As a historic city of culture, Munich has many world-famous churches and palaces to offer. But one of them stands out in particular: the Asamkirche – officially called St. Johann Nepomuk – is a unique masterpiece of late baroque and rococo architecture. From the outside, the church looks almost inconspicuous: At just 22 by 8 meters, the sight stretches out in the middle of Munich. But you shouldn’t miss it!
The Asamkirche, an art portfolio
The church was built by the famous artist brothers Cosmas Damian Asam and Egid Quirin Asam between 1733 and 1746. As you can easily guess, this is where its name comes from. The extraordinary thing about the Asamkirche is its actual building site: it was originally intended as the brothers’ private court and confession church.
The Asamkirch served as an artistic portfolio for the two artists, so to speak. Potential clients were able to see the full extent of the Asam brothers’ skills in the church: Their talents in architecture, painting, stucco and decoration were thus to become unforgettable. Despite the original private intention, the brothers soon had to open it to the public due to pressure from the citizens of Munich.
A heavenly theater
The interior of the Asamkirche is a masterpiece and theatrically staged. The entire church is structured in three parts that reflect the Baroque world view. The “earth zone” is the lower area with the pews and many confessionals. It is rather dark and symbolizes earthly suffering and sin.
The “imperial zone” is in the middle and is much lighter, with white and gold tones dominating. This area was originally reserved for Elector Charles Albrecht – later Emperor Charles VII – and the nobility. At the very top is the “God Zone”, which is of course particularly magnificent. It symbolizes the opening to heaven, God and eternity.
In addition to these decorations, the life of St. John of Nepomuk is particularly present in the Asamkirche. It is dedicated to the saint, who is considered the patron saint of Bavaria and a saint of confession. Above the altar, for example, you will find a pyramid symbol with a tongue and five stars representing the word TACUI (Latin for “I have kept silent”). This refers to Nepomuk, who did not reveal the secret of confession and was executed for it.
Mystical perspectives
A particularly curious detail: the Asamkirche is located right next to the home of the two brothers. Their building was so personal to the siblings that Egid Quirin Asam even built a window into it. This allowed him to look directly at the high altar from his bed.
Their Asam house next to the church is also a sight to see. It is decorated with stucco and fits in perfectly with the late Baroque façade next to the Asam Church. However, the house can only be viewed from the outside, while the church can even be entered free of charge.
The Asamkirche is located in the middle of Munich at Sendlinger Str. 33. It is best to visit this world-famous sight in the morning. This is because the church unusually faces west. Early in the morning, the sun’s rays fall in from the east window and make the two-storey high altar appear particularly mystical and mysterious. Perfect for a Halloween excursion!