"The Roman Catholic Church of St. Nikolaus is the parish church of the local community Kottenheim in the district Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate. The church is consecrated to St. Nicholas.
In 1330, Kottenheim was first mentioned in the "Taxa generalis subsidorum cleri Trevirensis" as a parish of the Landkapitel Ochtendung in the Diocese of Trier. Between 1802 and 1824, the parish belonged temporarily to the diocese of Aachen. Since 1827 it belongs to the deanery Mayen and since 2004 to the deanery Mayen-Mendig. For the year 1327 Konrad is the first clergyman in Kottenheim.
When and how often was built is not known. A first church is built for the year 1330, further buildings are accepted for 1406 and 1519. In 1772 the tower was erected.
The old church was closed in 1853, since it had become dilapidated and completely laid down in 1854. According to plans by the architect Vincenz Statz, a three-aisled neo-gothic basilica was built between 1854 and 1857, following the forms of the Cologne Minorite Church. On September 24, 1857, Bishop Wilhelm Arnoldi consecrated the church today.
During work in the church in 1901 about 20 graves with partially labeled and ornamented grave plates were found. Two stone slabs have survived, which today form the floor in the Kreuzkapelle in the old cemetery. The church tower was erected in 1904 according to the plans of the architect Caspar Clemens Pickel, born in Kottenheim.
From 1959 to 1961, the church was subjected to a comprehensive reorganization. In 1991, the interior was renovated. In 1997, the church tower was renovated and in 2005 a comprehensive renovation of the roof chair took place. In 2013, the entire church façade was rebuilt and the sacristy was fundamentally renovated.
The interiors are from different centuries.
Three baroque altars in honor of St. St. Nicholas, the St. Anna and of St. Antonius no longer exist. The present basalt altar from 1961 is by the sculptor Erich Moog from Kottenheim. From the same year the side altars in honor of St. Nicholas and St. Antonius and the sacramental altar.
The two front bleach glass windows of the side ships are from the 19th century. The remaining windows are from 1906 and are from the glass painting Oidtmann from Linnich; As well as the Rosettenfenster of 1910 over the main portal. The Chorfenster of 1962 were designed by Paul Weigmann.
The colored ornaments in the vaulted ceiling are from 1910.
The epitaph of 1539 made of tufa represents Junker Konrad Schilling of Lahnstein. It shows the Junker, armored and with helmet on his head holding a rosary in the folded hands. The epitaph was extensively restored 2012-2014.
The corpus of the figure of Christ on the cross in the chancel is from the 15th century. An inscription board of 1708 reproduces the founding act of a Frühmesse with 2000 Taler by the priest Nikolaus Müllenbach, born in Kottenheim. A basalt cross from 1690 in the old cemetery reminds his parents and his brother Friedrich. A further cross of 1689 has been preserved. The baptismal font of 1749 is made of brown lahnmarmor. A baroque oil painting by the painter Heinrich Alken dates from 1780.
The Pietà dates from the middle of the 19th century. The figure of the choir at the chore entrance is made of native tuff. The figures of St. Nicholas and St. Antonius came to the church in 1961.
The five half-reliefs of Christ and the evangelists from the old pulpit of 1901 come from Tyrol. The confessionals are from 1903. The tabernacle was worked around 1960. The 14 Kreuzweg stations from bronze casting of 1962 are by Erich Moog. The Chorteppich of 1970, manufactured by the Union-Teppich-Fabrik in Mayen, St. Nicholas, the St. Castor and St. Antonius. The woven wall carpet "The burning Dornbusch" from 1997 comes from the Benedictine Abbey of Mariendonk.
The original bell ring from the 15th century was replaced in 1895. Due to the war, the church received new bells in 1917 and 1952. When the church bells were ringing, vibrations arose, which endanger the statics of the church tower. Therefore, in 1997, a new, seven-tone bell ring was inaugurated by the Carl Metz foundry in Karlsruhe from three large bells (paternoster motif) and four cymbal bells (Salve-Regina motif). The Nikolaus-bell from 1952 stands today on the church grounds.
The parish church of St. Nikolaus is a protected cultural monument according to the Rhineland-Palatinate Conservation Act (DSchG) and registered in the list of cultural monuments in Kottenheim. "
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