aachen and the lower district court of Eschweiler. Geography Stolberg is located approximately 5&nbs ...

* Venwegen *

* Nütheim *

Dorff Dorff is a surname, and may refer to: * Daniel Dorff, American composer * Elliot N. Dorff, American rabbi * Eugene Dorff, American politician * , a German botanist and phycologist using the author abbreviation Dorff * Stephen Dorff Stephen Ha ...

Regular events

Open-air Carnival * Open-air carnival * Christmas market * Historical fairs

Works cited

* ''Die Heiligthumsfahrt zu Cornelimünster : eine Festgabe für die frommen Wallfahrer zu derselben''. Urlichs, Aachen 1860 ()

External links

Information on the city district of Kornelimünster-Walheim
from the homepage of the city of Aachen
Website of the Kornelimünster Abbey gardens
with detailed information, pictures, and schedules related to Kornelimünster
“The minor sins of monks - The Choir Stalls of Kornelimünster”

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kornelimunster Aachen Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia