Marienfeld
The Marienfeld is arable area of 260ha size, filled since 2003 and reclaimed the former open pit Frechen, Frechen brown coal mine, was promoted in the 1952-1986 lignite from a depth of 250 meters lignite. It lies west of Cologne in the Rhein -Erft in North Rhine -Westphalia. In the north there is the Furstenberg trench, a flow connection between the east of the field located Fürstenberg Maar and the north-west Boisdorf lake is limited. The southern boundary is the industrial area Kerpen- Türnich.
The field is located away from Cologne Cathedral, about 20 kilometers south-west. During the XX. World Youth Day 2005 led signposted pilgrimage routes on foot and trails for Marienfeld, which could be completed in about four hours. The Marienfeld was since September 2004 for the Vigil on August 20th and the closing Mass of World Youth Day on 21 August 2005 which together with Pope Benedict XVI. were celebrated, which was prepared over a million participants.
History
The name Marienfeld was chosen based on its history as a 500 year old pilgrimage to the site of the former open cast mine. In the Sanctuary Church of the Assumption in neighboring resettled Frechen- Grefrath is a 1420 created from French limestone Pietà ( statue ) to see their former locations, chapel and monastery church of the monastery Bottenbroich, were in the towns of Alt - Grefrath and Bottenbroich open pit area. The site was inaugurated on 10 October 2004 as part of a youth fair. The blessed at this show ten -meter-high wooden cross to commemorate the history of the site as a place of pilgrimage.
Pope's Hill
For the services of the so-called Pope's Hill was built after the groundbreaking ceremony on 31 March 2005. This 10 meter high embankment for the altar baptized Joachim Cardinal Meisner in the name of the mountain 70 nations because there had resigned from 70 countries at the beginning of 2005, Earth from their countries delegates. For the Pope's Hill, about 80,000 cubic meters of earth were piled up in 55 days. The hill has a floor area of 15,000 m² and a top surface of the altar and seats from 3,500 m² to offer about 2,000 people space. After the World Youth Day, the installations were dismantled around the Marienfeld to December 2005, the Pope's Hill was preserved and will be further used as part of a vacation resort.
Vigil and closing Mass
For the vigil and closing Mass big screens, lighting and speakers were set up for the electric power was provided by 15,000 kilowatts. From a water works in the neighboring town of Kerpen - Türnich a flow rate of 800,000 liters per hour could be pumped to Marienfeld.
The Vigil ( Vigil ) on August 20, 2005 consecrated Pope Benedict XVI. the memory of his late predecessor John Paul II in April cast WYD bell. The peace certain closing Mass of World Youth Day 2005 was held at Marienfeld on August 21. A large number of pilgrims spent the night without incident at Marienfeld. Police and organizers gave the figure of 1.2 million participants.
Originally intended as a place of final event site at the airfield Bonn- Hangelar was not selected for conservation reasons.
Use since the World Youth Day 2005
The Marienfeld with the Pope's Hill is the St. James pilgrimage route in the route Cologne (St. Jacob, Cologne Widdersdorf ) involved, Abbey Brauweiler, Frechen, Kolping city of Kerpen, Düren, Aachen. On the premises is also a dining facility to be built.
In September 2006, a sundial bearing the arms of the monastery Mori Moon was in Marienfeld on today Frechen area at the site of the former monastery Bottenbroich in the presence of monks from the monastery Stiepelmann in Bochum erected. Wegpfeile on the monument to remind pilgrims of the bonds with the two monasteries.
On the occasion of the 1st anniversary of World Youth Day, a star hour pilgrimage to the Marian Field was held on 26 August 2006. There lived about 1500 Christians in the presence of Cardinal Joachim Meisner a vigil on the Pope's Hill. Then, around 500 youth pilgrims followed the call of the diocesan youth pastor Mike Kolb, a pilgrimage that night to the Cologne Cathedral, where in the early morning hours, a celebration of the Eucharist and a final breakfast took place.
The WYD years celebrations at Marienfeld be held annually.
In the autumn of 2006 began with another construction: So an information panel to the staircase and twelve cherry trees, an open basalt altar and the WYD cross on the Pope's Hill were built. The second annual celebration at Marienfeld was held on 25 August 2007. On this day blessed Bishop Heiner Koch at Marienfeld a so-called Pope's Hill. The deposit was made up a little wider, and the altar and the cross are now anchored firmly to the ground. Were also used various earths, which had brought a year before the World Youth delegates from all over the world to a meeting in Cologne. The newly built small Lady Chapel on the Pope's Hill was opened on September 5, 2009 by Cardinal Joachim Meisner. Costs for the Lord layers of Marie field and the Pope hill in the amount of at least 600,000 euros contributed Westphalia and the city of Kerpen, during the World Youth Day gGmbH around 800,000 euros has saved that would have cost the initially proposed removing the Pope hill.
Trails
Quirinus Trail
After Mödrather parish patron St. Quirinus, financed under the Regional 2010 1.4 km loop trail is named, the one and the main parking lot of St. Mary's field at Old Mödrath (L 162 / L 163 ) through Marienfeld and on a new bridge over the Erft channel leads to a re- made-up avenue of chestnut trees in the ancient forests around the former mill on the Mödrather Erft. Ancient and modern sights are displayed on panels (as in Marienfeld usual). The newly created trail complements the existing trails in Marienfeld, now to be excellent too new.
Other trails
The 4.3 km trail around the lake Boisdorf and the 11.1 km long church trail that connects the locations of the lost with the locations of churches and Bottenbroich Mödrath with the surviving churches were also created with funds from the Local 2010.