History
The history of Kornelimünster goes back to the time around the birth of Christ. The Romans crossed the River Inde here. In addition to a small settlement, a Gallo-Roman place of worship was established, which was abandoned in 260 AD. Remains of old temple complexes, such as bronze finds, vessel remains, iron parts and coins, have been uncovered and indicate that the temple district flourished in the 2nd century.
Kornelimünster once again finds its way into the history books in 814. The Carolingians had established their palace in neighboring Aachen under Charlemagne. Abbot Benedict of Aniane, a confidant of Louis the Pious, founded the Benedictine monastery with the original name "Monasterium ad Indam", the monastery on the Inde.
Two important long-distance roads crossed the town, one of which led from Cologne via Jülich to Bavai (northern France), the other from Aachen to Trier. The latter was of particular importance for the former medieval abbey's choice of location. The abbey received the "Münsterländchen" as rich lands. At that time, this area also included the former communities of Eilendorf, Brand, Gressenich, Walheim and Büsbach. Pasture farming, agriculture and forestry as well as the iron and limestone industry associated with the use of water power formed the economic basis of the abbey.
The monastery was to become a model for the renewal of the entire monastic system in the Frankish Empire. Louis the Pious presented the abbey with precious shrines from the relics of his father Charlemagne for its consecration in 817: the apron, the burial shroud and the sweat cloth of Christ. They established the importance of Kornelimünster as a place of pilgrimage. Around the middle of the 9th century, the skull relic of Pope St. Cornelius came into the possession of the monastery through an exchange. This led to the establishment of the annual Cornelio Octave and in the 12th century, with the veneration of St. Cornelius, to the change of patronage and name to "Kornelimünster".
The abbey rule in the Münsterland region, which had a decisive influence on the high spiritual and historical significance of the area, existed for almost 1000 years. Its eventful history is characterized by ups and downs. In 881, the abbey church was destroyed by Normans, then rebuilt and extended under Emperor Otto III. The year 1310 marked a low point in the medieval history of Kornelimünster with the destruction of the abbey by the citizens of the imperial city. The citizens wanted to take revenge on Abbot Reinaldus, who was a partisan of the Count of Jülich in their battle with Jülich. However, the people of Aachen had to pay a large fine for the act of destruction, from which the monastery and church could be rebuilt.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the abbey church had to be enlarged to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. The spiritual importance of the monastery could not keep pace with the popularity of Kornelimünster as a place of pilgrimage. The abbey, once built as a "model monastery", lost more and more of its importance. This was not helped by the general prosperity of the 18th century, which allowed the monastery to be rebuilt, extended and the church to be magnificently decorated in the Baroque style. Pilgrimages remain as a reminder of the abbey's medieval history, and the Cornelioktav has preserved the tradition of the old marketplace
The history of the Benedictine monastery ends in 1802. In the course of secularization, it was dissolved by Napoleon and became a parish church. The monastery successively became a factory, teacher training college, local history museum and state archive/art collection. From the founding of the Benedictine abbey in 814 until its dissolution in 1802, the history of the former municipality of Walheim is also part of the history of Kornelimünster Abbey. Alongside Kornelimünster, Brand, Breinig and Büsbach, Walheim was one of the abbey's five "Hunschaften" (military districts).
The name Walheim can be traced back to Celtic origins. It has undergone various changes over the centuries. On a map produced around 1600, it is called "Valen"; another spelling was "Wayllem". Evidence of settlements from Roman times has also been found within the municipality of Walheim. For example, at Friesenrather Hof and Ritscheider Hof (Oberforstbach), where a villa rustica stood in Roman times. Clear evidence of settlement in Roman times is provided by the remains of a Roman watch tower, which were discovered near Friesenrath at the end of the 19th century.
While the "Münsterländchen", with around 7,000 inhabitants at the time, was centrally administered during the abbey era, the independent municipalities of Kornelimünster, Brand, Eilendorf, Büsbach, Gressenich and Walheim were formed after the end of abbey rule.
In 1840, the mayors of Kornelimünster and Walheim were united by decision of the royal Prussian ministries at the request of the municipal councils. The mayor of Kornelimünster also administered the municipality of Walheim in personal union. However, both municipalities retained their independence. In 1920, the municipality of Walheim was once again given its own mayor.
The "Münsterländchen" was largely spared the effects of the war. After the end of the Second World War, the villages continued to develop into lively communities with their own traditions, customs, traditions and local associations. The involuntary municipal reorganization in 1972 did nothing to change this. Since the incorporation, political decision-making has been largely determined by the district council designated for the borough; the necessary administrative work is carried out by the Kornelimünster/Walheim district office.