Lügde - St. Kilian

Lügde was first mentioned in 784 in the "Annales Regni Francorum" ("Royal Frankish Annals") when Charlemagne celebrated his first Christmas in what was then the Duchy of Saxony, namely in "Villa Liuhidi". At that time a small, wooden church probably existed. It may have been built outside the settlement on a previous thing-place, at the time of the first Saxon Wars. This was, where Charlemagne celebrated the Christmas mass.

The foundations of this early church were found during excavations, undertaken in and around the Romanesque church dedicated to St. Kilian. The oldest part of St. Kilian, a cruciform vaulted basilica, is the tower, built around 1100 and raised by 1200. Nave and choir were built at the end of the 12th century.

On the back of this grave cross is an inscription.

""Allhier ist in Gott selig entschlafen der ehrbare Meister Mathias Bröcker, Scharf- und Nachrichter zu Lieda und Bermund. Ist geboren 1623, den 13. Sep. in Osnabrück. 1691, den 6. Januar selig gestorben, sein alt 63 Jahr."

This translates to:

"Buried here is the honorable master Mathias Bröcker, hangman in Lügde and Pyrmont. Born 23.09.1623. Died 06.Jan. 1691 at the age of 63."

The cross itself bears another enigma, as it is way older than 1690. It obviously got reused. It is claimed that it may have been carved during the iro-scottish evangelisation of the area, what means - the time of Charlemagne and the Saxon wars. Other say, the cross was never finished (see the legs). Some even found runes. Maybe.