Asamkirche, Munich

Asamkirche or St. John Nepomuk Church, 1733-1746

The Church is divided into three levels. The first level which is dimly lit is where ordinary worshippers sit for the service. The second level with the balcony is for the Emperor. The top level which benefits from light emanating from the windows, is dedicated to God. So there is an established hierarchy in the church - ordinary people, the Emperor and God.

Above the lower altar are the figures of the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and Jesus on the cross.

The ceiling fresco depicts the life of St. John Nepomuk, a martyr of the Catholic church. It was painted by Cosmas Damian Asam who was schooled in Rome. Notice the beautiful gallery reserved for the Emperor.

Check out one of the confessionals with cherubs.

View of the left side of the church from the main portal.

The golden sun symbolizes eternal love. This is found in the vestibule of the church.

One of the core themes of Asamkirche is the sanctity of the seal of confession which is why there are several confessionals in the church including this one in the vestibule. St. John Nepomuk was tortured and drowned in the Vltava river for refusing to reveal the confession of one of the Wittelsbach women. The House of Wittelsbach was a Bavarian dynasty which ruled over large territories and the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1805 to 1918. That must have been quite a confession, enough to unsettle the King.

Façade of Asamkirche and Asam Haus. The church measures 22.8 meters by 8 meters. It's long and narrow.

The façade protrudes like a wave, a characteristic of Baroque architecture.

Asam House

Egid Quirin Asam worked on the decoration of his house. There are bas reliefs, sculptures, garlands and stories to tell on the façade. The house is not open to the public.

Assamkirche was a true discovery for me. After visiting and transiting through Munich a few times, it was a joy to find this gem. Can't fathom how I had not known about it on previous visits.

Where to go:

Sendlinger Strasse

Near Sendlinger Tor and a short walk from Marienplatz

Sendlinger Tor

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