Have you heard all the legends and myths that surround Munich? We’re not just talking about fashion legend Rudolph Moshammer or the mystery of Schliersee, but a very special symbol in the middle of the city: the devil’s footstep. You can see it in the Frauenkirche – it’s not just a Halloween ghost, but a clearly visible footprint pressed into the ground. Myth or truth? We dug through the history.
When the devil came to Munich
When you enter the entrance area of the Frauenkirche, you can see the dark footprint in the floor just behind the main portal. It is the shape of a human foot, but the heel gives the impression of a spur or claw. This is interpreted as the unmistakable mark of the devil.
The imprint is an architectural peculiarity: if you stand exactly on the devil’s footprint and look towards the high altar, you cannot see any of the side windows of the church. In fact, they are perfectly concealed by the mighty columns of the nave.
The legend of the devil’s pact
The mysterious imprint goes back to one of Munich’s most famous legends. It tells the story of the master builder Jörg von Halspach (also known as Jörg Ganghofer), who built the church in the 15th century. Allegedly, he made a pact with the devil because he ran out of money to build the huge cathedral.
The devil promised to finance the construction. But as devils go, there had to be something in return. He demanded that the master builder build a church without windows, i.e. a place of darkness. According to other versions, the devil wanted the soul of the first visitor or threatened to destroy the building.
When the building was completed, the devil crept through the large entrance gate into the still unconsecrated church. He stood in the exact spot where the devil’s footstep can be seen today and triumphantly discovered that not a single window was actually visible! With glee and arrogance, the devil stomped on the ground with all his might , leaving behind the devil’s footstep.
But he had not reckoned with the master builder’s cunning. For when the devil took a step further into the church, he realized that he had been deceived: the windows were by no means forgotten, but only perfectly concealed by the massive pillars of the hall building… Legend has it that the wind still whistles around the Frauenkirche to this day as a sign of the devil’s eternal rage and his futile attempt to tear down the cathedral.