Exploring Bruder Klaus: A Chapel's Journey From Cologne

The Bruder Klaus Chapel is a small concrete chapel built by local farmers on the edge of a field in Mechernich, Germany, 55km from Cologne. The chapel is dedicated to Swiss Saint Nicholas von der Flue, also known as Brother Klaus, and was commissioned by farmer Hermann-Josef Scheidtweiler and his wife Trudel. The chapel is free to enter and can be reached by taking a regional train from Cologne to Mechernich, and then a regional train to Satzvey. From there, it is an hour-long walk to the chapel.

Getting to Mechernich from Cologne

To get to Mechernich from Cologne, you can take a regional train. The Bruder Klaus Chapel is located in Mechernich, around 55km southwest of Cologne. The chapel is about an hour's walk from the Satzvey train station. From the station, walk over a hill and through some fields to reach the chapel. There is also a dedicated car park for the chapel in Wachendorf, which is a 20-minute walk away.

If you are driving from Cologne, the chapel is 55km away, in the village of Wachendorf, Mechernich, on the way Rissdorfer Weg. The chapel is set at the edge of a field and has a dedicated car park.

The Bruder Klaus Chapel is a small but remarkable work of religious architecture. It was commissioned by local farmers and designed by the award-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The chapel is dedicated to St. Niklaus von Flüe, also known as Bruder Klaus, a 15th-century hermit and patron saint of Switzerland and Germany's Catholic Rural Communities Movement.

The chapel's construction is an impressive display of craftsmanship. It is made from concrete, with an interior formed by burning tree trunks, creating a mystical and thought-provoking space. The exterior is cubic-shaped and changes with the angle of vision, contrasting with the interior, which is illuminated by an oculus open to the sky.

Walking from Mechernich to the chapel

The Bruder Klaus Chapel is located in a remote field in Wachendorf, Germany, about 55 km southwest of Cologne. It is accessible by car or train, and then on foot.

If you're travelling from Mechernich, you can take a train to the chapel, which is about 6.2 miles away. From Mechernich Bf, you can take a 'taxibus' service to the chapel—this requires pre-booking by phone. The single trip to the chapel costs €1.20, and the chapel's station is Wachendorf Kapelle.

Once you arrive, the chapel is about a 15-minute walk from the car park. The path is slightly rising, and the walk allows you to prepare yourself for the experience of the chapel.

The chapel is open from 10 am to 5 pm in the summer and from 10 am to 4 pm in the winter. It is closed on Mondays, except on Easter Monday, Whit Monday, and Christmas.

The chapel's construction

The Bruder Klaus Chapel was commissioned by local farmer, Hermann-Josef Scheidtweiler, who wanted to build a chapel on his land to give thanks for his wife Trudel's happy life. He also wanted to dedicate the site to St. Niklaus von Flüe, also known as Bruder Klaus, a 15th-century hermit and patron saint of Switzerland and Germany's Catholic Rural Communities Movement.

Scheidtweiler chose the award-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, who coincidentally had a personal connection to the saint as his mother's favourite. The chapel was constructed between 2005 and 2007, with planning beginning in 2001.

To build the chapel, a team of local farmers collected 112 pine or fir tree trunks from a nearby forest. These were arranged in a curved, conical shape, resembling a teardrop. Then, layers of concrete, composed of white cement, river gravel, and locally sourced reddish-yellow sand, were poured around the trunks, leaving only the tops uncovered. The concrete was poured in stages every 24 hours to create a visible outer layering.

Once the concrete had set, the wooden frame was set on fire and burned for about three weeks. This unusual process created the oculus, a completely open roof that lets in light and rain, and shapes the interior space. The burning trunks left behind a charred interior and empty spaces. The floor of the chapel is made from molten lead, and the walls feature 350 small holes covered with glass spheres that let in additional light.

The chapel's exterior is a minimalist, block-like structure with no windows, while the interior is dark and mystical, inviting introspection. The only furnishings are a bench, candles, and a sculpture of Bruder Klaus.

The chapel's interior

The Bruder Klaus Chapel's interior is dark and mystical, inviting introspection and reflection. The walls are smooth curves with rough peaks that complement the many glass spheres embedded within them. Steel tubes penetrate the walls, allowing light to enter and making the walls sparkle. These also help to break up the 12-metre vertical height of the chapel. The floor, made from molten recycled cans, has a liquid metal appearance, with a depression that forms a shallow pool of water.

The chapel is a single chamber, open to the sky, with an oculus that lets in light and rain. This is the main source of light in the small, dark interior. The only items inside are a bench, some candles, and a sculpture of Bruder Klaus. The chapel is in perfect harmony with its surroundings and is pleasing to the senses.

The interior of the Bruder Klaus Chapel is the result of a unique construction process. To create the interior space, 112 pine tree trunks were arranged in a curved, conical shape, resembling a teardrop. Twenty-four layers of concrete, composed of locally sourced white cement, river gravel, and reddish-yellow sand, were then poured around the trunks, each layer about 50cm thick. After the concrete set, the wooden trunks were set on fire and burned for approximately three weeks, leaving behind a charred interior. This process also shaped the oculus, which is completely open to the elements.

The chapel's exterior

The Bruder Klaus Chapel is a small, unassuming building located 55 km southwest of Cologne, near Mechernich. Its exterior is cubic in shape and constructed from concrete composed of white cement, river gravel, and locally sourced reddish-yellow sand. The concrete was poured in layers every 24 hours, creating a visible outer layering effect. From a distance, the concrete exterior appears to have a granular composition, almost like rammed earth in layers. The chapel is 12 metres high and has a single triangular metallic door with a distinctive lock.

The exterior of the chapel changes depending on the angle from which it is viewed. From some angles, it appears cubic, while from others, it reveals itself to be a pentagonal volume. The chapel is set against a rural backdrop of fields, with a dedicated parking lot nearby. The approach to the chapel is not direct, but rather, visitors must walk around a barn and through fields to reach it. As one nears the chapel, the grade slowly ascends, bringing one level with the chapel and rotated 90 degrees so that the chapel stands out against the sky.

The exterior of the chapel features 350 small holes, which are covered with glass spheres on the inside. These holes allow light to pass through and create a sparkling effect on the walls, adding a special touch to the atmosphere of the place. The roof of the chapel is open to the sky, with an oculus that lets in light and rain, creating an ambience that varies depending on the time of day and year.

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