About St. Johann Nepomuk, better known as the Asam Church (Asamkirche):
This Baroque church was built from 1733 to 1746 by a pair of brothers, sculptor Egid Quirin Asam and painter Cosmas Damian Asam, as their private chapel, for the greater glory of God and the salvation of the builders. Since this was not a commissioned church, the Asam brothers were able to build it in line with their ideas as independent contractors. One example of this is that it was laid out so that Egid Quirin Asam could see the altar through a window of his private house next to the church. The church altar is situated in the west, not the east as usual. In addition, the crucifix opposite the pulpit was hung unusually low. In Baroque churches it was to hang above the pulpit, so that the preacher had to look up to Jesus Christ.
They also designed the church as a Beichtkirche (confession church) for the youth. The small church therefore has seven confessionals with allegorical scenes.
The interior is divided vertically into three sections, which increase in brightness from the bottom upwards. The lowermost portion of the benches, for church visitors, is kept relatively dark; its design symbolizes the suffering of the world. The second section, located above, is colored white and blue, and reserved for the emperor. The uppermost portion of the indirect and hidden illuminated ceiling painting is dedicated to God and eternity.[1]
The ceiling fresco “Life of Saint Nepomuk” is considered a masterpiece of Cosmas Damian Asam. The high altar of the Asam Church is framed by four spiral columns. At the high altar, these four columns are used as a reference to the four Bernini columns over the grave of St. Peter in St. Peter’s in Rome. Previously, the brothers Asam had studied in Italy at the Accademia di San Luca, under Lorenzo Bernini. At the top is God, the Saviour.
On the altar, below the tabernacle, is a relic of John of Nepomuk. Two angels, sculpted by Ignaz Günther, flank the gallery altar and were added at a later date.
The choir was heavily damaged by bombing during World War II and was restored during 1975 to 1983 to be as close as possible to the original design.
Traveling to Asamkirche (The Asam Church) in Munich:
Address: Sendlinger Str. 32, 80331 München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 23687989