St. Ludger

St. Ludger (ca. 742-809) was a missionary on behalf of Charlemagne. His mission was to proselytize the Saxons. In 800, he was given land by a Saxon family (today's Lüdinghausen). Ludger bequeathed the land to Werden Abbey, which owned the land from 800 to 1802.

He had the first of the three churches built on the site where St. Felizitas Church stands today. Ludger died in Billerbeck in 809. The funeral procession with his coffin led from Billerbeck via Münster to Essen-Werden, also passing through Lüdinghausen.

According to legend, the church bells began to ring (lüden) on their own as the procession passed through the town. This is where the town got its name Lüdinghausen from. However, the name Lüdinghausen actually comes from the "houses of Luido".

St. Ludger must also have had a special relationship with geese. He said: "When a well dries up, throw geese into it. At the place where they dig themselves out again, build a new well." And so it was done. The Ludgerus fountain still exists in Billerbeck today.

St. Ludger is immortalized on a stained glass window in St. Felizitas Church and on the market fountain.