Frauenkirche
Frauenplatz 1
About
Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), Frauenplatz 1 (S-Bahn: ''Marienplatz''), [3]. Sa-W 07:00-19:00, Th 07:00-20:30, F 07:00-18:00; No sightseeing during services. Frauenkirche is topped by two copper onion-domed towers recognizable from a distance. Instead of adding sculptural ornamentation in carved stone to the exterior like other typical Gothic churches, the Frauenkirche differs from all contemporary churches in its plain brick simplicity. The church was completed in 1488. The legendary or devil's footstep (Teufelstritt), stems from the large amount of light inside the Frauenkirche that seems to come from nowhere thanks to the large columns that block the view of the windows. According to legend, Jörg of Halspach made a deal with the devil that he could build a church that had a spot where not a single window could be seen from. From the vestibule, looking down the center aisle (as long as the high Baroque altar covered the windows at the very back of the church) there appeared to be no windows at all. The devil stamped his foot in a fit of pique, leaving his footprint on a paving stone immediately inside the entrance. Another version tells that this is where the devil stood when he curiously regarded and ridiculed the windowless church that Halsbach had built. In fact, it is a large casting in the square base plate, and none of the side windows can be seen from the spot when one looks to the high altar.The stone is readily visible because it is mustard yellow rather than red and grey like the other tiles. Right to the entrance is a monumental tomb of Emperor Ludwig IV of Bavaria, the work of Hans Krumpper.
