Dieterskirchel

It is thanks to the tradition of the canon Anselm of Liège that the memory of the martyrdom of the Bishop of Tongeren and Maastricht did not fade into oblivion and was also associated with our location. In his chronicle from the year 1052, he shares: "The people of that region (Note: this refers to the hill south of Rülzheim, not far from the Rottenbach) commemorate the day of his martyrdom with the greatest solemnity." Here at this location, he concludes, the bishop must have been struck down by his persecutors. Theodard was murdered by Franconian nobles while passing through the Rülzheim Forest in the year 671 or 672. He must have used the Roman road, as his route can be assigned to the road.

A martyr calendar from the 10th century from the monastery of Weißenburg recorded his day of death: "September 8, Martyri Theodard, Beewalt." People were already flocking to this site of his martyrdom in the 10th century and surely many years before, which was then located in the midst of the Bienwald (Beewalt), venerating a saint whose body was soon brought back to his diocese and buried in the Liège Cathedral.

The Theodard cult was therefore very vibrant in Rülzheim as well as in the Liège area. In Rülzheim, it even resulted in the construction of a small church over the empty burial site, which was first mentioned around 1400 as the "Dieterskirchel." Etymologically, the name Theodard had meanwhile transformed into Diethard or Dieter in our area. In the year 1517, we learn of a priest position that was created for the Dieterskirchel, which was also associated with a "Gefälle" (income for the early mass) of 30 guilders. In the same year, the small church underwent renovations, to which a original stone (in the new Dieterskirchel from 1957) still reminds us today. It is a sandstone slab, on which a small church is engraved. It also contains the year 1517, and below is the coat of arms of Bishop Georg of Speyer.

The small church is described in more detail in a source from the year 1701: it is referred to as a "fine chapel" and was said to be 21.6 m long and 8.4 m wide. It had a recessed choir and a little tower with a bell. Around the small church lay a garden covering three morgen (several thousand square meters large) and there was also a well that provided water.

However, soon the Dieterskirchel fell into decline. In 1711, a renovation is still mentioned, but around 1820, there was only talk of its demolition due to the dilapidation of this church at Rottenbach. This seemed to suit the municipal council just fine, as the parish church in the village had become too small, and an extension was deemed unavoidable; they had set their sights on the demolition stones of the Dieterskirchel. These were to be used in the extended Mauritiuskirche. The nave was indeed extended in 1824, but only a few stones found their way into the parish church. Many residents of Rülzheim already began using the Dieterskirchel as a quarry for a small fee.

From then on, the hill where the small church had once stood remained empty for many decades. The Roman-pagan "Four Gods Stones" discovered during the demolition were transported to the Speyer Museum.

But the memory of the Dieterskirchel and the martyr bishop Theodard lived on. In 1957, it was time: under the direction of architect Peter, a new, modern little church was created, which its founding father Pastor Weinspach praised as a gift from God. It consists of a church space covered with a lightly vaulted flat roof, which serves as a porch in the entrance area. Behind the altar, the room ends with a semicircular arch. While a small tower with a bell is located at the southeast corner of the building, a sandstone slab has been placed on the north side of the outer facade. It contains engravings of a church building, which probably refers to the predecessor church structure.

Since then, the Dieterskirchel has continued as a small pilgrimage site of the diocese of Speyer. Weddings, masses, and prayer services are held in it today, and many a hiker finds his inner peace before the Lord.

Opening times

The outdoor area and the meditation labyrinth of the Dieterskirchel are freely accessible all year round.

For the chapel building itself, the following regulations apply:

Interior: The chapel is usually open for regular services, weddings, prayers, or special events such as World Labyrinth Day.

Individual visits: If you wish to access the interior for a group or a visit outside of the services, you can contact the Central Parish Office of the parish of St. Theodard Rülzheim in advance.