ASAM CHURCH

Description

Essentials about the Asam Church in brief

During a shopping trip through Sendlinger Straße, one encounters a building in the midst of the many stores that does not fit in at all with the modern shopping world: Asam Church. With its richly decorated facade and magnificent furnishings, the church built by the Asam brothers is one of the most important buildings of the late baroque period in southern Germany.

The history of Asam Church

Cosmas Damian Asam and Egid Quirin Asam are among the most important artists who have left their mark on Munich’s cityscape and the Bavarian Baroque. The church was originally intended to be a chapel for the Asam brothers, who now reside in Munich. After Egid Quirin Asam acquired several plots of land next to his home between 1729 and 1733, he and his brother built a church dedicated to St. Nepomuk starting in 1733. In 1746 the then still unfinished church was consecrated. Cosmas Damian Asam had died during the construction work, Egid Quirin Asam followed his brother four years later. The actual completion of the church was thus denied to both brothers.

The architecture of Asam Church

Since the church was built without a commission and as a private church for the higher glory of God and for the salvation of the builders, the two brothers were able to realize their plans entirely as they saw fit. After protests from the church and the population, however, the brothers had to open their private church to the public. Incidentally, Egid Quirin Asam designed the church as a confessional church for young people, which is why it also contains seven confessionals.

Asam Church can be described as an architectural masterpiece. Despite the narrow space of only 22 by 8 meters and quite an overload of stuccowork and ornaments, the interior appears extremely harmonious. Especially the indirect lighting in the choir area is very successful. Windows hidden behind the main cornice effectively illuminate the Trinity figures from behind. The main cornice itself seems to rise and fall with its curved guidance.

The interior of the church is divided vertically into three sections that increase in brightness from bottom to top. The lowest section, with pews for churchgoers, is kept relatively dark, symbolizing the sufferings of the world. The second section above is white and bluish and is reserved for the emperor. The uppermost section with the indirectly and covertly illuminated ceiling painting is dedicated to God and eternity.

At the high altar are four columns as a reference to the four Bernini Columns above St. Peter’s tomb in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In the uppermost position is God the Redeemer. Below the tabernacle is a relic of St. John Nepomuk. Compared to a usually very strictly structured Baroque parish church, Asam Church has some peculiarities due to its status as a private church: The church faces west, which means that the high altar is located in the west. In addition, the crucifix mounted opposite the pulpit is (deliberately) hung too low. In baroque churches, the cross should always hang higher than the pulpit, so that the preacher must also look up to Jesus.