St. Anna

St. Anna is a modern Catholic parish church in the eastern part of Bamberg, Bavaria. It was consecrated in 1979 under the patronage of Saint Anne, sharing only the name with the 13th-century Anna-Kirche nearby. The building was designed by Würzburg cathedral master builder Hans Schädel and his architect son Jürgen Schädel between 1978 and 1979. It belongs to the Bamberger Osten pastoral area within the Bamberg deanery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamberg, alongside five other churches. The church’s stained-glass gables were created in 1979 by artist Erika Bauer from Stegaurach, while the bronze reliefs of the Stations of the Cross were made in 1983 by Klaus Backmund. The church features a notable organ installed in 1990, built by the Eisenbarth organ workshop in Passau. It has 24 registers and 1,618 pipes, replacing an earlier electronic instrument used during services. A free-standing bell tower, or campanile, with a pitched roof houses a four-voice peal of bells cast in 1979 by the Rudolf Perner foundry in Passau. The largest bell, dedicated to Saint Anne, was cast in Durrippe, and the bells ring the melody of *Salve Regina*. Inside, visitors find a spacious modern interior designed for liturgical use. The bronze Stations of the Cross line the walls, each panel telling a moment in Christ’s journey to Calvary. The stained-glass gables at the ends of the nave flood the space with coloured light, creating a calm and reflective atmosphere. The organ stands prominently near the entrance, its pipes rising in ranks across the gallery. Outside, the simple brick structure of the church contrasts with the slender, pitched-roof campanile standing apart nearby. The surrounding area in Bamberg’s eastern district offers quiet streets and a mix of residential and green spaces.