Franziskanerkirche (Ingolstadt)

The Franziskanerkirche in Ingolstadt is a three-aisled early-Gothic flat-roofed basilica dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It stands on the site of a former Franciscan monastery outside the city’s first walls. The church has no tower, only a small ridge turret, typical of the mendicant style. The building began in 1275 and was consecrated in 1277. Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian visited in 1314. Major changes came in the late 14th century, when the nave and choir were rebuilt. The side aisles were vaulted around 1500 and the nave vaulted between 1716 and 1718. After a fire in the 18th century the interior was partly remodelled and a late-baroque high altar installed. Inside, more than a hundred gravestones and epitaphs line the walls. Among them is the tomb of the astronomer Peter Apian. A folk-style crucifix marks the cross altar in the south-west corner. The Schutter Mother of God, an old pilgrimage image, is kept in the western side chapel. Outside, monuments recall the city’s war missing. A notable epitaph honours Christoph Langenmantel, who helped Martin Luther flee Augsburg in 1518.