Peeking through the trees St. Stephan reveals itself a hidden gem. This Roman Catholic church stands at the northern edge of Munich’s Alter Südfriedhof. It is located directly on Stephanstraße. It also fronts Stephansplatz. St. Stephan is a branch church of St. Peter.
Let’s step closer to appreciate its history. St. Stephan is an early Baroque church facing east. Georg Zwerger built it from 1674 to 1677. It was consecrated in 1681. Before this church a small wooden Salvator church stood here.
Notice the small onion dome on the roof. This houses two small bronze bells. Until early January 2019 these bells were rung by rope. The bells also strike the quarter hours.
Inside St. Stephan is just as fascinating. The apse retains its original ceiling stucco. During renovations from 2004 to 2006 the other vaulting stucco was replaced with paintings. St. Stephan has three altars. The altar paintings are still the originals. Unlike many other churches these paintings were not replaced. Nazarene School altar paintings never made their way here.
St. Stephan is more than just a pretty church. It’s a part of the Alter Südfriedhof. This is also known as the Old Southern Cemetery. Duke Albrecht V ordered it built in 1563 as a plague cemetery. It was outside the city gates.
From 1788 to 1868 this cemetery was Munich’s only burial ground. Many prominent Munich residents were buried here. As you wander the grounds look for notable graves. Roman Anton Boos rests on the west side left of the cross. Johann Baptist Straub is on the west side right of the cross. Georg Merz the optician is buried on the north side. Siegmund von Merz another optician also lies on the north side. So does Lorenz Hübner.
During the approach of 1632 the original Salvator church was torn down. This prevented the Swedish army from using it for cover. In 1674 St. Stephan was consecrated as a replacement for the small church.
This church has also made it into television. The crime series Tatort featured St. Stephan in the episode “Klingelingeling.”
So the next time you’re looking for a peaceful place visit St. Stephan. It is a place of beauty and history. It is part of Munich’s cultural heritage. It is also a peaceful place for reflection.