The Saint-Martin Church of Meyerode, of questionable value?

The Saint Martin Church is the parish church of the town of Meyerode, which belongs to the municipality of Amel.

In the wall anchors, we see the year 1568, but the church is probably older. Judging by an old bell inscription, there was already mention of a church building in Meyerode in 1401. It is possible that the tower of the current church comes from this old church. The tower is built of plaster stones.

The nave was originally Gothic, and the red sandstone windows would date back to the 15th or 16th century, although it is said that they were renovated in 1884. Private marks can also be found in the building. In 1928-1929, the church was partially modified in a neo-Gothic style, designed by Henri Cunibert. This was particularly true for the aisles and the choir.

The nave, for example, had a central nave until World War II. During World War II, the church was severely damaged: the nave was completely destroyed, so to speak, while the choir and the tower remained largely intact. In 1953, the old nave was completely demolished, while the choir was preserved. However, the choir collapsed during construction work and was thus also rebuilt and even enlarged, although some architectural elements were reused.

At that time, the foundations of a smaller previous church were found in the foundations. During the work, a stone slab with a cross was found. It was built into the wall of the cemetery.

From the old Gothic building, only the vault, two key stones in the choir, and the sandstone door frame between the choir and the sacristy remain. Even the tracery of the windows apparently is no longer original Gothic, as Reiners reports it was renewed in 1884. This raises the question of the actual monumental value of the current building.

In the wall of the cemetery, there are slate grave crosses. Additionally, there is a medieval tombstone in the church.

The Saint Martin Church has been classified as a historic monument since 1960.

Jan Rymenams