Picture the Sankt Cyriak und Perpetua Kirche. This unassuming Baroque church stands proudly on Annaplatz in Freiburg’s Wiehre district. It’s a small church but its history is vast and surprising. Did you know it’s also called the Annakirchle? That’s because of its location on Annaplatz. It’s part of the Freiburg Wiehre-Günterstal parish.
The Wiehre district itself has an interesting past. It grew from the villages of Wiehre and Adelhausen. These were mentioned as early as 1008. They lay south of Freiburg. They fell under Freiburg’s jurisdiction. During the Thirty Years’ War they became one community in 1643. The name Wiehre prevailed. In 1826 Wiehre became part of Freiburg.
The original church in Adelhausen predated even Freiburg’s main churches. It was called Sant Einbetten Kilch. The name refers to three legendary maidens Einbeth Wilbeth and Worbeth. They were supposedly companions of Saint Ursula. Legend has it Einbeth died in Strasbourg in 237. She was buried in the Saint-Pierre-le-Vieux church there. However Dominican accounts suggest a consecration in 1263 under the patronage of Saints Cyriak and Perpetua. Albertus Magnus supposedly performed the ceremony. He was in Freiburg at that time. In 1665 Freiburg took over responsibility for the church and the right to appoint the parish priest. The place was Wiehre but the official parish name remained Adelhausen.
The current church is actually the fourth. The first medieval church survived the Thirty Years’ War. However it was destroyed along with Wiehre’s monasteries Mariä Verkündigung and St Katharina. This happened when Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban created a fortress for Louis XIV starting in 1678. He needed a clear field of fire.
A second church was built from 1709 to 1711. Freiburg was again Habsburg after the Treaty of Rijswijk in 1697. In 1713 during the War of the Spanish Succession Ferdinand Amadeus Freiherr von Harrsch ordered the destruction of the Wiehre church. This was to defend Freiburg from the French. Freiburg fell anyway.
The Treaty of Rastatt in 1714 returned Freiburg to Habsburg. In 1718 a third church was built further west. The exact completion date is unknown. In 1744 Freiburg was besieged again. The Wiehre buildings were destroyed. The French systematically destroyed their own fortifications. They had conquered them twice. The French left behind a huge swathe of ruins.
A new church was built on the original site. The foundation stone was laid on August 27 1753. Johann Baptist Häring designed the church. Joseph Schauberger oversaw construction. The church was consecrated on March 30 1755. This fourth building largely survives today. In 1755 the parish had 350 people. By 1885 it had 6345. The church only seated about 200. A new church St Johann was built. The old church was abandoned until 1918 when Franciscan friars took it over. In 1922 they established a monastery that closed in 2013. St Cyriak and Perpetua became a parish again in 1981.
Look closely at the church’s exterior. Notice the statues of Saints Cyriak and Perpetua. Franz Xaver Anton Hauser created them. See the Wiehremer Männle in the portal. It’s a fragment from a previous building.
Step inside. Admire the delicate stucco work by Franz Anton Vogel. Note the high altar. It comes from the castle on Schlossberg. It was saved when the castle chapel was destroyed. The side altars were created by Melchior Rombach. The statue of Saint Anthony is particularly impressive.
The Sankt Cyriak und Perpetua Kirche. Its history is a testament to resilience faith and the enduring spirit of Freiburg. Its story is woven into the fabric of this city. It’s a place to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.