Imagine a church whose walls are as filled with so much color and so many images that the only comparison would be one of those ‘immersive exhibits’ of art that have become popular. That’s pretty much what it was like when I finally got to visit the interior of Munich’s Asamkirche last summer. You’ll see for your self here!
You might argue over whether the style is Baroque or Rococo, but there’s no question it’s very much Over The Top, with angels everywhere, saints galore, gold ornaments in every direction and massive paintings of religious scenes. It is the attraction that’s its own distraction; you simply can’t sit there and concentrate.
Officially, it’s the Sankt Johann Nepomukkirche; its popular name comes from the two brothers who created it in the mid-1700s, as a private chapel. Cosmas Damian Asam was a painter and architect; his younger brother Egid Quirin Asam was painter, sculptor, architect and stucco worker. They frequently worked together, mostly on religious buildings.
For the Asamkirche project, they bought four existing houses and demolished the two in the middle to build the church; the project took from 1733 to 1746. The one on the left they renovated into a family residence, with extensive stucco decorations on the outside; the other house was to be housing for a priest. The exterior is fairly restrained compared to the inside!
Since they meant it to be their private chapel, they built an entrance from the house onto the balcony; you can see it in the next picture and in the balcony view. Its private status didn’t last long; under public pressure the brothers were forced to make the church open to the public.
The brothers’ general plan can be seen as you look around the church, or at the pictures. The lowest level, where the congregation sits, is relatively dark, said to suggest the suffering of the world. The middle section is lighter, with white and blue highlights, symbolizing the Emperor, closer to heaven. And, at the highest and lightest level, God and eternity.
Massive sculptures on the walls are mainly the work of Egid Asam. Some of them were restored from his original drawings after bomb damage in 1944. Restoration didn’t start in full until 1975 and took eight years to finish.
Cosmas Asam’s ceiling fresco of the Life of Saint Nepomuk is considered to be his masterpiece.
Some of the smaller decorations of the church…
… and the amazing carved panels of the front door.
Three years ago, when I first tried to visit the Asamkirche, the entrance was under renovation and it was closed to visitors. I put it at the top of my list for a return to Munich and, all in all, it was worth the effort—it’s one of the most amazing churches I’ve ever visited.
I can see why you were impressed! Great photos.
It says a lot that you say it is one of the most amazing churches you have ever visited. I am sure you have visited many churches and cathedrals over the years. It is certainly impressive. The detail is unreal! Excellent article and photography!