The scent of incense hangs heavy in the air. This is St Martin’s Church. A truly remarkable place.
St Martin’s stands proudly in Freiburg im Breisgau. It’s much more than just a pretty church. It holds centuries of history. It started as a small chapel back in 1206. Count Konrad gave it to the Franciscan Friars in 1226. They built a monastery around it.
Legend says Friar Berthold Schwarz invented gunpowder here around 1400. He was doing alchemy. He mixed saltpeter sulfur and charcoal. The mixture exploded. This is a fun story. It’s probably not true. Gunpowder existed before then. But the story lives on. A monument to Berthold Schwarz stands nearby.
Over the years St Martin’s changed. After the Thirty Years’ War it got a Baroque makeover. Later Neo-Gothic elements were added. The Franciscans left in 1783. St Martin’s became the parish church.
World War II brought tragedy. Phosphorus bombs hit during an air raid in 1944. The tower collapsed. Only the outer walls survived. But Freiburgers rebuilt. St Martin’s reopened on St Martin’s Day 1951. The church remains a haven of peace in the heart of Freiburg. It reminds us of resilience and faith. This is St Martin’s. A testament to history and the enduring human spirit.