Even before dawn, Protestant families from Roetgen set off on their journey – through wind and weather, nearly 19 kilometers on foot. Their destination: the Reformed Church in Stolberg.

What is hardly imaginable today was part of everyday life back then. For a long time, there was no Protestant church in Roetgen, as it was located in the Catholic-dominated area of the Archbishopric of Cologne. Protestant churches were not fundamentally banned there, but could only be built under strict conditions.

Thus, for many years, the Reformed families from Roetgen had no choice but to travel to Stolberg. An evangelical congregation had already existed there since 1617. The Old Church Path thus became a fixed part of their lives. Some families walked it not only on major holidays but regularly – often every Sunday.

Only in 1782 could the congregation in Roetgen build its own, plain church. Initially without a tower, but of great significance for the local people. The Old Church Path therefore stands for endurance, solidarity, and lived community – long before there was a house of worship in Roetgen.