The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Düren, Germany
In 1501, a precious relic arrived in Düren that would transform this Rhineland town into one of Germany's most important pilgrimage destinations. Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, had obtained the head of St. Anne from Cornelimünster Abbey near Aachen—a relic whose provenance traced back to Charlemagne himself—and gifted it to the citizens of Düren. Within five years, the influx of pilgrims was so great that Pope Julius II had to intervene to settle disputes about the relic's authenticity and regulate the pilgrimage.
Today, pilgrims find a strikingly different church than the Gothic structure that housed the relic for over four centuries. Allied bombing on November 16, 1944, reduced ninety-nine percent of Düren's center to rubble, including the medieval Annakirche. From the ashes rose Rudolf Schwarz's modernist masterpiece, completed in 1956—a spare, luminous space where exposed brick walls and a soaring concrete nave direct attention to the ancient relic that survived the destruction. The annual Annakirmes pilgrimage continues as it has since 1506, drawing the faithful to venerate the grandmother of Christ.
📜 History & Spiritual Significance
The cult of St. Anne in the Rhineland predates the arrival of her relic to Düren. Charlemagne reportedly received relics of St. Anne from Jerusalem and deposited them at Cornelimünster Abbey, near his imperial capital of Aachen, in the early ninth century. For seven centuries, the abbey guarded this treasure.
In 1501, circumstances aligned to bring the head relic to Düren. Frederick the Wise, one of the most powerful princes in the Holy Roman Empire and later the protector of Martin Luther, acquired the relic from Cornelimünster. His reasons remain debated—some sources suggest the abbey was in financial difficulty; others point to Frederick's renowned passion for relic collecting. Whatever the motivation, Frederick chose Düren as the relic's new home, and the town embraced its new status with fervor.
The pilgrimage grew so rapidly that it sparked controversy. Neighboring towns with their own Anne relics disputed Düren's claims. In 1506, Pope Julius II issued a bull confirming Düren's relic as authentic and granting indulgences to pilgrims. This papal endorsement cemented the annual pilgrimage, which became known as the Annakirmes—a combination of religious devotion and festive fair that continues to this day.
The Reformation brought challenges. While much of northern Germany turned Protestant, the Rhineland remained Catholic, and devotion to St. Anne persisted. The Gothic church was expanded and embellished over the centuries, becoming a treasure house of religious art.
Then came November 16, 1944. A massive Allied bombing raid targeted Düren's railway junction, destroying virtually the entire city center. The medieval Annakirche collapsed into ruins. But workers searching the rubble found the reliquary containing St. Anne's head intact—a discovery that locals interpreted as miraculous.
The reconstruction that followed proved controversial. Rather than rebuild the Gothic church, the Diocese of Aachen commissioned Rudolf Schwarz, Germany's most innovative church architect, to design a completely new structure. Schwarz's Annakirche, completed in 1956, abandoned historical reference entirely. Its severe brick exterior gives way to an interior of startling simplicity: a great hall of light where the ancient relic rests in a modern reliquary. Critics at the time called it a factory; today it is recognized as a masterpiece of twentieth-century sacred architecture.
☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Düren
Annakirche
St. Anne's Church
Rudolf Schwarz designed the rebuilt Annakirche as what he called a "sacred castle"—a fortress of faith rising from the ruins of war. The exterior presents austere brick walls punctuated by narrow windows, giving little hint of the luminous interior within. Inside, the nave stretches upward beneath a dramatic parabolic ceiling of exposed concrete, its curve drawing the eye toward the sanctuary. Natural light floods through a hidden clerestory, creating an atmosphere both modern and timeless. The head relic of St. Anne rests in a modern reliquary designed to complement Schwarz's architecture, positioned where pilgrims can venerate it during designated hours. Fragments of medieval sculpture and furnishings salvaged from the destroyed Gothic church are incorporated into the new building, creating a dialogue between past and present.
Address Annaplatz 8, 52349 Düren GPS 50.803500, 6.481000
Map Google Maps Web annakirche-dueren.de
Schatzkammer der Annakirche
Treasury of St. Anne's Church
The treasury displays liturgical objects and reliquaries that survived the 1944 destruction, along with items created for the rebuilt church. The collection includes medieval processional crosses, historic vestments, and documentation of the relic's journey from Cornelimünster to Düren. A small exhibition explains the history of the Anne pilgrimage and the remarkable story of the relic's survival.
🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations
Feast of St. Anne — July 26
The liturgical feast of St. Anne draws pilgrims to Düren for special Masses and veneration of the head relic. The church offers extended hours for private prayer and confession, and the reliquary is positioned for direct veneration by the faithful.
Annakirmes — Sunday after July 26
The Annakirmes is Düren's great annual event, combining religious pilgrimage with one of the Rhineland's largest folk festivals. The celebration begins on the Friday before and continues for ten days. Religious observances include solemn processions through the city streets, special Masses, and continuous opportunities for veneration of the relic. Outside the church, the secular fair fills the city center with rides, food stalls, and entertainment—a reminder that medieval pilgrimages always combined the sacred and the festive. The Annakirmes has been held continuously since 1506, interrupted only by war and pandemic.
Annaoctave
The eight days following the Feast of St. Anne constitute the Annaoctave, a period of intensified devotion. Daily Masses are offered for special intentions, and pilgrimage groups from across the Diocese of Aachen and beyond arrive on organized visits. The octave concludes with a final solemn procession.
🛏️ Where to Stay
Dorint Hotel Düren ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Modern business hotel closest to the Annakirche, with comfortable rooms and on-site restaurant. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Trip Inn Posthotel Düren ⭐⭐⭐ — Historic hotel building just 250 meters from the train station, convenient for pilgrims arriving by rail. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Mariaweiler Hof ⭐⭐⭐ — Family-managed hotel in the Mariaweiler district with regional restaurant. Website ∙ Reserve this hotel
Hotel Rotes Einhorn ⭐⭐⭐ — Comfortable property in the Birgel district at the edge of the Eifel, offering a quieter setting. Reserve this hotel
🚗 Getting There
By Train: Düren Hauptbahnhof lies on one of Germany's most historic railway lines—the Cologne-Aachen route, which opened in 1841 as the world's first international railway. Today, S-Bahn lines S12 and S19 connect Düren to Cologne Hauptbahnhof in 23-27 minutes, with trains departing every 20 minutes during peak hours. Regional Express and Regionalbahn services also run frequently to Aachen (15-20 minutes) and Cologne. From the station, the Annakirche is a 10-minute walk through the city center.
By Air: Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN), 50 kilometers east, offers the most convenient access, with direct S-Bahn connections to Düren. Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), 70 kilometers northeast, provides a wider range of international flights.
By Car: Düren lies at the junction of the A4 (Cologne-Aachen) and A4/B56 routes. From Cologne, take the A4 west toward Aachen and exit at Düren. From Aachen, follow the A4 east. Parking is available in the city center.
📚 Further Reading
Books:
Jason, Ronald. The Life of St. Anne - A comprehensive biography of the grandmother of Jesus, exploring her life, virtues, and enduring devotion.
Online Resources:
St. Anne, Mother of Mary — Comprehensive article on St. Anne's life, relics, and cult from the Catholic Encyclopedia. (New Advent)
Annakirche Düren — Official parish website with Mass times, pilgrimage information, and history of the shrine. (Annakirche, German)
🔗 Useful Links
Annakirche Düren — Official website with visitor information, Mass times, and history of the pilgrimage.
Diocese of Aachen — Diocesan website with resources for pilgrims and parish information.
Stadt Düren — City tourism portal with practical visitor information.
Deutsche Bahn — German rail network for planning train connections.
🧭 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations
Aachen (28 km) — Charlemagne's imperial capital houses the Palatine Chapel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where emperors were crowned for six centuries. The Aachen Pilgrimage every seven years displays relics including the robe of the Virgin Mary.
Cologne (37 km) — Germany's greatest Gothic cathedral holds the relics of the Three Magi in a golden shrine. Pilgrims have journeyed here since the twelfth century.
Kornelimünster (25 km) — The Benedictine abbey where St. Anne's head relic was kept for seven centuries before its translation to Düren. The abbey church still holds other relics, displayed during periodic pilgrimages.
🪶 Closing Reflection
"The rebuilding of the churches destroyed by war has given us the opportunity to transform the architecture of our churches from the past to a purer form of building, to a building from the spirit of the liturgy."
— Rudolf Schwarz, *The Church Incarnate* (1938)