Rochuskapelle

The Chapel of St. Roch once stood in Pempelfort, a district of Düsseldorf. It was built in 1667 to mark the end of a plague epidemic that had struck the area. The chapel was a single-nave structure with a cruciform ground plan and a vaulted interior. An eight-sided ridge turret rose above the crossing, adding to its simple grandeur. The chapel’s life was short; it was demolished in 1897 after the larger Church of St. Roch was completed nearby. The chapel’s origins trace back to 1448, when the veneration of St. Roch was first documented in Pempelfort. Its construction in 1667 reflected the community’s relief after the plague had passed. The building served as a place of worship and remembrance for decades. Its design reflected the religious and architectural traditions of the time. Though it no longer stands, its memory lives on in the name of the later church. Today, the site is marked by the Church of St. Roch, which replaced the chapel. The area around it remains a quiet part of Düsseldorf, where the history of the plague and its aftermath can still be felt. The chapel’s legacy is preserved in local records and the enduring name of St. Roch. Visitors to Pempelfort can sense the weight of its past in the peaceful surroundings.