ST. PETER’S CHURCH

Description

Essentials about St. Peter’s Church in brief

A visit to St. Peter’s Church is recommended even for non-churchgoers. It is the oldest parish church in Munich and its tower, popularly known as “Alter Peter” (“Old Peter”), is one of the best vantage points in the city. In addition to a fabulous viewing platform, Alter Peter also houses Munich’s oldest bells.

The history and architecture of St. Peter’s Church

On Petersbergl (Peter’s Hill) there was originally a three-nave Romanesque pillar basilica with two towers. St. Peter’s Church is first mentioned in documents around the year 1225. From 1278, the Romanesque basilica was replaced by a more ostentatious Gothic basilica. A larger church would not actually have been necessary, since the parish of St. Peter’s had shrunk to the southern half of the city when the second Munich parish was founded from the Marienkapelle (St. Mary’s Chapel) in 1271. Rather, the new building, consecrated on May 17, 1294, was intended to counteract a possible loss of importance. The three-nave nave, which did not yet have side chapels, was structured by exterior buttresses.

On February 14, 1327, almost a third of Munich fell victim to a catastrophic fire. The east choir of St. Peter’s burned down to the outer wall, the towers also fell victim to the flames, but the nave was saved. During reconstruction, the church was lengthened and the walls of the nave were moved to the outside so that side chapels could be built between the buttresses that were incorporated into the interior of the church. The two burnt-out towers were beveled and a single tower was erected between the two stumps.

The tower, called “Old Peter”, received its new crowning after lightning destroyed the two pointed spires on July 24, 1607. In order to alleviate the lack of space, it was decided to extend the church to the east before the Thirty Years’ War. Between 1630 and 1654, Saint Peter’s was enlarged and baroqueized. In the 18th century, the choir, including the high altar, and the nave were remodeled in the late Baroque style.

During the air raids of World War II, St. Peter’s was largely destroyed. Reconstruction seemed impossible and the church ruins had already been cleared for demolition. Thanks to the courageous efforts of the two parish priests of St. Peter’s, the church was preserved and rebuilt from 1946. In 1954, the reconstruction of Munich’s oldest church was completed.

The interior of St. Peter’s Church

One of the most important works of art in St. Peter’s is the baroque high altar, which was created in the years 1730-1734 by Nikolaus Gottfried Stuber, Johann Georg Greiff and Egid Quirin Asam. The collaboration of the most important artists of the time resulted in one of the most magnificent altar creations of the Bavarian Baroque.

The center of the central group of figures is a late Gothic figure of St. Peter interpreting the Scriptures. At his feet are four church fathers, two occidental and two oriental, whose gazes are directed at Peter. The tiara (triple crown) of the figure of Peter is a baroque addition by the Munich goldsmith Johann Michael Ernst. It can be removed, which is traditionally done during a sedis vacancy (the period between the demise of the old pope and the election of the new one). On the day of the inauguration of the newly elected pope, the tiara of the figure is put back on. The figure of Peter was the object of special veneration and is the only element carried over from the earlier Gothic altar.

The view from St. Peter’s Church

If you want to enjoy one of the most beautiful views over Munich, you should definitely climb up the 91-meter high Alter Peter. Visitors don’t have to climb quite that high, however, because the viewing platform is located at a height of 56 meters. Nevertheless, you should be reasonably fit and good on your feet, because there are 306 steps waiting to be climbed. From the viewing platform on Alter Peter, you not only have an excellent view of the towers of the Frauenkirche and the roofs of the old town. In Föhn weather, you can even see almost 100 kilometers to the Alps, which together with the skyline of Munich make a sensational postcard panorama.

The carillon of St. Peter’s Church

The carillon of St. Peter’s is also very famous and its sound could be heard over the roofs of Munich centuries ago. Of the total of eight bells in the church tower, four are historical, cast between the years 1327 and 1720. A special feature of the carillon is that only seven of the eight bells can be rung. The smallest and oldest bell of Alter Peter, the so-called “Poor Sinner’s Bell” hangs behind a barred window in the basement of the tower. Fortunately, the bell once rung during executions on Marienplatz no longer needs to be rung these days.