St. Salvator Basilica Prüm

The Saint Salvator Basilica is in Prüm, a city in the West Eifel.

In 721, the Franconian noblewoman Bertrada founded a monastery with monks from Echternach on her property on the Prüm. A second founding took place in 752 by King Pippin, who had married a granddaughter of the first founder, with monks from Meaux near Paris who lived according to the rule of St. Benedict.

In 1222 the monastery became the center of an independent principality, which was annexed by the Elector of Trier in 1576. From then on, the abbot's administrator was the Elector and Archbishop of Trier. The abbey buildings were rebuilt in 1721. As part of Napoleonic secularization, the abbey was finally closed in 1802.

Prüm, which initially belonged to the original parish of Rommersheim, had been cared for pastorally by the Marienstift since the middle of the 15th century. The Marienstift was founded in 1016 by the Prüm Abbot Urold. The collegiate church became a parish church. (Source: Wikipedia)

The church of Saint Salvator - dedicated to Jesus Christ, the Savior - in the city of Prüm bears the papal honorary title "Basilica". As the abbey church of the Prüm Abbey - which at the time was part of the empire - it had been of great importance for a long time, which is also documented in a valuable donation of relics: the "Sandals of Christ".
We modern people may perhaps smile mildly today about such a relic - and especially the importance that was attached to it back then - but in the Middle Ages the possession of it had a great external impact and contributed significantly to the attractiveness of the pilgrimage destination Prüm, similar to later times for example the “Heilige Rock” in Trier.

The visit to the basilica was canceled today because of the great restoration. But from the outside it is already very impressive. Everything is being rebuilt on the forecourt.