Good Conrad

The year is 1303, when a young man is buried in the choir. It was Conrad, son of the burgomaster Berld von Sumerde. The 16-year-old was considered to be very god-fearing and was found dead in March 1303, hanging from his own belt in a vineyard hut. It is said to have shown no signs of decomposition and there are reports of holy signs and miracles. The horror at this act was great and the culprits – as was so often the case in the Middle Ages – were quickly found. A persecution of Jews began in the region, during which around 125 people were murdered at Weißensee Castle. From 1304, St. Peter and Paul was converted into a pilgrimage church. An arm reliquary, under which the remains of “Good Conrad” rest, stands in the center of the church. He was venerated as a saint for around 200 years, his canonization was sought but never carried out before he fell into oblivion again.

During renovation work in the church, the remains of “Good Conrad” were actually rediscovered. He was reburied under the simple tomb slab. His arm reliquary, which was displayed on an altar above his grave in the High Middle Ages, was melted down during the Reformation. Numerous pilgrim pennies, which were found during the renovation of the church, prove that Weißensee was a popular place of pilgrimage for a long time.

Why Conrad was never canonized is not known for certain. Church historians suspect the reason is that the circumstances that led to his death could never be clarified beyond doubt.