St Matthias’ Chapel in Kobern-Gondorf
Where heaven and earth once met
In popular belief, a relic still possesses magical powers today; it is a point of contact between heaven and earth, between the earthly and the supernatural. A source of comfort and hope in difficult times, easy to understand – and therefore all too tempting. This was particularly true in the Middle Ages: back then, the cult of relics experienced a veritable boom and sometimes took on strange forms. Streams of pilgrims provided lucrative sources of income; no wonder so many wanted a share of the spoils, even if it meant peddling fakes such as ‘holy’ nativity straw. But that is not the subject of this article.
The Matthias Chapel in Kobern-Gondorf was evidently not a destination for streams of pilgrims. This architectural gem, nestled amongst the rustic ruins of the old Oberburg, was probably built around 800 years ago to house a relic of the head of the Apostle Matthias and is today considered one of the most artistic examples of late Staufer architecture in the Rhineland. A sacred space that exudes deep devotion and veneration for the saint.
It is thought that the former lord of the castle, Heinrich II of Isenburg-Kobern, brought the relic of the head back from the Egyptian port city of Damietta. It was likely spoils of war from that inglorious era when armed Christian pilgrims set out for the Holy Land – as warriors of God, to violently liberate the sites associated with their religion’s founder from the ‘infidels’.
The connection with the Crusades explains the similarity between St Matthias’ Chapel and the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Nothing of the relic remains to be seen today, but one does not really miss it. The architecture stands up very well on its own. The mortal remains were long ago transferred to join the rest of the apostle’s bones at St Matthias’ Abbey in Trier, where they belong – provided, that is, that the skeletal fragments actually belong together.
Extensive renovation work was carried out in the 19th century in the style of late German Romanticism, and the building itself is now worthy of listed status.
So don’t miss out on a visit to this special sacred building!
