Hidden within Munich’s Aubing district stands St Quirin a church steeped in history. Its Romanesque tower the oldest surviving building in Aubing whispers tales of centuries past. Dating back to the end of the 13th century this tower has witnessed the ebb and flow of time. Dendrochronological studies reveal its timbers were felled in the winter of 1283/84. A previous wooden church sadly perished in the Bavarian War of 1422.
St Quirin wasn’t rebuilt overnight. Aubing’s determined priests tirelessly worked for a new church. It rose again in the late Gothic style. The rectangular nave and the slightly recessed eastern choir remain to this day. Initially the nave was shorter ending flush with the west side of the tower. A significant event occurred in 1489. Bishop Ulrich von Salona consecrated the church. This date wasn’t always known.
During renovations in the 1960s a trove of consecration items was discovered. Among them a seal from Bishop Ulrich. A partially illegible document initially read 1480 leading to a 500th anniversary celebration in 1980. However later analysis under UV light revealed the final digit was a 9 not a 0. This along with the fact that Ulrich only became a bishop in 1484 confirms 1489 as the correct date. Dendrochronology of the roof beams supports this further showing they were felled in the winter of 1484/85.
The consecration also yielded an Ulrich cross a glass vial containing the document a pouch and a vessel likely holding chrism. Some mysterious bones were also found. Two two-story extensions flank the choir slightly younger than the main church. Their upper stories feature ribbed vaults similar to the church itself. St Quirin’s interior boasts two layers of painted frescoes. One between 1580 and 1594 the other from 1668 onwards. Frescoes from the first painting are visible framing windows near the side altars.
In 1668 Father Martin Reiter installed the Baroque high altar. His tombstone lies in the choir. His stepfather’s is located in the tower. The church has been altered and repaired over the centuries. The main entrance was originally on the south side. A cemetery expansion in 1863 moved it to the west adding a porch. The old entrance was walled up a chapel window installed. In 1879 funds were allocated for an organ and a church clock. The church became too small by the 1930s despite a new church in Neuaubing. The nave was expanded westward by a fifth bay in 1936/37.
A highlight is the shrine of Saint Ursula from 1499 now housed in the west extension. It was once the central piece of an altar its side wings lost to time. It may have arrived in the 19th century as it’s absent from early inventories. The shrine depicts Saint Ursula and four companions. All five wear crowns and martyr’s palms. The back depicts the Man of Sorrows and instruments of the Passion. 16th-century inscriptions include one from 1591 by Georg Manser of Maisach. His motto With God’s work all is possible remains a testament to faith. St Quirin’s story continues a living testament to Munich’s rich past.