Munich: Heilig Blut

1932 – 1934

Architect: Hans Döllgast

Scheinerstraße 12, Munich, Germany

Historical Background

Since the turn of the century, the Munich-Bogenhausen district had been growing, as had the Catholic parish of St. George.

After examining various locations for a new church before the outbreak of World War I, the city of Munich finally donated a plot of land to the parish on Secchiplatz.

Hans Döllgast

The church was not completed according to the plans of architect Hans Döllgast until 1934. At that time, Döllgast held a lectureship at the Technical University of Munich.

Heavily damaged during World War II, the church was rebuilt in 1950 under Döllgast’s direction once more.

Heilig Blut Church

Groundbreaking for the new building took place in March 1934. The foundation stone was laid in May of that year, and the church was consecrated in November.

Döllgast designed the church with a combination of traditional architectural forms and modern elements.

The white, unadorned wall surfaces, in particular, represent a modern architectural concept through their simplicity and straightness.

The windowless gable front, which contains the main entrance, is adorned with a Günther Grassmann mosaic.

Made of cut natural stones, it depicts two angels holding the Veil of Veronica bearing his image.

The coat of arms of Munich Archbishop and Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber is in the corner.

Interior

The interior of the three-nave hall church is a single, light, and rectilinear hall. It is divided by fourteen slender, round, formwork-rough concrete columns, which originally supported a flat, stucco ceiling.

The bell tower was designed to have a spire.

Both the tower and the stucco ceiling were destroyed in a bombing raid in October 1943.

Reconstruction

Reconstruction began in 1950 under the direction of architect Hans Döllgast.

The belfry, which had previously been lower than the church’s gable line, was raised 10 meters and finished with a gable roof.

A smooth wooden ceiling replaced the stucco ceiling.