Can you imagine this church destroyed and then reborn? That’s Mariä Geburt in Munich, the old Roman Catholic parish church in Pasing. Its story is one of destruction, rebuilding, and adaptation.
First mentioned in 1315, Mariä Geburt was then a branch church of Aubing. Disaster struck in 1422 during the Bavarian Fratricidal War. The church was destroyed. But from the ashes, a new church arose. Over fifteen years, it was rebuilt on the original foundation. This new Mariä Geburt was a late Gothic stone church.
The rebuilt church wasn’t immune to further mishaps. In 1588, its tower collapsed. It took until 1608 to complete the reconstruction. A baroque makeover followed in 1680.
Pasing grew and Mariä Geburt changed with it. As Pasing became an independent parish in 1881, the church underwent several alterations. The nave was widened to the north in the mid-19th century. It was lengthened in 1882. The sacristy was added in 1864. The tower got a neo-Gothic spire in 1882.
However, Mariä Geburt’s time as the main parish church was limited. In 1910, the newly constructed Maria Schutz church took over that role. But Mariä Geburt found new caretakers. In 1924, the Order of the Passionists took over the church’s care.
Inside Mariä Geburt, the neo-Gothic high altar dominates the ribbed vault choir. A seated statue of the Madonna is flanked by Saints Korbinian and Engelbert. The Mayer’sche Hofkunstanstalt created the two choir windows. The left window shows the Annunciation. The right depicts Christ at the Mount of Olives. Epitaphs of Pasing manor lords adorn the choir polygon walls. Baroque statues of saints stand on consoles. Saint Leonhard is on the north wall. Saints Nicholas and Ulrich are on the south wall.
The nave, which got a wooden ceiling in 1952, features twelve baroque apostle statues. Max Schmalzl’s Stations of the Cross, painted in the Nazarene style, adorn the walls. A late Gothic crucifix is also present. The neo-Gothic side altars, re-erected in 1980 in a simplified form, hold new altar panels. These were painted by the Spanish Passionist priest Delpino. The left panel shows Paul of the Cross. The right panel shows the Crucifixion of Christ. A statue of Saint Gabriel Possenti stands to the right of the left side altar.
Four bronze bells reside in the tower. They date from the 15th and 20th centuries. Their striking tones are e1, gis1, h1, and cis2.
Mariä Geburt stands as a testament to Pasing’s history. It is a reminder of faith and resilience. Take a moment to appreciate this church. It has survived destruction and change. It continues to serve as a place of worship. It welcomes all.