On May 2 we visited the Kartäuser Kirche and Kloster in Cologne’s Südstadt, an area we hadn’t really explored previously. After a good “Cologne lunch” at a Brauhaus restaurant near the St Severins church, we had an easy walk to the Kartäuser church, where we met our guide. This time, an exception to the rule, we had a tour in German. No problem for us as an international group. And our guide was excellent.
This special, small order of monks, dating back to the 15th century, is a contemplative order, meaning they had to be silent 22 hours a day. This is probably the most impressive fact about their lives, which all of us will remember! But another remarkable fact is that each monk lived in his own ‘cell’ ,his food was brought to him from the common kitchen. Then 2 hours each day, they all came together for discussion and prayers. The order still exists but not in Cologne. Their main cloister is in France.
This Cologne complex of buildings, with its sizeable amount of land, is now a Protestant parish, active and integrated in the still very Catholic Cologne.
Once again, another informative, enlightening outing, giving us even more insight into Cologne’s history. History made easy, thanks to our wonderful guide, Frau Dagny Lohff.