Munich Church Devil Footprint is a famous curiosoty. Besides the long history, Munich offers many stories that you need to know. One of them is the Devil’s Footprint in the Frauenkirche. For an XVth century church, you may miss some glamour outside, but each of the many side altars is impressing.
An interesting theme for a good time in the city
An intriguing story
An unmissable landmark in Munich is the City’s second oldest parish church. This church name is Frauenkirche or the Church of Our Lady.
The church has the highest towers in the city center. This is because of an old law, again passed in 2004 to the city council. There is stated that no buildings within the Munich city center may be built taller than the towers of the Frauenkirche.
For rainy days in Munich is this my personal tip. The best way to visit is with a city tour guide, to get the best insight value on your visit.
The Church
In 1468 constructions began on the gothic Cathedral by architect Jorg von Haslbach. He completed the cathedral in 20 years. The church, however, is clearly simply adorned in both it’s exterior and interior, lacking in the rich traditional Gothic ornaments. Despite the grandeur of the Cathedral, with its two steeples, which look more like fortress towers, it certainly lacks the elegance expected of a place of worship of the period.
The Devil’s Footprint
Although there are several tales to the story of the Devil’s Footprint, they all have the same origins.
It is believed that as a result of a lack of budget, the architect Von Haslbach made a deal with the devil to gain funding to finish the Cathedral.
This was under the condition that the building contained no windows. So not allowing light (Christianity) in, as a celebration of darkness.
Creepy!
The architect instead attempted to trick the Devil, by obscuring the view of the windows by positioning columns, so that they were not visible from the entrance hall of the Cathedral. During the time of the Baroque- era, he also decided on a large central altarpiece that blocked the view of the stained-glass window at the back of the Church.
Upon completion, the Devil came to inspect his funded work, completed by Von Haslbach. Despite the obvious abundance of light, the Devil was content with the lack of windows and steeped further inward. Suddenly, it became clear that the architect had attempted to deceive the Devil by obscuring his view. Unable to step further into the consecrated church, and in his furious rage, the Devil slammed his foot into the floor, leaving a footprint in the tile – the Devil’s Footprint. When the devil left angrily, he created a wind laced with an evil spirit, which wickedly whips around the Cathedral to this day.
Visiting the Frauenkirche in Munich
The Frauenkirche is one of the best things to do in Munich and is a must-see for anybody visiting the city. As I mentioned earlier, you learn more about the wonders of Munich, if you hire a professional tour guide.
Location: With it being in the historical center of Munich, The Frauenkirche is easily accessible by public transport with Theatinerstraße tram stop or the Marienplatz underground station from where it is within walking distance.