Look closely at the towers. They are Romanesque. Now fix your gaze on the rest of Sankt Peter und Paul. It is mostly Baroque. Sankt Peter und Paul is a testament to Würzburg’s rich and complex past. It shows resilience and artistic evolution.
The first church on this site served as a parish church. It sat just outside the city walls. This was back in Romanesque times. A Gothic church replaced it in the High Middle Ages. But the story of the Sankt Peter und Paul we see today truly begins in the 18th century.
Between 1717 and 1720, a new Baroque structure arose. Joseph Greissing, from Vorarlberg, designed it. Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp von Greiffenclau zu Vollraths supported the project. The Romanesque towers and Gothic choir were included in the new design. The church was consecrated on January 26, 1721. Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn officiated.
However, war is cruel. In March 1945, bombs devastated Sankt Peter und Paul. The church suffered heavy damage. From 1950 to 1959, the exterior was painstakingly rebuilt. It was rebuilt true to the original design. During this time, the sacristy served as a temporary chapel. Some of the original furnishings were restored. Others came from different sources. Sadly, the paintings from 1720 to 1740 did not survive.
Sankt Peter und Paul has undergone several renovations. The first interior renovation after the war took place in 1976. Exterior work followed between 1980 and 1981. A thorough interior renovation occurred from 2015 to 2016. Bishop Friedhelm Hofmann celebrated the reopening on November 13, 2016.
The architecture of Sankt Peter und Paul blends styles. It is a vaulted hall church with galleries and free-standing pillars. The Gothic choir has Baroque modifications on the upper floor. The Romanesque towers stand behind the facade. They were given a Baroque makeover on the outside. The facade follows a Roman Baroque design with Renaissance elements. Statues of saints adorn it. These were created in 1773 by the Wagner workshop. The central projection bulges out. Above the portal are the coats of arms. They represent the Prince-Bishops von Greiffenclau and von Schönborn. Georg Schneider restored them in 1956 and 1957. Wolfgang Finger restored a statue of Saint Aquilin in 1977. It is to the right of the main entrance.
Inside Sankt Peter und Paul, some original elements remain. Parts of the stucco work have survived. So have two altar paintings by Anton Clemens Lünenschloss. The Rococo pulpit, created around 1745-50 by Johann Wolfgang von der Auwera, was largely reconstructed after the war.
The three late Baroque altars are in the Classicist style. Georg Schäfer from Karlstadt created them around 1800. They originally came from the parish church of St. Jakobus der Ältere in Himmelstadt. They were acquired in 1974.
The high altar features figures of Saint John the Evangelist, the Virgin Mary, Saint James, and Saint Charles Borromeo. A cross with a Baroque corpus is in the center. A crucifix hangs above the tabernacle. God the Father with the globe crowns the altar. Two angels flank him.
The Aquilin altar contains figures of Saint Sebastian and Saint Andrew. In 1987, Andreas Kräml added a central figure of Saint Aquilin. It also includes relics of the saint. The Marien altar depicts Maria Immaculata. Andreas Kräml created it as a replica of the original in Himmelstadt. Figures of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne flank it.
Two chancel arch altars carved by Balthasar Esterbauer burned in 1945. However, an epitaph from around 1720 remains. Johann Adam Roth from Forchheim cast it in bronze. It honors Johann Lorenz Adelmann.
Not far from Sankt Peter und Paul is the Petersbau. Antonio Petrini built it between 1689 and 1691. It served as a seminary and a mint.
Today, Sankt Peter und Paul stands as a symbol. It embodies Würzburg’s spirit. Its blend of styles and its history of destruction and rebirth make it a unique landmark. Take a moment to appreciate this captivating church.