St. Lambertus Church, located at Stiftsplatz, appears to be another hallowed hall of worship in Düsseldorf with the added factor of its enviable location overlooking the Rhine Stairs. However, its iconic twisted tower has drawn legions of visitors to gaze bemusedly at its steeple and ponder how this architectural marvel occurred. ?
The St. Lambertus church itself was built over 620 years but its trademark tower is a relatively recent addition to the building. Following a fire that blazed through Dusseldorf’s oldest church due to a lightning strike in 1815, the 233-foot tall spire required an immediate rebuild.
The St. Lambertus Fire
However, even this incident of the burning tower of St. Lambertus has a tale full of its own twists.
In 1812, a locksmith that had hung the bells within the St. Lambertus church had been grossly underpaid. This man, by the name of Joseph Wimmer, was naturally offended by this oversight but when the fire threatened to destroy the entire building years later, it was Wimmer himself that faced the flames and took action as members of the community looked on bewildered.
Grabbing an ax from a nearby ax maker, Wimmer dauntlessly climbed to the top, hacking away the burning wooden beams, surrounded by smoke. His efforts, alongside large hoses employed to reach the dizzy heights of the tower, extinguished the fire after three hours.
Although Wimmer was never again able to work as a locksmith due to the burns he sustained during his valiant mission, he was rewarded the “Allgemeine Ehrenzeichen/General Honor” by the Prussian State among other accolades and gifts from noted figures in the city. A plaque within the church marked his heroic deed in the church on the 75th anniversary of his death in 1935. Meanwhile, a connection between Burgplatz and Liefergasse, built in 1953, was bestowed with the name “Joseph-Wimmer-Gasse”, a name that remains to this day.
Interesting, huh?!
The rebuilding of St. Lambertus
The architect Adolph von Vagedes was deemed the man for the design of the rebuild of the large tower on top of the St. Lambertus church. At the time, it is believed that unseasoned timber was used for the job. Use of this so-called green can cause twisting until it reaches full maturity- a period that can last up to 50 years.
Other factors that may have also led to the dynamic twist of the famed tower includes the weight of lead used in construction. Other factors that can cause the defect include the inclusion of dry wood which can shrink. If the system used to reinforce the building structures, a process is known as cross bracing, is not completed quickly, this can create a plethora of issues, one of which includes the irrevocable change in the tower. However, the twisted tower has become a design trend and has now also been opted for in place of the traditional tower structure.
Myths of St. Lambertus
Of course, many urban legends exist that reject the widely accepted explanation of a mere flaw in the choice of materials over 200 years ago. The most common conspiracy theory is that the twisting of the St. Lambertus tower was a deliberate ploy by the Devil himself in a fit of rage. His original intent was to remove the entire church but he only managed to achieve the twisting its high steeple that dominated the Rhine skyline. Rumour also has it that the tower will only straighten itself out when a virgin marries within the four walls of the church.
Inside the church, there is also plenty to take note of – from the shrine with reliquaries of the St. Apollinaris, the city’s saint, and a large organ. However, it is the church’s anomaly that remains its most beloved feature. During post-war construction, the locals of the city even requested the twist of the spire of Saint Lambertus to be re-created, cementing its status as one of the most memorable sites of the Dusseldorf’s old town.
If you would like to visit the church, you can check out their website here.
Interested in another Düsseldorf story? Why not learn all about the story of the green parrots in Düsseldorf next?
