Kalvarienberg Abbey

The history of Kalvarienberg began in 1440 when a knight, returning from a pilgrimage, noted a landscape resemblance between the area around Ahrweiler and Jerusalem. This observation led to the naming of the hill as Kalvarienberg and its dedication to the crucified Savior and his mother. An initial small half-timbered chapel was built and consecrated in 1505. In 1630, Franciscans settled on Kalvarienberg, and in 1664, the foundation stone for the current monastery church was laid. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the monastery evolved into an important pilgrimage site with numerous processions and religious performances. In the course of secularization, the Franciscans had to leave the monastery in 1802.