Consider the Barfüßerkirche a phoenix risen. But instead of flames it faced bombs. This church, now a ruin, tells a powerful story of Erfurt’s past.
The Barfüßerkirche, or Discalced’s Church, was once a grand Franciscan monastery church. Imagine friars settling here in 1224 the first mendicant order in Erfurt. They began building their church around 1229. These friars devoted themselves to nursing the sick.
Fires ravaged the monastery several times. The plague in 1463 killed many Franciscans. Still the Erfurt convent became a central place for the order. Many provincial chapters of Saxonia were held here. The buildings must have been quite large.
The Franciscans founded a school and a house of studies. This was for the young friars of Thuringia. Erfurt became an educational hub for the order. Gifted friars came from many provinces to study here.
Construction of a new church started after a city fire in 1291. The choir was finished around 1316. Work on the nave continued into the 15th century. The high-Gothic church became a prominent part of Erfurt’s skyline.
Each arcade arch in the nave had two transverse-rectangular vaulted bays above. The choir was longer than that of the Predigerkirche. It featured simple tracery in tall lancet windows. A slender tower was added to the north side of the choir in the 15th century.
In 1525 the Barfüßerkirche became a Protestant parish church. Martin Luther himself preached here in 1529. The monastery buildings were torn down during the Swedish period. They were used to build city fortifications. A lightning strike damaged the nave in 1838. Extensive restoration work followed. The Barfüßerkirche then served as Erfurt’s Protestant garrison church.
Lyonel Feininger painted several pictures of the Barfüßerkirche around 1925. His student Theo Kellner renovated the church. Charles Crodel created ceiling paintings in 1938. These were later destroyed in 1944.
During World War II valuable art objects were moved to storage. The stained-glass windows were placed in the cathedral crypt. The winged altar was protected on site. On November 27 1944 disaster struck. British bombers hit the church. The nave was destroyed. The high choir was badly damaged.
After the war the high choir was repaired. A service was held there again in 1957. Remains of colored glazing were inserted into three windows. The high altar was put back into use. The nave could only be stabilized.
In 1977 the Barfüßerkirche merged with the Predigerkirche. The Barfüßerkirche was handed over to the city. It became a branch of the Angermuseum for Medieval Art in 1983.
A commemorative plaque from the GDR era was removed after 1990. It had blamed Anglo-American bombers for the destruction. Since 2000 theatre performances have been held inside the ruins.
A working group formed in 2007 wants to raise awareness. Their goal is to preserve the ruin or rebuild the church one day. In 2012 a bronze relief called “Totentanz” was placed on the outer wall.
Inside the polygonal choir are thirteen high windows. Some have stained-glass panes from 1230 to 1240. These show scenes from the Passion of Jesus and the life of Francis of Assisi. They are the oldest surviving depictions of Francis of Assisi.
The five-part winged retable from 1446 is significant. It shows the Coronation of Mary and scenes from the life of Jesus. Gravestones of Cinna von Vargula and Albert von Beichlingen are also noteworthy.
Today the Barfüßerkirche stands as a testament to time. It is a place where history, art and memory intertwine. Its stones whisper stories of faith resilience and loss. Take a moment to reflect on this site’s enduring spirit.