Mariahilfkirche: All information about the church in Munich

History of the Mariahilfkirche

The history of the Mariahilfkirche goes back to 1463, when a cross was washed up on the west side of today's Mariahilfplatz, in the Au district of Munich, and a small chapel of the cross was built on its site.

The foundation stone for today's Mariahilfkirche was laid in 1831. Unique for Munich of that time was the roof of the neo-Gothic church building covered with colorful tiles.

When it became known in the 1970s that the Second World War had also left traces on the tower of the Mariahilfkirche, the residents of the Au district of Munich rushed to help. To ensure that Germany's first church in the neo-Gothic style was preserved, they managed to raise 1.79 million euros in donations.

In the tower: Germany's second largest carillon

• The Mariahilfkirche is not only an architectural feature, its church bells are also significant. In the tower hangs the second largest carillon in Germany, which was inaugurated on May 1, 2012:
• With a total weight of around 25 tons, the 65 bells ring out three times a week to form an impressive carillon.
• The largest bell, the Paulanerin, rings out every hour on the hour above the roofs of the Munich district of Au.
• The carillon was financed by donations and all bells bear the inscription of the donor.

How to get there

The Mariahilfkirche can be reached easily with public transport. Tram lines 17 and 18 stop nearby at Mariahilfplatz. The bus stop at Schweigerstraße (Bus lines 52 and 62) is also just a few yards away. If you travel by U-Bahn, take the U2 or U1 from central station to Fraunhoferstraße.