St. Michael's Church

Michaelskirche on the busy Neuhauser Straße ranks among the most significant Renaissance buildings north of the Alps and is simultaneously one of the most important Jesuit churches in the German-speaking world. With its monumental façade, enormous unsupported barrel vault, and royal crypt housing King Ludwig II among others, it stands as one of Munich's most impressive sacred buildings.

History of Michaelskirche

Michaelskirche was built between 1583 and 1597 under Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria for the Jesuit order, which at the time served as the spiritual spearhead of the Counter-Reformation in Bavaria. Architects Friedrich Sustris and Wolfgang Miller drew on Italian models, particularly the Jesuit church Il Gesù in Rome, creating one of the first major Renaissance buildings north of the Alps. Duke Wilhelm V explicitly intended the building as a demonstration of his Catholic piety and a bulwark against the Reformation, which had already taken firm hold in large parts of Germany by this time. The ambitious construction project placed such a significant financial strain on the ducal treasury that it contributed to Wilhelm V's early withdrawal from governing affairs. After suffering severe damage in the Second World War, the church was faithfully restored over the following decades and today again ranks among the city's most-visited churches.

Architecture & Royal Crypt

Michaelskirche's wide, unsupported barrel vault was, at the time of construction, the second-largest of its kind after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, impressively demonstrating the architectural ambitions of the era. The monumental façade is adorned with statues of Wittelsbach rulers as well as a large bronze statue of Archangel Michael battling the dragon, created in 1588 by sculptor Hubert Gerhard - one of the earliest large-scale bronze works north of the Alps. The royal crypt beneath the church holds numerous members of the House of Wittelsbach, most prominently King Ludwig II, the "Fairy Tale King" and builder of Neuschwanstein Castle, as well as Eugène de Beauharnais, Napoleon's stepson and Duke of Leuchtenberg, who was closely tied to the royal house through his marriage to a Bavarian princess.

Visitor Tips & Getting There

Michaelskirche sits in the middle of the Neuhauser Straße pedestrian zone, just a short walk from Marienplatz and Karlsplatz (Stachus), making it one of the most easily accessible buildings in Munich's old town. The nearest subway and suburban rail stations are Marienplatz and Karlsplatz, both only a few hundred meters away. As an active parish church, certain visiting hours apply outside of services, which are listed on the parish website.

Nearby Attractions

Just steps away lies the Bürgersaalkirche with its quiet lower chapel, while Marienplatz with the New Town Hall and its famous glockenspiel is reachable within minutes on foot. Heading west, Neuhauser Straße leads to Karlsplatz with its historic Karlstor gate, and the Frauenkirche with its distinctive onion domes also lies in close proximity in the heart of the old town.

Façade Statues & Side Chapels

Michaelskirche's monumental façade is adorned with a carefully composed row of statues depicting Wittelsbach rulers, beginning with the earliest dukes and culminating in Duke Wilhelm V himself, who thereby demonstratively showcased his house's dynastic legitimacy and continuity. Such a statue gallery on a church façade was unusual for its time and underscores the building's political character, which was far more than a purely sacred structure - it was meant simultaneously as a stone manifesto of the Counter-Reformation and of Wittelsbach claims to power. Inside the church, this ambition continues through numerous side chapels and altars donated by prominent Munich patrician families, documenting the close interweaving of nobility, bourgeoisie and church in Baroque-era Munich.

The Jesuit Order in Bavaria

Michaelskirche exemplifies the close relationship between the Jesuit order and the Bavarian duchy in the 16th and 17th centuries: during this period, the Jesuits came to substantially shape Bavarian education, founding schools and universities and becoming close advisors to the Wittelsbach rulers on matters of the Counter-Reformation. This close partnership made Munich one of the most important centers of Jesuit activity north of the Alps. To this day, Michaelskirche remains an active Jesuit church with its own congregation and a varied pastoral and cultural program, continuing the order's more than 400-year tradition at this site and making the church far more than merely a sightseeing destination.