Schwarzrheindorf - St. Maria und Clemens

The romanesque church "St. Maria und Clemens" in Schwarzrheindorf, now part of Bonn, is a "Doppelkirche". The "double church" has an upper church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and a lower church dedicated to Pope Clement I.

The church was built mid 12th century as a private chapel for Arnold of Wied, since 1151 Archbishop and Elector of Cologne. Adjacent to the church was once part of a castle belonging to the Wied family. In 1151 the church was dedicated in the presence of King Conrad III of Germany. After Arnold´s death his sister Hadwig founded a convent of Benedictine nuns here.

Later, the monastery became a "stift", a collegial body for female canons of noble origin. The upper gallery of the church was accessible only to the noble members of the community. In 1803 the stift was dissolved and the church was used for secular purposes until in 1868 it became a parish church.

The church is known for the medieval frescoes, which were covered by plaster for centuries, before they were discovered and restaurated in the mid 19th century.

The "lower church, dedicated to Pope Clement I.