Church of St. Maximilian: Information about the "Notre dame of the Isar"

St. Maximilan at a glance

St. Maximilian is located directly on the eastern bank of the Isar opposite the Isar meadows between the Reichenbach Bridge and the Wittelsbacher Bridge. It is not only because of its location that it is one of Munich's most famous buildings. Here are the most important facts about the Roman Catholic parish church:

• St. Maximilian was built between 1892 and 1908 in neo-Romanesque style. However, the church was consecrated as early as 1901.
• Its distinctive twin towers also gave it the nickname "Notre Dame on the Isar" in the past. Until their destruction in World War II, the towers had pointed spires - they were dispensed with during reconstruction.
• The parish priest of St. Maximilian since 1993 is Rainer Maria Schießler, whose unconventional pastoral care has made him famous far beyond Munich's city limits. Among other things, he is a book author and worked as a waiter at the Oktoberfest.

Architecture of the church and info about the parish

The imposing building of St. Maximilian in the neo-Romanesque style came about because Munich's rapid growth at the end of the 19th century made new churches necessary. Two years after its consecration in 1901, "Notre-Dame der Isar" became an independent Catholic parish. After the Second World War, the church was badly damaged, so that reconstruction had to begin in 1949. In 1953 St. Maximilian was ready be consecrated again. However, the pointed tower roofs that characterized the building before the bombings were not rebuilt.

A total of six bells chime in the two towers. Inside the church, the high altar from 1905 and the Madonna of Mary altar are among the greatest works of art. Today, the parish of St. Maximilian includes the entire Glockenbach district.