Introduction

Odendorf belonged to the municipality Swisttal and is appropriate for E solve disk in the southernmost part of the niederrheinischen bay on that. The soils in this area are fruitfully, the climate conditions favorable, since which Roman time here land and field economy operated.
The area around Odendorf is the rainpoorest area in the Rhine country.
20 km west of Odendorf, between Dueren and Euskirchen, is the largest earthquake zone of Germany.
Odendorf was created with large probability in the early phase that merowingisch - karolingischen epoch.

Originally Odendorf belonged to the rule area Tomburg.
After the destruction of the Tomburg in the year 1473 Odendorf belonged to the duchy Juelich.
By the occupation of the Frenchmen in the Rhine country Odendorf fell in the year 1794 to the Mairied Ollheim.
Under the reign that Prussia belonged to Odendorf to the Buergermeisterei Ollheim, later to the set Rhine brook. The municipality Odendorf belonged until 1961 to the office Ollheim, then to the office loading village.

In the context of the local reorganisation of 1969 belonged Odendorf to the municipality Swisttal into the Rhine victory set created in the same year.

In the year 1999 3544 inhabitants lived in Odendorf.

The first documentary certifications of the catholic Pfarre St. Petrus and Paulus originate from the year 893.
In 12. Century was built a small romanische church; in the time of 1901 to 1906 a large church in the neugotischen style is built.

The Evangelist community center, the Dietrich Bonhoeffer house, was opened to 1987 and belonged to the Evangelist church municipality Swisttal.

¾ the inhabitant Odendorfs are Roman/catholic denomination, ¼ are Evangelist denomination.

History of Odendorf

Odendorf can look back up to now on one over 7000jaehrige, almost continuous settlement history.
Most diverse finds exist from different epochs, which were found in the area around Odendorf.

With conquest and occupation of the Rhine country by the Romans a historical paragraph begins.
Between 80 and 90 n. Chr. was built the Roman Eifel water pipeline, this architectural monument belonged to the most well-known in the Rhine country.
By 95.4 km long water pipelines flowed daily 20 million litre water into the province capital Cologne.
This aquaduct was developed as chute, the water flowed mostly underground.

In the Middle Ages Roman road ways were not any longer needed and were neglected therefore. They are not to be found topographically no more in old cards.
The Roman water pipelines and roads expired in the Middle Ages, their stones a 2tes mark for building were used.
With the building of the Rheinbacher of witch tower stones from the Roman time were used.
From the year 1944 an aerial photograph of the Royal Airforce exists, on which the antiquity route process of the Roman Eifel water pipeline is to be detected.
The water from the Eifel is very kalkhaltig, on the reason of the lines and their side panels formed for lime deposits. These lime deposits became over the centuries a fixed stone, which one called aquaduct marble.
This stone was used in the time from the 11ten to 13ten century as gem stone for churches and monasteries.
Also in the small romanischen church pc. Peter and Paul in Odendorf is to be found aquaduct marble on the Eifel water pipeline.

In the road literature of the Rhine country one finds vouchers, which point out that Odendorf at that, into which the Eifel leading Roman road must have been situated. This road led Zuelpich across Palmersheim, Stoitzheim, cheap until, where the Romans had settled. From Zuelpich a road after Trier and a further led to Cologne and Neuss.

Under Karl the large one Aachen became one of the most important centers; new traffic distances were developed. An important road ran from Aachen over Dueren and Rhine brook to Frankfurt and was only 1 km north far away from Odendorf (Aachen Frankfurt army route).

1800 - 1945

1794 were filled the Rhine country by the Frenchmen. The inhabitants of this region had the French nationality for the period of 20 years. Became French in this period the office and court language, and it prevailed to freedom of trade. Opposite the religious and lay basic gentleman of the old system the citizens no more loads and services needed to do.

32 Odendorfer fell in the 1sten world war. To 6.12.1918 Odendorf was filled first by Canadians, later by the British. At the beginning the Frenchmen Odendorf filled 1919 withdrew themselves however in the same year.

To 30.06.1930 was the crew time to end.

1933 pulled 2 NSDAP of renting members in the Odendorfer local council. (the local life was coined/shaped by synchronising and statements of the party...).
The system of the air base (application airport) developed in the time of 1938/1939. "the air base played then May 1940" briefly an important role, as feeder airfield for Hitler's leader headquarters "rock nest" in Muenstereifel Rodert and as base for dive bombers of the combat squadron 2 (Immelmann), the German troops the Maasuebergaenge freibombten ".
Odendorf became "... to 10.01.1945 at the end of the Ardennenoffensive, of a bomb carpet met ""... with that 13 inhabitants and three soldiers death found. Eleven houses were destroyed and 35 families within five minutes shelterless. At the night of 4. to 5.3.1945 achieved U.S. troops Odendorf on their raid after southeast ".

Documentary mentions kath. Pfarre pc. Petrus and Paulus
(chronological operational sequence)

Year

Old one kath. Parish church pc. Petrus and Paulus

The church of Odendorf is mentioned in writing the 1ste mark toward end of the 13ten of century. The dreischiffige Basilika is older nevertheless due to their building method, because the first Christian buildings of churches made of stone developed in our area in the 11ten century and in the early 12ten century.
The old church was converted or purpose-alienated due to the new building of the church. The hospital, late home for the elderly, used the choir of the church as house chapel.
"the separated central ship had been divided with an intermediate cover, that northern side ship again covered.
The created spaces served as dwellings of the nuns and in the ground floor as kindergarten."
Re-designing the old parish church in kindergarten and sewing school with adjacent hospital prevented that the old church was torn off.
"of the original configuration of the church only the romanische taufstein from Basaltlawa is received, a flat basin with mandelfoermigen recesses on round shank and rectangular formed base."

New one kath. Parish church pc. Petrus and Paulus

Continuation follows...

Source: Swisttal Odendorf, association tenth house e.V., edition 1999