Minoritenkirche, Cologne
Franciscan church from the 13th century
The Minoritenkirche or Church of the Immaculate Conception (German – St. Mariä Empfängnis) is a Catholic church on the Kolpingplatz in Cologne. Built in the 13th century, it is now used by the Franciscan and the Kolpingwerk social association.
It is notable for containing the tombs of Duns Scotus and Adolph Kolping, both of whom were beatified by Pope John Paul II – Kolping was also ordained priest in the church. Kolping and Scotus both feature on the new west doors designed by Paul Nagel in 2006.
History
Typically for Franciscan monastery churches, it was built in the Gothic style. It took from 1245 to about 1260 to build its early-Gothic choir, with a three-aisle nave added in the 14th century. As the Franciscans are a mendicant order, they built a ridge turret but no bell tower, indications of the poverty adopted by the order. When the French Revolution spread to Cologne in 1794, the Franciscans were expelled from the church and the adjoining monastery. The occupying forces seized the buildings in 1804 and four years later turned them into the headquarters for secular social work in the city.
The public source identifies “Minoritenkirche, Cologne” as franciscan church from the 13th century. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Minoritenkirche, Cologne and Franciscan.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Minoritenkirche, Cologne”, the useful work is to connect “franciscan church from the 13th century” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1937497. VIAF identifies the subject as 238783168. Authority coordinates are 50.939, 6.955. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2006, 1245, 1260 and 1794.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Minoritenkirche, Cologne” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.