Pfarrer Ortmanns Park

The park was named after Arnold Ortmanns, who lived as a pastor in Mausbach from 1915 to 1938.

Arnold Ortmanns (1860 – 1938)

Arnold Ortmanns was born on July 30, 1860, in Brand as the son of Nikolaus Ortmanns and Margarete Kaußen. During the Kulturkampf, he served in the Infantry Regiment No. 28 before being accepted into the seminary in Roermond (NL) in 1886 along with six other theologians.

After his ordination on August 24, 1887, Ortmanns initially served as cathedral cantor in Cologne and secretary at the Archbishop's General Vicariate. In 1889, he became a vicar in Huckingen, in 1892 in Merkenheim, in 1896 a pastor in Büllingen, and at the end of 1907 in Merkstein. There, he dedicated himself, among other things, to the renovation of the church, the preservation of the bells, the establishment of a new sacristy, and the installation of church heating.

In 1900, Ortmanns participated in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he played the organ during the solemn deacon service at the Holy Sepulcher. On December 6, 1914, he became the pastor in Mausbach. In 1915, he blessed the newly built chapel in Krewinkel. As a musical clergyman, he often played the organ himself and composed his own pieces.

In 1930, Ortmanns published the history of the parish of Mausbach, which he authored and which is still of historical value today. For health reasons, he requested the appointment of a parish administrator in 1935. On August 22, 1937, he celebrated his Golden Priest Jubilee. Arnold Ortmanns passed away on February 11, 1938.